Roman Holiday

Studio Kueng Caputo celebrates the architecture of Fendi’s HQ with bold volumes, hot hues and a palm tree.

- Alyn Griffiths

Designed in the late 1930s at the behest of Benito Mussolini, the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana is viewed by many as Rome’s most recognisable 20th-century landmark. Home to the fashion house Fendi since 2015, the iconic palazzo (W*201) will be celebrated in an exhibition at this year’s Design Miami, where Fendi has invited Swiss studio Kueng Caputo to create a family of objects referencing the HQ’s architecture, as part of an ongoing programme promoting emerging design talent at the fair.

Sarah Kueng and Lovis Caputo developed a simple visual language of planes and arches to evoke the superposed loggias of Fendi’s travertine-clad ‘Square Colosseum’. The Zurich-based designers, who are known for their experimental process and playful use of materials, gathered further inspiration during a research trip to Fendi’s archives. ‘We love how committed Fendi is to preserving the heritage and future of craft,’ says Caputo.