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The Manzoni by Tom Dixon is Milan’s latest hotspot to offer an experiential edge

British designer Tom Dixon and JLK Design Studio open The Manzoni, a permanent restaurant-cum-showroom where diners will be able to buy everything in the space.

by STIRworldPublished on : Jul 19, 2019

The new 100-cover restaurant created by British designer Tom Dixon in Milan is designed to delight. Masquerading as a permanent restaurant and a showroom, it is more than a restaurant. It is an experimental space, a theatrical backdrop for the best of Italian food and an international stage to present latest innovations, and bestsellers by Dixon’s studio. The Design Research Studio collaborated with JLK Design Studio to build a space that allows visitors to experience multiple atmospheres, with each room exploring its own narrative.

Glamorous and stylish, every piece of furniture and accessory is for sale at The Manzoni, Milan| The Manzoni| Design Research Studio| Tom Dixon| STIR
Glamorous and stylish, every piece of furniture and accessory is for sale at The Manzoni, Milan Image Credit: Tom Dixon

"With the city being so active and engaging right now, it is the right time to forget being temporary and build something permanent. Just like in London, we don’t think it’s enough to just have a showroom. We need a place where people slow down and experience our products in a live setting,” says Dixon, explaining why he chose a restaurant-cum-showroom concept for this showcase. “There is nothing dustier than a conventional lighting and furniture showroom; but with The Manzoni, people are able to experience our new collections in an active context."

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Upholstered Fat dining chairs and Flash coffee tables are peppered around the bar at The Manzoni Image Credit: Tom Dixon

As you enter, you are greeted by a bar made of a monolithic block of granite while lava stone tiles form an arresting backdrop. Making your way inside the long grey dining hall, a series of Fat chairs from Kvadrat line up along the monastic cork dining tables. Settling into this communal layout, it is hard not to be distracted by the spinning Spring pendants, from Dixon’s studio, hanging down from the ceiling.

The monochromatic dining hall opens into a leafy, lush Jungle room decorated by Sardinian florist, Art Flowers Gallery. Here, palms and vines flourish from spun aluminium and cluster together to create a wild, overgrown oasis.

  • The dining area at The Manzoni has been conceptualised as community tables, which are accentuated by the string of Opal lights hanging above| The Manzoni| Design Research Studio| Tom Dixon| STIR
    The dining area at The Manzoni has been conceptualised as community tables, which are accentuated by the string of Opal lights hanging above Image Credit: Tom Dixon
  • The Manzoni follows a monochromatic scheme accentuated by hints of gloss and gold; seen here is the granite wash basin in the bathroom| The Manzoni| Design Research Studio| Tom Dixon| STIR
    The Manzoni follows a monochromatic scheme accentuated by hints of gloss and gold; seen here is the granite wash basin in the bathroom Image Credit: Tom Dixon

What we love though is that while every element at The Manzoni is an exploration of traditional and modern materials and process, the same concept extends to the food as well with the Italian food design studio Arabeschi di Latte at the helm, curating the food experience combined with the theme of monochrome.

(See Indian architect Sandeep Khosla in conversation with Tom Dixon, and also explore Dixon's experimental model at Chelsea Flower Show)

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