Tokyo has a new Italian palazzo.
Molteni&C, famous for iconic models like the D. 154.2 armchair by Gio Ponti and the Graduate wall unit by Jean Nouvel, has opened a new flagship in Tokyo with local partner Arflex Japan, one of Japan’s leading design players.
Palazzo Molteni Tokyo is located in the Minami Aoyama district and was designed by Molteni&C creative director, Flemish architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen. Minami Aoyama, which is centrally located in the area of Minato, is also home to fellow Italian furniture makers like B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau and Cassina.
Complete with courtyards and terraces, the building spans more than 10,000 square feet and across four floors. Van Duysen said the building was conceived in the image of a real Japanese home, merged with the Molteni&C elegance.
“When I started thinking about this project, I wanted to create a very sculptural volume, monolithic…we could also describe it as tectonic, where there is an interplay between masses and voids. We aimed to express something very geometric in terms of patterns and playfulness, yet using a very restrained and quiet architectural language,” Van Duysen said.
The top floor of the Palazzo Molteni Tokyo culminates in a home space called the Molteni Apartment, accessible with a private elevator. It includes a living space and dining area that includes Van Duysen’s Augusto sofa, Louisa coffee tables, as well as classics from Ponti like the D.859.1 table. The terrace showcases the Molteni&C Outdoor collection, featuring the Palinfrasca sofa and Helios kitchen.
Palazzo Molteni Tokyo is outfitted with terraces and courtyards.
Makoto Shikuya
In terms of openings, Molteni&C has been on a roll, unveiling stores worldwide since the ebb of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, it opened its largest flagship in the world in Shanghai with local partner Domus Tiandi.
The China store spans over almost 38,000 square feet and two floors. In January, it officially opened its second largest flagship in Milan covering 32,219 square feet and located at Via Manzoni 9, within the city’s luxury Quadrilatero shopping district.
In April, Molteni’s chief executive officer Marco Piscitelli said sales were buoyant worldwide, especially in Asia, where the company continues to see growth potential. Despite the ongoing market correction, after the post-pandemic boom, he said Molteni Group’s 2024 sales rose to 520 million euros from 470 million euros a year earlier, making it one of Italy’s biggest luxury furniture makers by revenues.
Molteni Group has planned 18 openings for 2025, including São Paulo, Mumbai, Mexico City, Riyadh, Sydney, Chengdu, Bangkok and Auckland in New Zealand.
Inside Palazzo Molteni.
Makoto Shikuya
AloJapan.com