Showrooms

The Spanish company is launching its new exhibition spaces in both India and Germany.

Specialising in the manufacture of furniture for workplaces and public spaces, Actiu was founded 40 years ago in La Foia Castalla, in Alicante, southern Spain. Today, the company, which exports over 60 per cent of its goods and has a presence in over 65 countries, is one of Spain’s leading furniture manufacturers. Actiu’s new, London showroom – situated in Clerkenwell, an area internationally renowned for selling design suited to architecture and the contract market – boasts a 250 sq m display area. Its philosophy is closely linked to the culture of the company, whose London premises appropriately feature a large, internal garden that provides plenty of light and transparency, green areas and an energy-efficient use of natural resources. The showroom’s interior has been conceived as an environmentally friendly workspace and showcase for the brand and its products, part of a sales and promotional distribution network, a space set aside for the continuous creation and development of products and a meeting point to display design in a social, cultural context. To date, Actiu has been involved in major projects in the UK. It has supplied furniture for the offices of BAA Ltd (British Airports Authority) at London’s Heathrow airport, public areas for American Express, London’s Queen Mary University and National Army Museum and for the British subsidiaries of car companies Mazda and Ford. Actiu has also equipped the education areas and offices of the restored, expanded Whitechapel Gallery in London, an institution that’s over 100 years old and hosts art exhibitions and events.
Actiu recently won a close-run bid for a contract to furnish the offices and customer care centres of Transport for London (TFL), the organisation in charge of London’s public transport system. The 5.6 million Euro contract, which will take at least three years to complete, is expected to be seen as a truly prestigious project in the highly competitive, British market. London’s Actiu showroom is part of the company’s network of stores in 10 capital cities dotted around the world – among them, Sydney, Paris, Madrid, Düsseldorf, Lisbon, Casablanca, Dubai… and now London.

The office furniture company chooses Miami to start its American rollout. Office furniture company Actiu, a leader in Europe and the Spanish market, has just opened its first brand store in the Americas. Located in Miami, the aim is to boost its US position and serve as a marketing instrument for the whole of Latin America. The new 400-square-metre premises are a stone’s throw from Miami International Airport, to allow quick, efficient service for any customer travelling from other parts of the continent. The building has the “LEED Gold” certification for its responsible use of energy and natural resources, and makes careful use of natural light and green areas. The facility will exhibit all the solutions Actiu has to offer for the workplace and contract spaces. The inauguration of the new showroom was attended by Actiu president and founder, Vicent Berbegal, who recently became European Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 at the European Business Awards. He was accompanied by his son, Vicente Berbegal. American retailers and opinion leaders were invited to the launch party to become acquainted with the new space, where they were able to sample a wide selection of Spanish delicacies. In his address, Vicent Berbegal stated that the company’s initial aim was “to tackle space design projects that provide solutions for the needs of each company. The idea is for this showroom to generate trust with companies, architects, interior designers and opinion leaders looking for tailor-made solutions.” Miami is Actiu’s first strategic stop in the USA where it will seek to promote office furniture of higher quality and European design,  an aspect highlighted by company CEO Joaquín Berbegal: “This step undoubtedly represents a firm commitment to the US market, which is highly competitive and difficult, but offers great opportunities for European design and know-how”. The space will also serve as a point of connection and communication for all distributors in Latin America, an issue referred to by showroom manager Julián Duque, “We want to encourage our distributors in Latin America to come to this space, meet up with architects looking to invest or do business all over the continent who can clinch deals for Colombia, the Dominican Republic or any other market in the Americas.” Actiu also has its own showrooms in other cities such as London, Paris, Sidney, Barcelona and Madrid and is present in more than 90 countries worldwide. Product quality, design and innovation are the factors in its success.

Actiu, the Spanish manufacturer of furniture for workspaces and public areas, opened a new showroom in Sydney, Australia, last March. By opening this showroom, Actiu has shown a major commitment to expanding into Asia. As Vicente Berbegal, its founder and president explains, ‘When we decided a few years ago against manufacturing in China, but in our own country instead, we also made it clear we wanted to sell our products in that Far Eastern region.’ Located in Pyrmont, Sydney, the new, 290sq m showroom means that Actiu has made a major inroad into a country with huge economic potential. The move also consolidates the company’s business expansion strategy into the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.
What’s more, Actiu’s new shop offers its clients a space where its products can be displayed, and serves as a link with European countries keen to forge new business relationships in the Asian-Pacific region. Actiu therefore creates a new networking venue that acts as a valuable meeting point for other firms, which can hold their own promotional events and business meetings here. Actiu’s Sydney showroom is one of over 10 shops it has dotted all over the world, including one it opened in London in July, 2010. Actiu’s many achievements – from its commitment to protecting the environment, via its integration of sustainable manufacturing policies and initiatives to receiving the LEED® Gold certificate (a rating system for green buildings) and winning various international awards, such as a Red Dot prize last year in the best product design category for its TNK A500 office chair designed by Alegre Industrial – have meant the Australian market has enthusiastically embraced the company’s products. The most notable ones in the new showroom are its Mobility desks, Informa customer service counter, Audit seating and Mit and Uka chairs for use in training rooms.

Actiu opened a showroom in Dubai (UAE) in October last year, its first showroom in the Middle East. This venue is located in the "Dubai Design District", a neighborhood that is home to the city's leading fashion and design stores and an ecosystem of companies focused on the prescription sector ranging from prestigious design and architecture studios to major manufacturers and distributors in the furniture sector. After 35 years of work in this region, this space serves as a meeting point between its various collaborators and clients in the Middle East and opens up new business opportunities in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, thanks to its location in this district, which isfrequently visitedby leading architects, designers and consultants from the area and around the world. Visiting customers will find a careful selection of products, oriented to work environments, but also to hospitality and other more versatile spaces. Actiu exports half of its production to more than 95 countries around the world and has seven showrooms of its own in London, Paris, Lisbon, Sydney, Miami, Madrid and Castalla (Alicante).

The new space offers innovative solutions for French prescribers' contract projects. Over year ago, just before the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, Spanish office furniture manufacturer Actiu , which specializes in workspace design, moved its Paris showroom to Boulevard Bourdon. Located on one floor at street level and the basement of a historic building on a total of 450 m2 next to the Seine and the Place de la Bastille, it is a must on architects´ and designers´ routes of the French capital.  It recreates real scenarios typical of hospitality environments and shows Actiu's know-how concerning efficient and flexible workspace design focusing on people's wellbeing. The interior design project, in which Cosin Estudio has collaborated, revolves around color accents ranging from the brand's characteristic red to the black of its Karbon chair, the company's iconic carbon fiber piece. Colors that frame the different work environments that make up the tour, which when combined with green and blue tones recall "the Mediterranean essence" of the showroom and the company. Actiu is one of the leading companies in Spain regarding design of furniture and spaces for the new forms of work that are emerging. Its innovative products are exported to more than 84 countries and it has six showrooms of its own in London, Miami, Sydney, Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona.

From Valencia to Chicago passing through 65 countries over the course of 50 years of history. The figures do not lie and less still the deep wrinkles that line the hands of the carpenter who has been creating chairs for half a century. With his farsightedness, Andreu Martí, the founder of Andreu World, always aimed high, but it would have been difficult for him to imagine half a century ago that his small factory would reach such heights. Specifically, as high as the tenth floor of the Merchandise Mart Plaza, a colossal building that can claim to be the largest commercial building in the world, housing the great international furniture brands. Moreover, it is the headquarters of NEOCON, the most important furniture trade fair in the United States. The journey has been long but worthwhile. Andreu World America currently occupies 250 m2 where it exhibits its work together with that of the giants of the sector, such as Vitra, Steelcase, Haworth, Herman Miller, B&B Italia and Knoll, to mention just a few. Chairs have always been the raison d’être of Andreu World. Its commitment to design and innovation have done the rest. Now, any of the three million visitors received by the Merchandise Mart Plaza every year can enjoy Andreu World’s latest collections. Noteworthy amongst these are the Smile, Radical and Lineal Confort designs, created by Lievore, Altherr & Molina. Shining next to them are the Valeria chairs by Estudio Andreu, Zarina, designed by William Sawaya, and Wok by Javier Mariscal. The company’s management has been focused for some time on the North American market. Andreu World has been working here for five years under its own label. Just by looking at the number of projects completed by Andreu World America in the USA, it is clear to see that all the effort made has not been in vain. The latest projects to be completed are the Bronx Criminal Court Complex in New York, Tryg’s restaurant in Minneapolis, the Myth restaurant in San Francisco, the HYATT hotel in Chicago and the Finnegan Henderson law firm in Washington DC. Andreu World has recently been awarded the National Design Prize, awarded annually by the Spanish Ministry of Industry. Some believe that they have reached the top of the world but Andreu World continues to look straight ahead, focused on the brand’s worldwide growth.

