9th to 14th April 2013
Milan Salone Internazionale del Mobile
Porta Nuova Varesine Area
Corner of Viale della Liberazione and via Galilei
Every day from 10.00 to 24.00
Press preview Monday 8th April 15.00 to 20.00

The new skyscrapers of Milan's Porta Nuova Varesine area, and the occasion of the forthcoming edition of the Milan International Furniture Fair, supply the setting for Urban Stories, a series of narratives suspended between design and architecture and recounted by three of the major players on the scene: Michele De Lucchi, Diego Grandi e Kengo Kuma.

NATURESCAPE is the title of the latest project signed by Kengo Kuma with the backing and enthusiasm of Frassinagodiciotto and Il Casone, together with Agape, Pratic, Tribù and Vaselli, and with technical support from Davide Groppi. The installation will occupy the ground floor of one of the office buildings designed by American studio KPF - Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects.

Once again Kengo Kuma regales us with a striking installation which cleverly uses combinations of natural elements - stone, plants, water, bamboo, gravel - to create dreamlike images of a Japanese garden, inviting the visitor to experience the elegance, tranquility and wisdom of Zen simplicity evoked by the space.

The mellow shapes of the stonework in Florentine Pietra Forte, finished with sandstone from leading quarry Il Casone, work together to outline and contain mirror-like pools of water. The elements in stone, artfully modelled to follow and gently echo the planes conceived for NATURESCAPE by the Japanese maestro, interface with green surfaces which play host to an authentic forest of bamboo, a vertical woodland skillfully created by Frassinagodiciotto, who have taken care of all aspects of the project as well as its green elements, acting as project manager throughout, from conception to finishing touches. In this project Frassinagodiciotto has once again been able to show its dual vocation as design studio for landscape architecture and, simultaneously, specialists in gardening and exteriors, always working to strict criteria dictated by well-being, functionality and attention to detail.

The lawn will be crowned by stone kitchen fittings from Vaselli - famous for its work in travertino -, while the water features will be brought to life by the sculpture-like elements of Agape - leaders in top of the range bathroom design.
Numerous items of furniture by Tribù (Belgian brand supplying exterior decor) will feature in the installation, while the two outdoor spaces, which complement the indoor area in design and materials, will showcase two metal exterior structures by Pratic, frontrunners since 1960 in solar protection. Details
Another stunning aspect of the installation will be the lighting by Davide Groppi.

During Milan Design Week visitors will also have an invaluable opportunity to see some of the show apartments in the "Nuova Milano" residential buildings. This brand new area - bordering Brera, the traditional venue for Fuorisalone events - represents a natural and logical progression in space for events which in 2012 were already looking toward new areas of urban development.

Visitors registering at the two information points run by Hines Italia will thus be able to see the Bosco Verticale (terraces by Frassinagodiciotto), Corso Como Apartments (plants and terraces by Frassinagodiciotto), Tartufoli Villas (terraces and villa gardens by Frassinagodiciotto) and Solaria Apartments (flooring and bathrooms in the towers by Il Casone).


Naturescape, by Kengo Kuma and Associates
Presentation: Frassinagodiciotto
Materials supplied by: Il Casone
A project for: Agape, Frassinagodiciotto, Il Casone, Pratic, Tribu, Vaselli
Project lighting: Davide Groppi
Setting: Urban Stories, a project by MoscaPartners in collaboration with Hines Italia and with overall sponsorship by Oikos


Press Office NATURESCAPE
Lab MD | Department of Architecture, University of Ferrara
Giulia Pellegrini materialdesign@unife.it