Talk of the Town

In the heart of Milan, Molteni&C transforms a historic palazzo into a showcase for Italian craft

- SAM COCHRAN

Since taking the helm as creative director of Molteni&C in 2016, Vincent Van Duysen has conceived everything from furniture collections to kitchen systems to stores in Shanghai, London, New York, and beyond. But his latest project for the brand might be his most ambitious yet: a seven-story flagship on bustling Via Manzoni in the heart of Milan, Italy's capital of style.

When company president Carlo Molteni first approached Van Duysen about the neoclassical palazzo, the AD100 designer was excited if daunted. "How could I nail our first flagship store in Milan?" Van Duysen recalls thinking.