Spanish contemporary furniture company Andreu World opened its first showrooms in Tokyo and Washington DC at the end of last year. The Tokyo showroom is the Spanish company’s first monobrand store in Japan. Andreu World has had its own business office there since 2010, but has now been operating in the contract channel for more than a decade (hotels, restaurants and workspaces). All the company's products are JSI certified in line with the Japanese standard recognising excellence, quality and product durability. The spacious 250sqm loft is in the Minami Aoyama district which is home to most design and furniture companies in the Japanese capital. Since it opened in October 2016, Japanese architects, designers and other clients have had chance to see in situ the furniture company’s latest products, created by well-known international designers including Patricia Urquiola, Lievore Altherr Molina, Jasper Morrison and Piergiorgio Cazzaniga.  The showroom’s interior design has been arranged to cater for all visitor furniture needs. The layout includes various lounge, meeting and installation areas featuring a selection of sofas, easy chairs, and versatile tables and chairs that can be used at work, in homes, facilities, hotels or restaurants, as well as out of doors. The brand’s products have been brought to life in different scenes separated by backlit panels which enhance the finish, colour and texture of the textiles and materials chosen for the exhibition area. A month after Tokyo, Andreu World opened a new showroom in Washington, which joined spaces in Chicago, New York and San Francisco to make it their fourth in the USA. This strategic market accounts around 55% of company exports, hence the brand’s interest in new points of sale of its own. The store is in Georgetown on Wisconsin Avenue, an ideal setting to showcase the company’s latest collections. Inside, visiting architects, designers and other customers can find a wide selection of furnishings. Like other Andreu World showrooms, natural wood is a prominent feature, creating a cocooning and welcoming atmosphere. This year, in October, Andreu World opened a new showroom in Bangalore, its fourth space in India after New Delhi, Pune and Hyderabad. Andreu World´s showroom in Tokyo Address: 2-19-6 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062. Ratio Minami Aoyama. 107-0062, Japan Phone number: + (81) 3 6804 2966 Email: aworld@andreuworld.com Andreu World´s showroom in Washington DC Address:  1010 Wisconsin Ave NW  Washington DC. 20007-3617. USA Phone number: + (312) 464-0900 Email: info@andreuworldamerica.com Andreu World´s showroom in Bangalore Address: #8/4 Ulsoor Road, Bangalore 560042. India Phone number: + (0091) 98 86 653005 Email: india@andreuworld.com

Last May, Andreu World opened its new showroom in San Francisco. This is the company’s third showroom to open in the US, following the opening of its shops in Chicago (in 2007) and New York (2012), and it consolidates the brand’s presence in the country. The new store’s main aim is to boost the firm’s profile among design professionals and suppliers on America’s West Coast. The showroom is situated on 2nd Street, in the heart of the Financial District, where some of San Francisco’s most iconic buildings can be found. The space has various display areas which demonstrate the versatility of Andreu World’s products. It showcases a broad range of chairs, armchairs, bar stools with fixed or swivel bases and meeting and occasional tables. A selection of multifunctional sofas and armchairs as well as highly flexible occasional tables take up the remaining space. What’s more, Andreu World has other shops around the world — in Valencia, Dubai and one run by its distributor in Pune, India, which opened in 2014. The Dubai showroom opened last March, and represents an important step in widening the company’s distribution network in the Middle East. The shop, which occupies a spacious, 200-sq m loft, is situated on the 33rd floor of the iconic Jumeirah Business Center 3, which boasts spectacular, panoramic views of Dubai’s skyscrapers.

The new 500 M2 space located in suite 1111 of the New York Design Center in Manhattan. Andreu World, a leading manufacturer of Spanish contemporary design furniture and Spain's leading exporter of seating and tables, moved its New York showroom last year in September. Located at Suite 1111 of the New York Design Center, at 200 Lexington Avenue, the new space has an exhibition area of 500 square meters and signifies a renewal of its image in the Big Apple. The interior architecture of this rendezvous for architects, interior designers and clients has focused on generating a lively and eclectic place. It uses natural wood as both its language and common denominator, which has been in the firm's genes since its origins more than half a century ago, in 1955. The exquisitely and perfectly balanced light is a brilliant aid in helping appreciate the designs in a warm and very natural way. Furthermore, the shelves and general "props" are custom-made and are used to decorate, divide and organize the different types of furniture presented. Each scene is underpinned with large-scale images of projects featuring the furniture collections created by the brand in a joint effort with renowned international designers, enhancing the visitor's experience by showing each design piece in real, functioning environments. As well as being a work space for interior design, furniture and decoration professionals, the new showroom offers a dazzling array of finishes, textures, colors, fabrics and innovative materials which are instrumental in being able to work on projects in a global fashion. As they say in the firm: "Our goal is for it to be a meeting point for architects, designers, interior designers and design lovers in a new space for exhibition, work and inspiration, right at the heart of New York." The groundbreaking manufacture has another five permanent showrooms in the USA in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Washington and Denver. It also has single-brand showrooms in Paris, London, Dubai, Tokyo, Madrid, Valencia, Mexico City, Moscow, Pune, Gurgaon, Stockholm and Copenhagen, as well as in-store spaces in Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver.

It’s the Spanish furniture company’s second monobrand store in India. Residential and contract furniture firm Andreu World opened its first monobrand showroom in New Delhi last February. It’s the Spanish company’s second store in India, the first having opened in Pune in 2014. The new shop in India’s capital represents a very significant step forward in the brand’s positioning in the Indian market. Andreu World’s steady growth in India has necessitated the opening of a new space in which Indian architects and designers have access to large display and office areas where they’ll find the firm’s different collections and environments. The shop showcases Andreu World’s entire furniture range as well as the latest collections by such internationally renowned designers as Patricia Urquiola, Lievore Altherr Molina, Jasper Morrison and Piergiorgio Cazzaniga, all of whom have created pieces for the Spanish brand. The showroom’s display area has been designed so visitors can find any type of furniture to meet their exact needs. As such, the space has been divided into lounge, meeting and public areas featuring a selection of sofas, armchairs, chairs, multifunctional tables, all for use in workplaces, homes, public spaces, hotels, restaurants and outdoor areas. Pieces in the showroom include the Flex chair, designed by Piergiorgo Cazzaniga, which received a Red Dot and NeoCon gold award, and  several designs from the Ronda, Lineal, Sail, Carola, Smile, Pillow and Manila collections. The Alya armchairs and Raglan sofa (which won a Best of NeoCon gold award) grace the lounge areas. The standout tables are Reverse Conference and low tables Dual and Raglan. In the outdoor furniture section are the Sand sofas and Trenza collection, created by Lievore Altherr Molina.

Forging ahead with its US sales growth, Andreu World opened another branch in Boston at the end of January, its fifth showroom in the market. The new space is at 35 Channel Center, a more than 180-year-old building in the flourishing neighbourhood of Fort Point. A vivid example of historic Boston, the building has brick walls and original barn doors, coupled with 21st-century architectural design. It is owned by the Ben & Jane Thomson family, whose many achievements include the "Design Research” project that has been bringing design into US homes. Some of their original symbols, like the iconic neon sign, can be seen in the main lobby. The spacious showroom has five unique areas exhibiting Andreu World armchair, sofa and table collections created by renowned international designers like Patricia Urquiola, Jasper Morrison, Lievore Altherr Molina and Piergiorgio Cazzaniga. On display are more than a hundred different chairs and benches which provide furnishing solutions for public and private spaces – offices, restaurants and households – as well as a selection of outdoor furniture. The Boston showroom has been designed to communicate the values of innovation and technology, woodwork excellence and the company's fully environmentally-sustainable approach. The new premises join the company’s showrooms in Washington, Chicago, New York and San Francisco, and reinforce the brand’s presence and products in the USA, its main market, accounting for more than 55% of their world exports. Andreu World plans to open more new showrooms this year. Next up is Madrid on 15 March.

The designer furniture firm Andreu World has opened a showroom in Paris, the first store of its own in France. At the showroom’s opening on 30 September, designer Patricia Urquiola presented her new creations for the company. The new exhibition space aims to be a reference point for interior design, offering furniture solutions for workspaces, contract projects, outdoor spaces and homes in the French capital.

The showroom is located in the heart of the City of Lights, just a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe. Collections of chairs, armchairs, sofas and tables created by international designers such as Patricia Urquiola, Alfredo Häberli, Jasper Morrison, Lievore Altherr Molina and Piergiorgio Cazzaniga grace the different areas of this open and dynamic space.

Laid out over two floors, the idea of the exhibition is to showcase the design’s core essence and the different types of products offered by the Spanish brand. Wood has been used profusely throughout the space as this natural material expresses the characteristics of Andreu World’s seating and tables to perfection; balance between timelessness, elegance, design and innovation.  

This space joins the Andreu World international permanent showrooms in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., Denver, London, Dubai, Tokyo, Moscow, Pune, Bangalore, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Mexico City, and its retail concessions in stores in Sydney, Toronto and Vancouver, among others.

