2001
VALENTINO
FLAGSHIP STORE
MILAN
The lighting project of the Valentino store in Via Montenapoleone was composed by the implementation of custom designed lighting fixtures both mounted in the ceiling and in the millwork.
Following the vision of the architects, Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, for an ethereal atmosphere, light brings out the transparency, intensity in the colours and the lightness of the precious fabrics of Valentino. Diffuse light became an important component of the lighting scheme almost dominating over the accent lighting.
The expository millwork is woven almost seamlessly in the architecture: the hanging structures for the garments is mounted inside the wall niches, or embrace the rooms’ limits.
A custom made lighting element combines upwards diffuse light by fluorescent tubes and downwards accent light by dichroic lamps, all covered by satinized polycarbonate screens. This linear lamp is installed over the clothes hangers across the long sides of the room. This provides a large amount of ambient light towards the ceiling and intense direct light towards the hung garments.
Diffuse light emanates also from the luminous bottom of the clothes hanging structures and other various displays of shoes and accessories made of etched glass with integrated fluorescent lamps.
In the Men’s area, the lighting concept is slightly differentiated, since the fabrics become more dense and opaque. Light is shed on the background walls of the clothes hanging rails and the accent light is provided by a ceiling light fitting with adjustable dichroic lamps behind a diffusing glass cover.
Another custom designed fixture was developed for the showcase lighting. A structure with pre-adjusted dichroic lamps is recessed in the sidewalls of the show window and a thick partition of transparent PMMA covers it. This create an interesting wall feature which provide plenty of direct light and some additional glow.
This boutique was an experiment for the extensive development of custom designed lighting fixtures that then set important concepts that are still included in the more contemporary lighting schemes.
