outfitting of the CASSINA showroom, Via Durini MI (with L.Lupi)

For the presentation of the new colored leather upholstery collection (no fewer than 50 items), in conjunction with the Salone del Mobile, Cassina has commissioned Achille Castiglioni to design its own show-room, which he had also worked in 1987. Spectacular and ironic, huge cows built from canned beef tins – used like bizarre building blocks – are placed as window display: a herd grazing on fake grass. Entering the shop, other two ruminants invite visitors to the central space, dedicated to the theme illustration: armchairs and couches upholstered with different fabrics, specially leather, which was also shown in the form of cow hides draped over steel cables so that the visitors could appreciate the natural material, touch it, smell it, admire its softness and coloring. In the background was a setting covered with sail-shaped vaulting supported by classical columns. Here, skillfully lit Cassina products were arranged on an inclined pane rising sharply from the floor almost to the ceiling, creating a brusque but fascinating shift in one’s perception of the pieces. The same provocative humor was also a feature of the prints by Italo Lupi.