Andreu World confirms its international expansion; if a few months ago they were in Boston, now they are opening a new space in London, aspiring to become a point of reference for interior design and design in the capital of the United KingdomLocated in the heart of the Clerkenwell area, it has been created as an open and dynamic space, structured in different areas, where we can find seats, armchairs, sofas and meeting tables, some of them created by leading designers such as Patricia Urquiola, Jasper Morrison, Lievore Altherr Molina and Piergiorgio Cazzaniga. There is also an interesting selection of different chairs and stools designed to create solutions for public spaces such as offices and restaurants or private spaces. This new showroom continues to use the same identifying characteristics of the Andreu World brand: the continuous presence of natural wood, a material that perfectly expresses the features of its tables and seats and the utmost respect for the environment. It is a balance between timeless, elegance and contemporary that wood provides with its warmth, nobility, freshness and naturalness. The space with large windows allows a continuity with the urban environment, while the different interior settings create an architectural space where everything is perfectly connected through the wood. The classic designs mix with the new ones such as Duos, created by Jarper Morrison; the Nuez Chair, designed by Patricia Urquiola; the Raglan sofa; the Capri Lounge armchair; and the Alya armchair, as well as a line of table collections with a clear corporate leaning like the Radial Conference or occasional tables such as the Reverse, Quattro and Dual. In short, versatile and innovative designs adapted to the new work and residential environments, where the use of new materials is also featured. The space created by Andreu World aims to be a place where there is room for interior design, furniture and decoration professionals. The brand offers a selection of finishes, textures, colours, fabrics and materials with which they want to share their brand experience in London, bringing architects, designers, interior designers or simply design lovers a new space for exhibitions, work or inspiration in the heart of the city. This showroom in London joins those that are already running in the United States (Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington D.C., and Denver), Dubai, New Delhi, Tokyo, Moscow and Copenhagen. We at www.interiorsfromspain.com would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Andreu World for having won two RED DOT awards, awarded for the high quality of its designs, reflected in the Nuez and Capri Lounge chairs. These two designs will be part of the special exhibition Design on Stage - Winner of the Red Dot Product Design 2018 Award which will be at the Red Dot Museum Essen. They will also be included in the 2018/2019 Red Dot Design Yearbook which shows all the award-winning products of the year. Congratulations!!!

Second space of the Spanish firm in Germany, after the one opened in the city of Hanau (Frankfurt) in 2022

Luminaires and designer carpets in the French capital

An old warehouse which occupies over 600sq m has been converted into BD Barcelona Design’s new showroom and retail outlet. Encouraged by its recent successes, this furniture company, which is on the verge of celebrating 40 years in business, has transformed an old space into a place where people from the design world will want to congregate. BD Barcelona’s first shop also brimmed with history. Opened in 1972, its owners created arresting shop windows and generated a huge buzz in the city at the time, so much so that a reporter for city daily newspaper La Vanguardia was moved to write a nice article which mentioned that the company had opened a new shop, even though the writer ‘didn’t know exactly what for’. It was the first time the headboard from an 18th-century bed printed on a cardboard poster could be seen side by side with a mattress filled with water rather than covered with wool. For years, BD Barcelona kept producing more designs yet its premises remained small. From 1979 until this year, the company occupied a shop on the city’s Mallorca street, which once received the National Prize for the Restoration of Historic Buildings, awarded by the Ministry of Culture. The opening of the new showroom – christened BD Barcelona Design Gallery – marks a turning point in the history of a company which has always been committed to innovation and adventurous design. In this new space, the objects displayed stand out as though they were in a museum, spotlight as they are by dramatic lighting which accentuates the decor’s theatrical quality. Pieces you can enjoy looking at there include the Cabinet Tout Va Bien, designed by Antoine et Manuel, The Narcissist dressing table by Shanghai-based designers Neri & Hu, the Lounger armchair by Jaime Hayón and Table B, designed by Konstantin Grcic, which scooped the Red Dot Best of Best prize in 2011. BD’s prestige rests in its portfolio that boasts an abundance of works by such titans of contemporary design as Ettore Sottsass, Ross Lovegrove, Javier Mariscal, Óscar Tusquets and Alfredo Häberli, among others. BD is also internationally famous, thanks to having been the first company to manufacture furniture by Antoni Gaudí, as well as designs by Salvador Dalí.

Contract furniture brand Bõln opened a showroom in Istanbul in June, in partnership with its new Turkish partner Dmonte, a leader in architectural furnishing solutions. The 150 m2 space offers customers in Turkey the opportunity to experience first-hand the Spanish brand's products, which stand out for being versatile, adaptable, resistant, and easy to clean. All are manufactured with Flexyskin, a new and revolutionary proprietary technique based on polyurethane foam of vegetable origin, specifically for outdoor furniture intended for use in contract or public environments. In this showroom we find the three furniture collections: the ABISKO stool, rounded in shape and soft to the touch, designed by the Stone Designs studio. The VISTAS system, with flexible seating and table configurations, created by Mattias Stenberg that blends Nordic simplicity with more vibrant Spanish influences. And the SAREK modular system, also devised by Stone Designs, which comprises modular seating, tables, garbage cans, planters and dividers that create fluid, reconfigurable environments. The Bõln brand was introduced in 2021 but is backed by the track record of the family company Poliuretanos Rivas, which has more than 40 years of experience in the injection of "Flexyskin" polyurethane foam. As part of the brand's strategy to continue forging ahead and opening more showrooms, the plan is to open a second showroom in Australia by the end of the year.

Following the opening in 2005 of its first shop in the city of Almaty, in Kazakhstan, Colección Alexandra is once again investing in this market: it recently opened its second showroom in the country’s capital, Astana, now considered one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Indeed, its ambition is to become one of central Asia’s most influential cities. The showroom in Astana is located in a shopping centre called Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center. A spectacular building designed by Foster & Partners, it’s the biggest tensile edifice in the world, and stands out for its originality, huge scale and painstakingly sustainable design. Colección Alexandra was founded in 1994 by María José Guinot, who, after 20 years working as an interior designer, set up the company with her two sons. The firm has developed a unique concept in interior design: it doesn’t limit its activity to designing furniture but offers an entire range of products: home fabrics, lighting and so on. All these pieces are highly individual and distinctive in style. Its interiors have an attractive, inviting, cosy atmosphere. Modern, eclectic and effortlessly refined spaces – be these in a small apartment in a city centre, a mansion or a fabulous palace –are all hallmarks of the company, along with its meticulous attention to detail. Thanks to its highly individual character and efficient working practices, the company has grown steadily from the time it was founded until now. Today, it exports 75 per cent of its products to over 60 countries. Some its most prestigious projects include the palace of Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi III in the United Arab Emirates, ambassadors’ residences and the VIP areas of several international airports.

The luxury furniture firm opens its first showroom in this cosmopolitan Chinese metropolis. In late 2015, high-end Spanish furniture firm Colección Alexandra opened its first showroom in Shanghai — the brand’s flagship store in China. The 300-m sq showroom is the perfect showcase for Colección Alexandra’s three collections, which truly epitomise it — firstly, Heritage, which encompasses all the brand’s classical styles and secondly Evolution, a classic contemporary style which in turn acts as a bridge to the company’s third, most cutting-edge style called Emotions. The shop also has a space devoted to its collection of leather accessories which strengthens the brand’s identity and reputation for good design. This is the second showroom the company has opened in China. (The first one opened in Beijing in 2012.) Colección Alexandra relies on its strategic partners in such countries as Kazakhstan and China, and the showrooms it opens are monobrand flagship stores. In 2016, it plans to open a third shop in Kazakhstan (its second in capital city Astana). In China’s case, Dore Trading, an associate of the company, has committed itself almost exclusively to stocking Colección Alexandra, and its stores are regarded as the brand’s own shops. What’s more, the Spanish company is present in multibrand stores all over the world. It’s also present in shops in Chengdu, China, Doha, Qatar; Manama, Bahrain, Hanoi, Vietnam; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and New Delhi, India. Colección Alexandra is a family-run business that has designed and manufactured exquisite, upscale furniture since 1994. What’s more, its products encompass furniture, textiles and lighting all in a unique, exceptional style. It’s now one of most prestigious companies in the world — renowned for its exclusive collections and handcrafted manufacturing methods — which has resulted in its products gracing many luxury homes as well as commercial projects, the most iconic being the 2014 refurbishment of the VIP lounges of London’s Heathrow Airport.

