Ferrari Store, Milano. Credit: Paola Pansini
Ferrari reaches a new milestone in the brand’s lifestyle expansion strategy with the opening of its new flagship store in Milan, designed with a triple entrance on Via Berchet, Via Foscolo and Via San Raffaele, inside a landmark building adjacent to the historic Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Completely restructured and redesigned, the space covers a sales area of almost 900 square metres on three harmoniously connected levels in a fluid and dynamic environment, characterised by the new store concept already applied to the first renovation of the flagship store in Maranello, inaugurated in June.
Entrusted to architectural studio Sybarite, London, the interpretation of the Milan interiors once again weaves together the values of innovation, style and performance to shape an experiential circuit formed by multiple layers of materials, images and timeless inspirations that immerse the legend, charm and elegance of the Ferrari universe in the vision of a contemporary gallery.
Credit: Paola Pansini
In keeping with the Maranello store, the design codes and iconic material and architectural elements of the brand’s new retail vision also appear in Milan, reworked and adapted to suit its prestigious location through a visually striking structural and scenographic transformation.
The series of arched windows of the building’s façade are punctuated by red glass that embodies Ferrari‘s symbolic colour with a degrade effect that fades into transparency to symbolise the performance and speed of the cars.
In entering the shop, the walls outline a perimeter colonnade of hand applied terracotta elegantly contrasted by bespoke white clay bricked walls.
The atrium showcases a full-size Formula 1 car: the car, suspended traversing the floors, is an exact replica of the same single-seater in which Michael Schumacher won the World Championship in 2002.
Credit: Paola Pansini
The store is designed to welcome visitors in an open and elaborate path where each corner anticipates and reveals the next perspective, stimulating a feeling of continuous discovery, both horizontally and vertically. Each room, separate but complementary to the others, has its own storytelling and display function, while composing a coherent and flexible narrative that ranges from the racing soul of the Cavallino to the new fashion collections created by Rocco Iannone, Creative Director.
Credit: Paola Pansini
The right side of the ground floor accommodates a chequerboard screen on which videos and images flow, commemorating the link between the Scuderia and the world of cinema, with the frequent appearances of Maranello’s four wheels in feature films. A metal structure in brushed aluminium hangs from the ceiling, inspired by the assembly lines of the Maranello factory to become a metaphor for the constant connection between man and machine.
Credit: Paola Pansini
The left side focuses on the world of Formula 1 with a display full of cult objects dedicated to enthusiasts and fans of sporting competitions, in an evocative atmosphere that calls to mind the tradition of Grand Prix and its protagonists. A giant screen placed here will project past and present Formula 1 races, surrounded by spoilers, engine parts and memorabilia hanging on the walls.
Continuing downstairs, visitors can enjoy a unique e-sport experience in the retail space, experiencing the same challenges and emotions of Ferrari drivers in virtual reality. Three semi-professional simulators are set up in an amphitheatre-arena dominated by sweeping clay contours, so that circuit racing can be experienced at the same speed and with the same intensity as the Formula 1 champions themselves.
On the upper floor, the journey continues through an edited mix of products and bespoke installations, starting with a red racing car suspended in mid-air, now visible in every detail from a close distance and from different angles.
The thematic displays include an illuminated cylindrical column with backlit showcases for eyewear, the children’s area, the wall dedicated to creations in textiles and the area for bags, shoes and accessories.
As on the ground floor, there is a dressing room area on the upper floor that tastefully evokes the colours and design of the Maranello cars with walls covered in yellow alcantara. Brushed aluminium doors and stitched and ribbed tan leather seating derived from the interior of the Ferrari cars.
Finally, special guests can enjoy a private shopping experience, accessed through a curated VIP lounge area designed with a subtle and rich mix of materials and textures that are an elevated complimentary experience to the store concept itself.
Credit: Paola Pansini
About Sybarite
“A sybarite is a person devoted to luxury with an appreciation for the finer things in life.
For architects Torquil McIntosh and Simon Mitchell, the founders of Sybarite, the name perfectly described the company culture they wanted to create back in 2002. Now, nearly twenty years later, this London-based architectural and design studio continues to innovate and inspire in the global world of luxury fashion, retail and hospitality, bringing a creative vision to projects that makes them outstanding. The studio’s projects can be seen in cities all over the world, with international fashion brands among their client base.
Ten years ago, Sybarite began working in Asia, with the transformation of Shin Kong Place, a shopping mall in Beijing, China, into SKP Beijing, a luxury department store. Following the success of SKP Beijing, Sybarite created a new 20-storey, luxury landmark SKP store in Xi’an, China’s former capital, currently China’s largest luxury department store with over 1000 brands. SKP-S Beijing opened in 2019, located opposite the original SKP store and is regarded as offering a benchmark experiential retail experience. In addition to this, Sybarite is developing an exceptional luxury subterranean retail masterplan in the Chinese province of Sichuan, which will be the first of its kind and is due to complete in 2022.
As well as working on new store openings in Europe and the USA for international fashion monobrands, Sybarite continues to plan department stores as well as hospitality and lifestyle projects for SKP.
