N. 2/2018 Preview
About shopping centres

DESIGN INTERNATIONAL
INAUGURATES THE “DI CAMPUS” AND PRESENTS “MOTION BUILDINGS, MEETING PLACES”, BOOK PUBLISHED BY MONDADORI ELECTA DEDICATED TO THE RETAIL ARCHITECTURE OF DESIGN INTERNATIONAL

Milan, 20th June 2018 – Design International, the award-winning architectural practice, led by Davide Padoa, Paul Mollé and Lucio Guerra, inaugurates the “DI CAMPUS” in the Bicocca district. With an area of almost 900 sqm and comprising a “Theatre” which can accommodate up to 50 people.
The DI Campus is not just a new location for Design International, but a broader project: a research centre where students and young architects can compare and refine their skills, in collaboration with universities and specialized schools.
The book “Motion Buildings, Meeting Places. From retail to hospitality: the evolution of large shopping centers ” published by Mondadori Electa and written by Luca Masia and Peter Clucas, is dedicated to Design International. In the book, Paul Mollé, Founding Partner, Lucio Guerra COO and Davide Padoa, CEO, relate their professional trajectories and discuss shared projects, highlighting key factors that have made Design International buildings the new international icons of architecture and commerce.
Prof. Emilio Bellini, Scientific Director of the Retail & Distribution Lab at the Milan Polytechnic’s School of Management, took part in the presentation of the book, providing reflections on the transformation within the world of retail: “The nature of retail business is the subject of major transformations. On the one hand, Original Brand Manufacturers are investing more and more on proprietary stores in order to have a direct and intimate relationship with their customers. On the other hand, the progressive “amazonization” of commerce is reducing the space for traditional retailers who offer only intermediation services to their customers. In this context of profound innovation in the sector, physical spaces play a decisive role: no longer focused just on showing products or enabling them to be tested and tried, but also places for learning, for entertainment, for sharing interests, incubation of cultural and entrepreneurial activities”.
“What matters more… the journey or the path we take to get there?” – added Davide Padoa, CEO of Design International – “The answer to this question articulates how retail is transforming today. Consumption is no longer the driving factor of those involved in planning and development. The new values are ‘experience’, ‘engagement’ and ‘hospitality’ which, if managed with humility and authenticity, create a fluid dialogue between a building, a place and the public that inhabits it, visits it, discovers it. When you travel, do not limit yourself to remembering where you went but what you have discovered and experienced of the place you have visited and with whom you have shared your experience. Our projects study the movement of people, their habits. That’s why we design Motion Buildings, Meeting Places. Structures open to the environment, to people. Hence the decision to open our DI Campus studio to those who, like us, base their future on research”.
Set in a context of industrial architecture, the DI Campus retains the characteristic structure and materials of pre-existing building, enhancing specific features such as installations, exposed bricks and the industrial skylights. Located on the top floor, it is an open space and an innovative environment in which people can work flexibly. Special areas have been created to promote and encourage the sharing of knowledge and ideas, such as the Theatre, in which workshops can be held and hosted. The large terrace is another key element, made even more welcoming by its “Urban Garden”.
The new Campus is designed as a “design factory” with the aim of creating:
• Disciplinary cross-fertilisation (Architecture, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Philosophy, Marketing & Communication);
• Experimentation with new formats (Retail Concept, Masterplan of Public Spaces, experiential fruition, etc.);
• Training experiences such as “workshops”, in spaces specifically designed for sharing;
• Thesis projects with students from international design schools.

Design International
Design International was founded in 1965 in Toronto, Canada and quickly built a reputation for truly innovative design, particularly in retail architecture. Indeed, the practice pioneered many design features that have since become industry benchmarks. These include the use of glazed roofs to create covered “streets” that are flooded with daylight (Bugis Junction, Singapore) and creating the first mall that integrated retail and entertainment in one centre (CocoWalk, Florida). Building from its strong base in retail, the practice has developed its expertise over many years and now has projects encompassing a range of sectors, including mixed use developments, residential, hotels and hospitality as well as transport hubs. Current commissions include key projects in Europe, India and the Middle East, as well as innovative new mixed-use developments in China. Now headquartered in London, Design International boasts offices in Milan and Shanghai and, earlier this year, opened their Dubai office in Dubai’s Design District (d3). The practice’s development continues apace and recently, the Milan office relocated to new premises in the Bicocca district of the city. Here, on the site of former Breda and Pirelli works, the DI Campus will be developed, promoting the exchange of ideas and know-how with the next generation of designers.

Design International Italia Press Office:
NIC Nuove idee di Comunicazione t. +39 02 3653 5859
Paola Nicolai paola.nicolai@nicpr.it m. +39 335 8056 962
Claudia Celada claudia.celada@nicpr.it m. +39 335 7066765