In May, Cosentino Group, a Spanish company that is a global leader in the production and distribution of innovative natural quartz and stone surfaces, has opened a new Cosentino City in Miami. With this new showroom, the multinational already has a total of 11 inspirational spaces for designers and architects spread all over the world. The new showroom, with over 300m2 of floor space, is located in the heart of the Miami Design District, an area that brings together the main companies and brands related to the world of design and trends. This district, which is currently expanding, is also home to the most renowned architecture studios in Miami and the state of Florida. In addition, its privileged location allows it to work with clients in Central and South America. This Consentino City boasts the cutting-edge resources usually found in the brand’s spaces, with exhibition and work rooms and the latest technology for displaying samples and digital applications so that trendsetters and professionals can develop any kind of project with the company’s products. In this case, it is also Cosentino's first City with a façade made of Dekton® in the colours Trilium and Domoos; the façade is an integral part of the space’s design. Part of it is designed to be used as a canvas for graffiti and other street art exhibitions, like the public space Wynwood Walls, also in Miami. This facility strengthens the significant presence of the multinational in this city which, since the end of last year, has also been home to the head offices of the Group’s subsidiary for the Americas, which are furnished with furniture from the Spanish brand Actiu. The company also shows its commitment to this metropolis by sponsoring for the first time the Miami Open 2018 and the Masters 1000 held at Cayo Vizcaíno. With this opening, Cosentino now has 11 showrooms located in the hearts of the world’s main cities: Sydney, Singapore, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Milan, London, Madrid and Dubai. Next year, the company plans on expanding its presence in the North American market by opening a new Cosentino City in Los Angeles.

Cosentino Group – world leader in the production and distribution of innovative natural quartz and stone surfaces for the world of design and architecture – opened its first Cosentino City in Dubai in December 2017. This newly-opened Cosentino City in the UAE has 300sqm of floorspace and is in Building 4-A of the expanding urban development known as Dubai Design District (D3), which is bringing together the world’s top names in fashion and luxury design. The new showroom includes product exhibition and work areas, and uses the latest digital applications and technology to allow professionals to develop all kinds of projects using Cosentino products. With this new facility, Cosentino is stepping up its commitment to the innovative ’City’ showroom model, where the strategy involves opening its own showrooms in the heart of major world cities. With this latest opening, Cosentino Group now has ten such ‘City’ facilities around the world. In 2017, it opened two more in San Francisco and Madrid, which joined the ranks of its showrooms in New York, Sidney, Singapore, Toronto, Montreal, London and Milan. In 2018, it plans further openings in Miami, where in November 2017 it opened an operations centre for the Americas, to cover North, Central and South America. Cosentino is a global Spanish group which produces and distributes high-value innovative surfaces for the world of design and architecture. The multinational already operates in 32 countries and has its own subsidiaries and business assets in 29 of them. The company exports over 90% of turnover to more than 80 countries and has seven production plants: six in Almería (Spain) and one in Brazil.

The Spanish multinational is further consolidating its presence in North America, where it already has close to 70 of its own establishments. The Cosentino Group, a world leader in the production and distribution of innovative and sustainable surfaces for architecture and design, is expanding its network of “Cities” in the US, with two Cosentino Cities in Chicago and Atlanta. These two new spaces, inaugurated in July and October 2021, join the other four showrooms that the company owns in the United States in the cities of New York, San Francisco, Miami, and Los Angeles. Cosentino City in Chicago, with almost 500m2 of floor space, is located in the River North Gallery District, the epicenter of the city’s art and design world. And Cosentino City Atlanta, with a surface area of almost 400m2, is located in the Buckhead Village district.  Both spaces present the renewed showroom 2.0 concept developed by the firm for the first time in the United States, a concept that was already present in other recent openings in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv and Mallorca. In these 2.0 showrooms, digitization and the use of cutting-edge technology play an essential role. This new-generation model offers anyone immersed in an architectural and decorative project a better experience with materials to inspire and create. Digitalization, personalized attention and a 360° vision of the projects mark the City experience, through spaces and tools such as the “Atelier”, a workshop and a complete library of materials, where Cosentino surfaces are mixed with other products; the “Digital Experience,” a large vertical surface where the user can design complete kitchen, bathroom, and facade environments in 3D using augmented reality; different digital displays or a fully functional kitchen for hosting events and showcookings. With these two openings, the Spanish multinational has further consolidated its presence in the North American market and now has almost 70 of its own establishments spread throughout the United States and Canada: 45 “Cosentino Centers” or full-service warehouses (39 in the U.S. and 6 in Canada); 7 “Cosentino Cities” (five in the U.S. and two in Canada), in addition to 12 surface transformation and processing factories, and 3 large logistics hubs. The next “Cities” in North America are expected to land in Washington and Vancouver. The Cosentino Group distributes its innovative products and brands in more than 110 countries from its headquarters in Almeria, Spain. Currently the multinational is established in 40 countries, and has subsidiaries or its own commercial assets in 30 of them. The multinational has eight production plants (7 in Almeria, Spain, and 1 in Brazil), an Intelligent Logistics Center in Spain, and more than 140 commercial and distribution facilities around the world. More than 90% of the Cosentino Group’s turnover is generated in international markets.

On Barcelona’s elegant boulevard, Avenida Diagonal, nestling among its swanky boutiques and showrooms and – more precisely – in a spot between the intersections of Paseo de Gracia and the Rambla Catalunya, Spanish bathroom company Cosmic has opened a new 300 sq m space to display its various ranges. The showroom’s prime aim is to become the firm’s best showcase for its wares, a place where shoppers can experience and enjoy the products at first hand. Basins, baths, showers, furniture, taps and accessories – all are displayed against a neutral backdrop in an environment intended to communicate and make crystal clear to visitors the brand’s philosophy and the concept behind all its designs. The work of architect Alejandro Armenter, the premises’ interiors were stripped back to their original structure, revealing the unadorned simplicity typical of the majority of buildings which were part of the city’s expansion in the early 20th-century – particularly in Barcelona’s Eixample area. The removal of superfluous elements means that the building’s original materials – stone, steel and brick – are now fully visible. Visitors walk along a platform made of warm-looking oak through a succession of different, carefully lit environments, all with a plain black background designed to make the products truly stand out. At the end of this trajectory, and next to a small courtyard, is the studio itself. Here visitors from the interior design trade as well as ordinary punters can get personal advice and whatever information they need. Cosmic established itself in the 80s as a maker of homeware, later becoming one of Europe’s most dynamic players in the world of cutting-edge contemporary bathroom design. The company’s wholehearted dedication to the high standards of its design has earnt it several prestigious prizes, such as the Design Plus 2207 prize for its furniture collection Block and the Delta de Plata 2007 gong for its Simplex collection, designed by Martín de Azúa and Gerard Moliné.
Since 2008, Cosmic has formed a strong alliance with the company Roca – a strategy designed to make the two firms Europe’s leading manufacturers in high-end bathroom accessories and sanitaryware. Cosmic currently exports 50 per cent of its goods.

Summer 2017 saw decorative lighting maker Estiluz launching a first space of its own in New York. In 1992, it opened a trading subsidiary in New Jersey, where it has been working hard to boost the company’s position in the North American market. Now, in May this year, it timed its official opening in New York to coincide with the ICFF trade fair. The showroom is in midtown Manhattan, in one of the busiest parts of the Big Apple. It showcases the Spanish brand’s latest lighting collections, some of its all-time classics and one of its latest prize-winners: pendant lamp Revolta, designed by Nahtrang studio which won Best Lightweight Suspension Lamp at the prestigious NYCxDESIGN awards in 2017. Also on display are products by Spanish brand El Torrent, the other brand Estiluz distributes in the USA. Estiluz has been designing and manufacturing high-end decorative lighting in a contemporary design style since 1969. The brand has teamed up with top names like Francesc Rifé, Gabriel Teixidó, Jordi Blasi, Crous Calogero, Estudi Ribaudí and Nahtrag and its lamps can be found in facilities like Hotel Hilton Gdansk (Poland) and Hotel Crown Plaza Gatwick London (UK).

Estiluz and Casadesús, two high-profile firms specialising in design and the creation of decorative, deluxe products, have joined forces to open a new showroom in Madrid. Situated in the centre of the capital, this 350 sq m space is divided into four cosy and elegant rooms. It’s a place where interior designers can find these companies’ new designs which they can then use to complete their projects. Estiluz has over 30 years’ experience in the world of design and manufacture of high quality lighting. It’s internationally famous with a portfolio of 7,000 clients hailing from over 40 countries. Based in Gerona, northeast Spain, it has subsidiaries and showrooms in Frankfurt, Germany, New Jersey in the US and in France. Renowned for its extensive manufacturing experience, Casadesús sells sofas, armchairs, beds, shelving, tables and side tables. Its catalogue boasts three very different styles of products – modern, classical and Art Deco –all designed both for the domestic and contract markets. The company deploys the latest technology but also artesanal production methods whenever appropriate.

