Oakley @ Luxottica Group Headquarters, Milan

Oakley, the historic Californian eyewear brand recently acquired by Luxottica, opened an EMEA region flagship showroom in 2013 at the group’s headquarters in Milan. The space is designed for the typical sales activities of a showroom but above all as a way of conveying the brand’s long-standing image — a blend of design and technology available to consumers in search of quality and efficiency and keen to push their own limits. The project brings together various concepts developed for different sales channels with the aim of achieving a strong and easily recognisable brand identity. The showroom is housed in spaces previously occupied by a bank. All the spaces were extensively renovated and cleaned to reveal the building’s original structures, including two large monolithic granite columns that now dominate the showroom. The existing wall coverings and false ceilings were demolished to reveal the various structures that had accumulated over the lifetime of the building. The utilities were entirely renovated and where possible left in view for the purposes of both accessibility and aesthetics. A range of often contrasting materials was used with the specific goal of creating a harmonious blend of different cultures, customs and lifestyles. In particular, the furnishings feature a titanium powder coating specially designed and produced for Oakley. The stairs and the metal wall covering sheets are also made of raw iron, in this case treated with a special clear protective coating. The contrasting large wood strip wall features a combination of three different prestigious timbers (American walnut, maple and natural oak) and two metallic finishes. These are mounted on the concrete panel wall covering onto which a graphic assortment of brands has been printed directly. The same effect of harmonious contrast has been achieved through the use of porcelain floor tiles from Ceramiche Refin’s Design Industry series, which evoke the patinaed appearance of oxidised metal and accentuate the beauty of the pink granite columns. Further interior design features include the contemporary style chairs, armchairs and desks and the industrial lighting fixtures salvaged from factories in Eastern Europe. The large height of the interior spaces allowed a mezzanine to be built in one corner, making room for a closed ground-floor area comprising a small storeroom, services and a snack corner. The open mezzanine floor accommodates an office with lounge corner offering a view of the entire showroom and the Oakley collection from a more global perspective.