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The Molteni Museum has new premises in the Giussano industrial compound north of Milan. Completely revamped by Tel Aviv-born designer Ron Gilad, the museum has moved into the Glass Cube located in the Molteni company grounds. It is a space devoted to the history of the Molteni Group – with products, stories and images – while also presenting current and future initiatives.
The Molteni Museum was inaugurated in 2015 to celebrate the Molteni Group’s 80th anniversary. The aim was to stage the company’s history, its identity and its core values, by telling the extraordinary stories of the men and women who have created the objects, spaces and relationships that make Molteni what it is.
Over these past five years, the museum has welcomed hosts of visitors from across the world – professionals, clients, students and design enthusiasts – all wishing to immerse themselves in the history of the company, consolidating its reputation and renewing interest in its work, its products and its four key companies: Molteni&C, Dada, UniFor and Citterio.
The permanent collection of 48 historic items is still the core of what is on offer at the new multifunctional museum, reorganised and curated by Ron Gilad. Alongside this, thanks to the flexible spaces available, there will be new initiatives, such as temporary exhibitions ranging from design to architecture, photography and art, as well as a programme of events linked to the museum. The contents of the museum will be made available globally via the Molteni Group’s web channels, including a virtual tour of the museum.
Along with the new Molteni Museum, the Giussano compound itself is also having a makeover. The QallaM (Quality to the power of M) Space, designed by Patricia Urquiola, is being renovated as a multimedia space featuring a broad catalogue of films about Molteni’s designers and architects, as well as the technologies involved in the company’s quest for the highest quality.
The venue will become a knowledge hub, and will host themed workshops, conferences and presentations. QallaM has received a number of awards, including the Premio dell’Innovazione della Presidenza della Repubblica and the Menzione d’Onore del Compasso d’Oro.
The historical archive plays a key part in the Molteni Group’s strategy, as a point of reference for conserving and promoting the culture of the company. The history of the company and its protagonists is shown through design materials, products and machinery, and technical, administrative and commercial documents – material evidence that can be considered cultural assets, the expression of the company’s ethical and aesthetic values and of its capacity for innovation transmitted from past to present.
The historical archive plays a key part in the Molteni Group’s strategy, as a point of reference for conserving and promoting the culture of the company. The history of the company and its protagonists is shown through design materials, products and machinery, and technical, administrative and commercial documents – material evidence that can be considered cultural assets, the expression of the company’s ethical and aesthetic values and of its capacity for innovation transmitted from past to present.
One of the archive projects in development at the museum involves publishing short articles and stories about key Molteni designers, allowing visitors to gain further insight into the history and development of the company. From Werner Blaser and Yasuhiko Itoh to Aldo Rossi and Luca Meda, from Gio Ponti to Afra and Tobia Scarpa, without forgetting today’s protagonists – Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Ron Gilad, Vincent Van Duysen, Rodolfo Dordoni, Patricia Urquiola, Pierluigi Cerri and Michael Anastassiades– the museum presents the authors of projects that have become part of the history of design: the Piroscafo bookcase, the Milano chair, the Less table or the Naòs system, to name just a few. These products were made with avant-garde manufacturing techniques, with all the passion and pride that goes into producing top quality design items.
The Molteni Compound is both a physical and a virtual space offering an immersive experience in the Molteni design world, from every point of view – from its history and aesthetic culture right through to production and sales, including the showroom and the factory – to create a 360° encounter.
discover moreTo celebrate 90 years of Molteni&C, Rizzoli New York has published Molteni Mondo – An Italian Design Story, a book that is on sale worldwide from September 2024.
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