Timed to coincide with the celebration of its 50th birthday, the company Expormim has opened a new permanent showroom in La Venta, a historical heritage building in the city of Mogente in Valencia, where the firm’s plant is. Essentially, the showroom ¬– which is firmly targeted at architecture and interior design professionals – recreates an authentic Mediterranean lifestyle, which the firm’s outdoor furniture collections perfectly encapsulate. This fantastic environment allows Expormim to display its pieces, from early examples created by its in-house design team to its latest collections dreamt up by external designers.
The most notable examples of the latter – in all their versions, colours and finishes – are Nido, a lightweight, naturally inviting collection made of tubular steel and finished in a double layer of zinc-based paint and polyester powder, designed by Javier Pastor, and Outline, a collection created by Nieves Contreras, whose distinguishing features are its use of new materials and its versatility, given that it can be used indoors and out.

It’s been 10 years since the global furniture and sofa brand FAMA made its first foray into the Chinese market. Today, it operates eight showrooms across the country under the FamaLiving brand, with the most recent one, which has become the flagship store, opening last year in Beijing. The newest showroom was developed in close collaboration with the company’s new market distributor “Blue Morning”, which has managed to differentiate FAMA from its other brands and completely transform one of the Beijing FamaLiving showrooms into a concept store dedicated exclusively to FAMA products. The new 600-square-metre flagship store showcases the company’s latest sofas, armchairs, occasional furniture and loveseats, placing special emphasis on customer experience and engagement. Design features include elements and materials that accentuate the contemporary mood of the space. Hence, concrete was used in walls and floors, pillars are lined with a combination of seven different noble woods and river stones and cactus planters function as space dividers. Ceiling lamps that give off a warm glow and ambient music contribute to creating a welcoming atmosphere that conveys the dynamism, energy and creativity associated with the brand. The new concept store will be used as a blueprint for rolling out the concept to the other FamaLiving stores, which will be redesigned to reflect the new image. The company is planning to open three new stores in Shanghai, Nantong and Xi’an in 2019. Founded in Spain in 1970, FAMA has become one of the most technologically advanced sofa manufacturers in Europe. The entire production process is carried out in an area of over 60,000 m2, in which technology, design and craftsmanship work in perfect concert.

The uhpholstered furniture company Fama continues apace with its international expansion – last November, it opened a new showroom in Mexico City. The company – and its Famaliving shop concept –are already committed to expanding into the US, and now Fama has decided to open a showroom in Mexico City, hot on the heels of opening one in San Diego, California, in May 2012. Fama also opened stores in the US – in New York and New Jersey – in 2011. Famaliving in Mexico City is a highly dynamic showroom – filled with a variety of  high-quality sofas made entirely in Spain – where clients can have a coffee while sitting comfortably, or indulge in a delicious tasting of gourmet food in luxurious, well-designed surroundings. Fama has 14 Famaliving shops dotted around the US, Spain, Italy, the Ukraine, Malta and now Mexico, where its high-quality, well-designed sofas and armchairs can be enjoyed to the full. Fama’s commitment to expanding abroad means it now has a presence in over 60 countries all over the world, with its main markets being in the UK, France and Japan. Based in Yecla, in Murcia, eastern Spain, Fama was founded in 1971. Its manufacturing plant, which occupies over 14,000 sq m, fabricates sofas, armchairs and beds. Here the production of all its collections – which fuse good design, technology, hand-crafting and its craftspeople’s expert skills – takes place. Fama’s commitment to international expansion is reflected in the fact that 75 per cent of its goods are exported.

Forma 5 has set its sights on conquering the British market, and more specifically of showcasing its products in London. Originally, this challenge was based on a desire to show its complete, professional range in a tough, competitive market. The company resolved to open its own London headquarters, serving both as a showroom to display its products and communicate the professionalism and brand image of Forma 5. The challenge was met in February 2009, when the firm opened its showroom in Clerkenwell, a London area filled with shops specialising in office furniture. Since then, the showroom has racked up a multitude of projects in collaboration with prestigious, renowned British companies. It has also become a well-known brand popular with people working in the interior design industry.
Along with the companies Actiu and Dynamobel, Forma 5 is now one of three Spanish firms which has opened its own showroom in recent years. Clerkenwell is very much London’s nerve centre of architecture and design – indeed, Clerkenwell Design Week, an event celebrating both disciplines, was held there from May 24 to 26. Forma 5 is a large holding company specialising in furniture for offices and public spaces. It offers a complete service of supplying furniture with added value founded on good design and innovative technology. It has a presence in over 30 countries. Its offices in southern Spain measure over 60,000 sq m of useable space and boast a team of over 400 employees.

Forma 5 opened its new showroom in the UK capital in May this year. The store is located in the heart of Clerkenwell, a London neighborhood known for its industrial style and for hosting a large number of interior design firms. After spending time in Old Street, where it first opened in 2009, the company has embarked on a new phase, culminating in the move to Brewhouse Yard, a district where neighbors include furniture and office equipment manufacturers such as Sedus, Interstuhl, Davinson Highley, BDP and Wagstaff. Forma 5's new showroom is a bright, airy space covering approximately 160 m2. Located on the fourth floor of the Poppy Building, it is a glass-enclosed space that blends an extensive portfolio of products from both Forma 5 and Pattio, the group's new brand specializing in soft seating and contract furniture, with the London landscape. Each corner of the showroom is unique, with work, meeting and relaxation areas that are representative of the company's most popular designs. Forma 5, headquartered in the Seville town of Dos Hermanas, has three other stores around the world: In Paris, opened in 2018 and just a ten-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, Madrid opened in 2019, and Dubai, in the heart of the capital of the Arab Emirate, which opened at the beginning of 2020.

Forma 5, one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of office and seating furniture in Spain, shows us its new international showroom opened in Dubai, in early 2020. This new international showroom of the Spanish firm is located in the heart of the capital of the Arab Emirate of Dubai and serves to strengthen the company's presence in that part of the world. The 250 square meter space is designed to be a new meeting point for office professionals in the United Arab Emirates. It showcases the latest product innovations launched by the company, including the wide range of products for Home Office, all with a new trend in finishes using warm, inspiring and homely colors that invite us to feel at home. Forma 5, headquartered in the Seville town of Dos Hermanas, has three other stores around the world: Paris opened in 2018, just a ten-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower, London, opened in 2009 and Madrid opened in 2019. Forma 5, since its creation more than 35 years ago, has been committed to innovative office solutions and increasingly efficient and ergonomic products to optimize office work resources. Added to this is the use of high quality raw materials and contemporary design with the participation of well-known Spanish designers such as Josep Lluscà, Gabriel Teixidó, Mario Ruiz, Francesc Rifé, Lievore Altherr Molina and Jorge Herrera, among others.

The textile firm Gancedo, founded in 1945, has just opened its new flagship store in Madrid, at calle Velázquez 38: a 1200 m2 space, distributed through four floors, where the Italian architect Teresa Sapey has located the store, offices, meeting rooms and a wonderful showroom. There, interior designers and decorating professionals can discover and appreciate the great variety of Gancedo's references, both from prestigious international firms and its own design and manufacture.

With nearly 75 years working textile production and customer service, this family business has decided to commit to this innovative space designed to respond to all the needs that have arisen throughout this time. "The change, the revolution, is not the brand new and spectacular space, but the project that moves it, the dream of which it is a part," said Manuel Gancedo, third-generation head of the textile company.

As soon as you enter, you encounter a large, open space with high ceilings and mirrors in which, carefully and elegantly, the decorative accessories are presented: cushions, plaids, lampshades, bags, bean bags, and more, all made with the exclusive fabrics by Gancedo and its second brand, HappyTex by Gancedo.
In the first part of the store, the idea was to create a space that would look like a continuation of the street: a large area surrounded by a wooden grandstand that will also function as a space for talks and conferences.  On the second floor there is also a furnished terrace, a small oasis where you can enjoy the arrival of good weather and a unique shopping experience.

Next, stairs lead to the area where fabrics, wallpapers, carpets, rugs and trimmings are presented in an orderly display. These are Gancedo's own collections, as well as international firms that they represent exclusively. Wood, the protagonist of the interior design, was the material chosen by architect Teresa Sapey, not only to cover floors and walls, but also to make the furniture.
A corner of the store will be decorated every three months by different designers, creators. At Gancedo we are interested in co-creating, collaborating with different branches of culture and art.
The challenge of this masterful interior design project is for both decoration professionals and private customers who come to Gancedo see at a glance, and in a comfortable way, the wide variety of references that can be found in the store. The objective is to show a space where people feel at ease and enjoy the experience of selecting products for their home, restaurant, hotel, and other settings.


 

Its second store in the North American country after Cancun. The Spanish firm Gancedo opened its first showroom in Mexico City in June, its second store in the country, after the one opened in 2012 in the city of Cancun. With a clearly professional approach, this new establishment will be a critical piece in the company's expansion throughout the country. The space, located in Colonia Roma Norte, has been created to provide interior design professionals, architects and designers in the Mexican capital with the company's solutions for fabrics, wallpapers, carpets, curtains, furniture, and accessories. With a history of more than 75 years in textile publishing, Gancedo is a brand expert in design with the vocation to create unique and inspiring spaces. As Beatriz Gancedo, PR and Brand Ambassador, comments: "Every space is an exciting project for us; collaborating on projects of every scale, from the smallest to the largest, but relying on the fundamentals that make us a leader in textile interior design. We are creative—we connect with innovation—but at the same time we promote local values and artisanal, sustainable, and innovative processes." The showroom was inspired by the company's new flagship store in Madrid, located at Calle Velázquez 38, and offers Mexican professionals who visit it a comprehensive textile interior design service to decorate and customize their contract projects (homes, offices, public spaces, national heritage) in one of the most important tourist destinations in Latin America. Therefore, the company's presence in the country and its capital was almost a must for the company, after more than 10 years of consolidated success in Cancun. The addition of its own factory, garment workshop, design department, and professional installers, provides the company with a unique capacity to adapt, control, and respond to this important tourist destination, the third most visited in the world by 2020, according to the World Tourism Organization.

This past November 26th, the Valencia-based company Gandía Blasco Group inaugurated its new store in Dubai, the iconic city on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The showroom opened in an exclusive atmosphere surrounded by various personalities from the world of design and industry businesspeople, as part of the calendar of activities scheduled for Dubai Design Week. The showroom, which is 200 meters square and located in the city's Design District, is based in the premises of the Finasi brand, one of the region's largest distributors of furniture from Italian and Spanish designers. It includes the Gandía Blasco and Diabla brand outdoor furniture collections and GAN brand rugs and textile decorations, presented across the store's first floor and urban patios. In the Finasi space visitors will find the latest Gandía Blasco creations from this year, including the expanded SOLANAS collection designed by Daniel Germani in a metallic gold color and the latest DIABLA designs, including the TOUFFU dog houses, designed by Manel Jiménez and Violeta Alcaide, and the PLISY portable outdoor light, created by Alejandra Gandía-Blasco. The showroom established in Dubai is the first major element of the group's international expansion into the United Arab Emirates, a market which the company describes as presenting "huge potential" and "enormous opportunities for growth". Gandía Blasco Group understands that consumers in this part of the world value the contemporary look which is the company's hallmark, expressed through its furnishings which combine a certain restraint with a design informed by values of versatility, precision and functionality.

Ever since the month of May, sophisticated outdoor furniture collections from Gandía Blasco Group can be found at MASS Beverly, a new 3,000 m2 designer furniture gallery in West Hollywood, LA. The new showroom, which goes by the name “The Outdoor”, is the largest display in the USA of items of designer furniture by GANDIABLASCO. The space was designed by architect Daniel Germani. Among the collections at this store are the latest designs presented at the 2019 Salone del Mobile in Milan: the DNA collection by José A. Gandia-Blasco Canales; and a distinctive and elegant metallic gold edition of the SOLANAS series. Gan, the textile brand of the Gandía Blasco group, brings its own level of charm to the showroom with Mangas Space, a modular collection designed by Patricia Urquiola, and the Garden Layers series, Gan’s first outdoor collection and inspired by Patricia Urquiola’s journeys through India. Gandía Blasco Group has a consolidated distribution network in close to 75 countries worldwide. The firm’s four other showrooms in the USA are in New York, Atlanta and Miami.

In late 2012, the prestigious, Spanish outdoor furniture company Gandía Blasco opened its first showroom in Asia – in Hong Kong, where the world’s leading luxury brands and companies are based, thanks to its population’s large incomes per capita and high concentration of millionaires in a very restricted area. What’s more, Hong Kong’s proximity to mainland China makes it a great entry point into China’s huge market, while many consumers from this part of the country come to the island to shop. It’s thanks to Gandía Blasco’s enthusiasm for this market – and to its distributor ZZue Creation – that the firm has opened its first shop in Asia. This showcases the modular Flat furniture collection designed by Mario Ruiz, which won a Red Dot Design Award in 2010, Bali parasol by Odosdesign, Big armchair by Stefan Díez, and brilliant Ensombra parasols, which, also designed by Odosdesign, scooped The Association of Industrial Design (ADI-FAD) Delta award in 2007. Elsewhere there’s the Tropez collection. Also designed by Díez, this is inspired by sports of the 30s and 40s and won a Wallpaper* Design Award this year. Overall, the shop has various collections, including some of its latest products, from sofas, pouffes, chairs and armchairs to tables and parasols in elegant colours, such as sand, bronze and white. In short, the shop reflects Gandía Blasco’s determination to break into the Asian market. The company has an established distribution network in 74 countries all over the world and over 15 stores in cities such as New York, Milan, Los Angeles, Istanbul and Barcelona, among others. In the coming year, the firm plans to open a monobrand store in Miami Design District.

In 2005, Spanish outdoor furniture company Gandía Blasco opened its first showroom in New York in Manhattan’s Midtown East area, thereby demonstrating its firm commitment to expanding into the North American market. In 2011, having been in this part of the city for several years, the company decided to relocate its showroom to SoHo, one of the Big Apple’s most hip, culturally cutting-edge areas. Opened in August 2011, the new showroom is in Greene Street, and is surrounded by art galleries, fashion boutiques and upscale restaurants. The new, two-storey, 350sq m shop has been designed by Gandía Blasco under the direction of New York architect Matthew Kelly. Its considered layout showcases the brand’s latest collections to the best advantage. Opening a showroom in SoHo was an important step for the company. Its move to this new location has raised its profile in New York, and it’s now in an area where its customers are likely to be younger and more on Gandía Blasco’s wavelength. What’s more, SoHo is currently the area with the highest concentration of high-end design shops in the city – B&B Italia, Moroso, Kettal, Dedon and Apavisa also have showrooms there. You could even say that SoHo is the main centre for contemporary furniture in US.  Gandía Blasco boasts an established distribution network in 74 countries all over the world and has 15 showrooms in cities such as Milan, Los Angeles, Istanbul and Barcelona, to name a few. One of its projects for the forthcoming year is the opening of a mono-brand store in Miami’s Design District, set to open early next year.

In late 2019, the creative outdoor furniture brand Vondom doubled down on its ambition to conquer the Chinese market by opening a new showroom in Guangzhou, a city in the south of the country near Hong Kong and Macao. This latest launch in the Asian country consolidates the brand's strategy of focusing more aggressively on the continent, for which it has a "special affection" – in the brand's own words– and where it already has more than 70 showrooms, stores and corners. As part of this expansion plan, the new 200-square-meter store plans to offer cutting-edge solutions for individuals and professionals who love architecture, interior design and design in general. Located in the city's famous Louvre Palace Furniture Mall, the space moves away from the company's traditional minimalism with an environment dominated by intense colors and curved lines. Likewise, plants play a crucial role in creating an attractive space with a powerful visual impact. The major new arrivals on display in the showroom include, among others, the "Suave” collection by Marcel Wanders, the “Gatsby” lamps designed by Ramón Esteve and the “Voxel” chairs created by Karim Rashid. These pieces and collections were in the spotlight during the opening celebration. Vondom's presence on the Chinese market can be seen in a variety of projects. Notable recent examples include, among others, the company's latest collaborations with the exclusive hotels InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland and Morpheus in 2019.

Spanish company Rafael Catalá is one of the 100 oldest family-run businesses in the world. The 240-year-old firm designs and manufactures exquisite home-furnishing textiles which it exports all over the world. The fabrics are the home equivalent of deluxe haute couture and pret-a-porter. This company’s textiles have graced such iconic buildings as Madrid’s Prado museum, the Élysée Palace in Paris, the Jewel House in the Tower of London and the Kennedys’ presidential suites in the White House. On September 3 this year, having established that its textiles were popular in Latin America, Rafael Catalá decided to open its first shop – called Rafael, Telas y Decoración (Rafael, Textiles and Home Decoration) – in this very continent, specifically in the Colombian capital of Bogotá. Rafael, Telas y Decoración is a new concept for a shop bringing exclusive fabrics made in Spain to the Colombian market. It offers a wide selection of classical and contemporary textiles with different textures, patterns and rich colours. In total, the shop offers 680 home fabrics and 450 fashion fabrics. Situated very near one of Bogotá’s main shopping streets, the shop occupies part of a Victorian-era building with interiors in a contemporary European style. This one-storey, 150m sq showroom, where the fabrics take centre-stage, has been designed with a huge amount of care, and primarily to make it an enjoyable place for clients to visit. Here you can find home-furnishing textiles in different fabrics, styles and colours, designed for creating interiors which harmoniously fuse traditionalism and modernity. Alternatively, these fabrics can be used to create interiors ranging from the very classical to the very cutting-edge. Only natural fibres are used as raw materials: wool, silk, linen, etc. The textiles’ sophisticated mix of textures and fabrics has the added appeal of coming in a range of colours in a mainly a neutral palette teamed with accents of intense, luminous colour. All Rafael Catalá’s fabrics are made at the company’s HQ in Valencia, Spain, using a mix of ancient and new methods – from 18th-century wooden looms to the most state-of-the-art textile-making technology. What’s more, the company has its own in-house design department specifically devoted to developing on-trend fabric ranges.

The Spanish companies iSiMAR, B.lux and Woop Rugs opened a shared showroom in November in the heart of the Big Apple. The space, located in the emblematic Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, features, besides the Mediterranean style furniture of the brand iSiMAR, the innovative contemporary designer lamps of B.Lux and the vibrant rugs of Woop Rugs, This new showroom is open to any North American endorser and professional interested in accessing the latest collections of these three Spanish brands. And to protect all visitors’ health during the pandemic, the space offers personalized visits observing all anti-Covid-19 protocols to make the visit as safe as possible. iSiMAR has been designing and manufacturing metalfurniture for indoor and outdoor spaces since 1964. From its factory in Navarre, they export to more than 45 countries and are present in the United States with a permanent office in New York. They also have two other subsidiary offices in London and Mexico City. Their designs are inspired by Mediterranean roots, seeking to show a lifestyle based on joy and outdoor spaces. Their collections which are stackable for easy storage and transport, as well as resistant to exposure in humid and saline environments; offering maximum durability, are made of wire and galvanized steel. In the last few years, the firm has begun to introduce the brand to relaxing and residential spaces, offering the most innovative armchairs, sofas and lounges. The Spanish firm B.lux belongs to the B.lux Group. Founded in 1979, this Basque company manufactures designer lamps with the collaboration of renowned Spanish and international designers and architects such as Stone Designs, David Abad, the architectural studio AIA, Werner Aisslinger and Tim Brauns, among others. Their lighting collections are displayed in hotels, private dwellings, offices and public buildings in more than 60 countries Lastly, Woop Rugs is a rug firm from Bilbao created by the Novadecor Group in 2012. Their factory in Navarre creates rugs that blend design with traditional and sustainable fabrics.

Last November, Spanish designer Jaime Tresserra opened a shop in New York, at 53 East 58th Street on the Upper East Side, one of Manhattan’s more upscale neighbourhoods. The new shop represents a further step in the international expansion of the Spanish designer, and marks his entrée into New York, undoubtedly the most cosmopolitan city in the US and the one most receptive to contemporary design. The style of the space — which displays Tresserra’s work as if it were in an art gallery — is transparent, luminous and neutral. Its interior is predominantly white, creating a neutral backdrop that allows the furniture to stand out. And large windows in different shapes and sizes framed in polished brass — these are original features — give the shop a classic, timeless, New York vibe impervious to fleeting trends. As Tresserra himself says, ‘I’m hugely inspired by the cinema, and so I feel this city is my second home. I had no choice but to open my third shop in New York. Being able to relive memories and dreams which have been so central to my life has been my greatest achievement.’ Tresserra set up his own company, J Tresserra Design, in 1987. It was later renamed Tresserra Collection. In 1994, he opened his own showroom in Barcelona and, in 2005, a second shop in Paris, situated opposite the Louvre. Tresserra’s designs, which have a strong identity, combine the handcrafted, a use of noble materials, a Mediterranean sensibility and a functional and creative approach that is utterly contemporary.

In Clerkenwell, the design and fashion district of the English capital. From its beginnings in 1966, Kettal has had an international vocation for design and innovation with timeless, functional and expressive furniture that represents a contemporary culture and provides solutions for the new needs of modern life. That is what brought Kettal back to London in May of this year with its second showroom in the English capital and the first in the heart of Clerkenwell, one of the most sophisticated and elegant districts, where the major design and fashion brands are grouped. The showroom covers over 300 square meters with all the collections from the new catalog that Kettal presented this year, including the new "Pavilion O" modular office system for furnishing flexible office spaces. In addition to "Pavilion O", the showroom also offers products from well-known international designers, such as the Ringer dining chair (Michael Anastassiades), Molo corner unit (Rodolfo Dordoni), Objects sideboard (Kettal Studio), Mia L floor lamp (Michel Charlot), Half Dome floor lamp (Naoto Fukasawa), Roll side tables and club chairs(Patricia Urquiola), Village dining chair (Jasper Morrison), Basket outdoor club chair (Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel) and Cala club chair (Doshi Levien). Kettal is present in over 80 countries and has its own showrooms in New York, Miami, Paris, Casablanca, Barcelona and Marbella.

The Spanish brand's new store is located in the heart of the Gauthier neighborhood and occupies more than 200 m2. This space features a large terrace where customers can test out all the collections from the firm's latest catalog. The collections that can be viewed in this space include collaborations with prestigious international designers such as Patricia Urquiola, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Rodolfo Dordoni, Doshi Levien, Jasper Morrison, Emiliana Design Studio, Michel Charlot, Konstantin Grcic and Naoto Fukasawa. Kettal currently has a presence in more than 80 countries, including its own showrooms in Miami, Barcelona, Marbella, London and New York. Its collections of designer furniture can be found in luxurious hotels around the world. Examples include the idyllic Joali resort in the Maldives or the exclusive Sereno Lago di Como hotel in Italy.

Spanish outdoor designer furniture maker Kettal has just opened a showroom in New York in an annex of the D&D Building in midtown Manhattan. The company’s new space has an exhibition area of more than 600sqm showcasing all the collections from their latest catalogue. The company’s design team have maintained the showroom’s white walls, floors and ceilings to maximise light and enhance Kettal’s colourful products. Outside, a spacious terrace with courtyard is decorated with Kettal pieces and features a pavilion in wood and glass in the style of a conservatory. Kettal is currently working with prestigious international designers like Patricia Urquiola, Jasper Morrison, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Rodolfo Dordoni, Doshi Levien, Hella Jongerlius, Konstantin Grcic and Emiliana Design studio, some of whom have products on show here in New York. Based in Barcelona, the company operates in more than 80 countries and has its own showrooms in Miami, London, Paris, Barcelona and Marbella. It has its own factory in the Spanish city of Tarragona, enabling it to maintain the highest European quality standards by carefully controlling every aspect of the production process.

Spanish fabric house Lizzo has oponed its first London showroom. The company has taken a large outlet in the pretigious Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, which is home to world-class brands across textiles, furniture and lightning. Chelsea Harbour is the only high-end design centre in the UK. It is also an important destination for interior designers and specifiers from throughout Europe, because it has such a wealth of product that can be quickly and easily sourced here for those with trade accounts. Being present in the design centre means the two brands in the company,Lizzo and Pepe Peñalver will become more widely known to an international audience, and should further increase awareness of Spain as leading textile nation. Lizzo prides itself on being forward-looking and action-orientated. And this has certainly been a busy year so far, not only with the opening of the design centre showroom, but with the launch of a new collection of upholstered furniture, and the opening of a showroom in Shanghai. The company says China is another key export market and being in Shanghai means it can meet the large and growing demand from the Chinese middle classes for high-end European design.
Features: 2011 Home textil news

The iconic decorative porcelain and lighting brand Lladró has just opened a New Concept Boutique in New York City. Located in the lively Meatpacking district, it is the first store in the United States to open under the brand's New Concept dedicated especially to its most groundbreaking product categories. This new space offers a unique shopping experience focused on interaction with the brand’s innovations while giving visitors an insight into Lladró’s creative and craft processes through virtual technological experiences. The interior design of the project was conceived by the Carmen Baselga studio in collaboration with the brand's team of store engineers. It is based around a surprising walkthrough of a sequence of immersive scenes that invite visitors into the world of Lladró. " “All of them seek to establish a dialogue between the visitor and the product in a visual, sound, tactile and olfactory conversation," said designer Carmen Baselga. Customers journey through a series of enveloping spaces that introduce them to all the secrets of the brand, and even travel from New York to the Lladró workshops in Valencia, Spain, its only factory, to take an in-depth look at its painstaking craftmanship process. Ana Rodríguez, CEO of Lladró, commented that: "The launch of this new boutique, which coincides with the brand’s 70th anniversary, responds to our mission to continue revitalizing porcelain, delving into its most innovative creative possibilities, and to making it known through experiential spaces like this one in which emotional connections are generated." This retail concept is also rolling out in select Lladró spaces and pop-ups in cities such as Beijing (in the Taikoo Li Sanlitun department store), Berlin (in the KaDeWe center) and Venice (in the Fondaco dei Tedeschi galleries), which have all recently opened. The novel point-of-sale format is conceived as a natural setting to highlight Lladró's most groundbreaking sides in harmony with the current concept of its boutiques and the brand's flagship store on Calle Serrano in Madrid.

On 1st November 2002, the Spanish firm Lladró opened its first exclusive store in Tokyo, on Ginza Street, one of the most commercial and prestigious streets in the Japanese capital, where a large number of the most luxury international brands are present, such as Chanel, Prada, Loewe… Lladró was founded in 1953 and has its headquarters in Almàssera (Valencia). This manufacturer of exclusive decorative porcelain pieces is one of Spain’s most internationally prestigious brands. Through its particular manufacturing process Lladró obtains outstanding pieces characterised by their crystalline finish and pastel tones. Lladró Boutique Ginza store occupies 380m2, distributed on five floors. Each floor is devoted to different collections, from the most traditional to the most innovative. The third floor of Lladró’s Tokyo showroom is reserved for Lladró Privilege members. This is an innovative customer loyalty scheme created by the company in 2001. It incorporates a new service concept providing Lladró porcelain enthusiasts with even more attentive and special customer service. Lladró has recently collaborated with internationally renowned young artists such as Jaime Hayón or Bodo Sperlein, launching completely new collections that have managed to woo a younger Japanese clientele. Highlights amongst these new proposals include the Re-Cyclos collection, made up of new and evocative works based on Lladró’s classic figures. Important designers have worked on this collection, such as the CuldeSac team, with original crowns and geodes based on Christmas decorations. Bodo Sperlein has also designed jewellery and decorative accessories, which he has christened Lladró Re-Cyclos Magical, along with the Ascot series, a collection of fun table objects based on the legs and heads of Lladró’s traditional horses. Jaime Hayón, the brand’s current creative director, he launched the Redeco collection, through which Lladró’s pieces acquire a new dimension, full of sophistication and exuding new sensations. The Lladró brand has been present in the Japanese market since the 1970s. In the 1980s it set up a joint venture with the Japanese company Mitsui & Co. Ltd., forming Bussan Lladró Co., Ltd., while the 1990s saw the creation of Lladró Japan Co., Ltd. Lladró Boutique Ginza store was renovated in April 2007 and continues to transmit Lladró’s concept and philosophy as its flagship in Japan. Thanks to the brand's success in the Japanese market, figures are now designed fully in keeping with the traditional Japanese style.
Lladró is also present in the world’s most important cities. There are now Lladró boutiques in more than 17 countries, always located in the most exclusive commercial zones. Lladró’s approach to boutiques is to create modern spaces within which the decoration and lighting seduce the visitor, displaying a carefully chosen selection of pieces that gain visibility and prominence.

ICEX, The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, in collaboration with the Economic and Trade Office of Spain in Tokyo, organised a group of exhibitions, temporary installations, seminars and lectures focusing on Spanish design during the recent Tokyo Designers Week (TDW), held from October 26 to November 4. These showcased the latest products created by Spain’s contemporary designers. These promotional activities form part of the event, Dual Year Spain-Japan. The event’s most eye-catching attraction was designer Jaime Hayón’s exhibition Backstage, A Journey into the World of Spanish Designer Jaime Hayón, held at the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo. This presented some of his most iconic pieces produced in collaboration with both Spanish and international furniture, lighting and homeware manufacturers. On display were 12 products, including for the companies Lladró and Bd Barcelona Design, and the process behind their creation – from initial, rough sketches to completed products. Hayón also held a seminar about his creative approach and how he transforms his ideas and sketches into polished pieces of design.A series of seminars about different areas of Spanish design, held at the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo, also formed part of TDW. On the industrial design front, participants included designers Mario Ruiz, Victor Carrasco and Carlos Tíscar and the design studios of Jorge Herrera, Silo Studio and Santiago Sevillano. Four interior design studios – Egue and Seta, ESL Interiores, Noviembre Estudio and AC Studio – also took part, all of whom promoted their services in Asia. Finally, design studios Mormedi and Stone Designs unveiled their work in the Japanese market to Japan’s press, advocates of products and manufacturers. Other events promoted a cultural interchange between the two countries, most notably an exhibition organised by Acción Cultural Española (Spanish Cultural Action) and curated by Spanish designer Juli Capella called Tapas, Spanish design for Food, based at the HQ of TDW from October 26 to November 4 and from November 4 onwards at the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo. What’s more, Spanish design studio Stone Designs, in collaboration with Japanese design brand Muji, mounted the exhibition Found Muji Iberia, while design outfit Outofstock put on the show The Weight of Blue in collaboration with Clear Edition and Any Tokyo 2013. Finally, Lladró organised an exhibition of its pieces launched in 2013 at its showroom in Ginza, Tokyo.

During Milan Design Week, design lighting firm Marset inaugurated its new showroom this April in the capital of Lombardy. This newly opened space is in a residential building from the 1930s situated in the Brera district, Milan’s quintessential design neighbourhood. Gio Ponti, emblematic Milanese architect of the 20th century, aided in the building’s construction. Stefano Colli, an Italian architect living in Barcelona, was the one responsible for the interior design of the space. He treated it as if it were a house, respecting the original features of the home in his design, and restoring materials found in the space, such as oak flooring and the Palladiana terrazzo in the corridors. The Spanish firm’s lamp collections will be on display in this showroom, in a bluish grey universe, which defines Marset’s brand values: “design, quality, technological rigour, innovation, sustainability, durability and authenticity”. This new showroom is Marset’s fourth location worldwide. By adding Milan to its list of global locations in Barcelona, New York and Design Post in Cologne, Germany, the firm has made a strong bet on the Italian city, a hub for international design, from which the company hopes to continue building a brand with a solid international presence and global outlook.

Located in central Barcelona, Marset’s showroom is a new space which has been designed to enable the company to display its lighting collection comprehensively in a more appropriate setting. Its aim is to showcase all its designs and their different qualities, textures, moods and effects.The project’s interior, which was undertaken by Barcelona-based architects Colli Martínez, reflects the philosophy and thinking behind Marset’s products, which are typically sober-looking but also imaginatively designed – and look fresh and new to the eye.The interior is inspired by wood sawyers and the way they stack and dry planks; in fact, the shop’s wares are displayed on planks, which give the decor a warm, natural feel. Arranged with gaps between them, the planks form a decorative lattice effect. The remainder of the space has been painted entirely white to create a calm atmosphere.The showroom is reached by a patio, which itself plays an important role in the project. The design of its landscaping and central pergola hint at the fact that the space aims to be multidisciplinary. Events and informal, alfresco meetings are held here in a setting surrounded by greenery – a haven from the hustle and bustle of urban life.The garden’s design is the brainchild of Valencian artist Josep Ferriol. Having taken vegetation as his chief material, Ferriol was interested primarily in creating a lively, ever-evolving space. The plants have been chosen very artfully, and the times they flower taken into consideration. There are plants for shady or sunny spots, and plants of different heights, textures, colours and smells. The planting is such that the patio’s walls are lined with a second skin of vegetation which changes constantly throughout the year, creating huge variety.Marset has been making and selling its lighting to over 40 countries since 1962, and, thanks to its impressive track record, it’s now a leading company in its sector. At the Light&Building fair held last April in Frankfurt, it launched several new very on-trend products, such as the Scantling light by Mathias Hahn, Christophe Mathieu’s Continua light and Joan Gaspar’s Plaff-on! ceiling light. Marset’s new collection puts the emphasis firmly on sound, good design. Its lighting pays particular attention to the nuances of colour and effects in order to create atmospheres with distinctive qualities.

After more than a decade on the island of Manhattan, the offices and showroom of the designer lighting company Marset in the United States moved at the end of 2022 to a new space located in Brooklyn, in the heart of Williamsburg. The brand's growth in the U.S. market has prompted the move to a larger space in one of New York's most vibrant neighborhoods, which is known for its artistic spirit, full of galleries and murals. The new showroom is presented as a flexible work area that encourages interaction, reflection, and creativity.

Italian architect Stefano Colli designed the interior design of this new showroom, which is spread over 250 m2 at street level and has an intermediate floor that includes different meeting areas, offices, and a large terrace. This space mixes aesthetics and functionality, where Marset lighting marks the path, illuminating all the rooms with its collections that bring comfort and warmth to both indoor and outdoor environment.

The new showroom was conceived as a hub: a place for connection and collaborative design, combining the creations of young emerging talents with the work of well-known Barcelona designers. This is the case of the custom-made furniture of Isaac Piñeiro the ceramic exhibitors of Xavi Mañosa of Apparatu (designer of the Pleat Box and Scotch Club collections), an easy chair by Jaume Ramírez (designer of the Milana and Copernica collections), side tables by Júlia Esqué, and a special set of pergola and outdoor table by Max Enrich, in addition to rugs by Nani Marquina. Outside, we find a large terrace where we can take in the Spanish brand's outdoor collection.

Marset's new Brooklyn showroom embodies the brand's core values of design, quality, technological rigor, innovation, sustainability, and authenticity and joins its other showrooms in Barcelona, Milan, Cologne, and Mexico City. Marset's purpose is to enhance light with a decorative collection that offers warm lighting, both for indoors and outdoors, and this space in New York is a clear example of this.

Hip rug company Nanimarquina has opened its first shop, having chosen Barcelona as the perfect city in which to do so. It’s a very unusual shop where customers can appreciate the rugs’ beauty at first hand and familarise themselves with the essence of the brand, namely its flair for giving tradition a contemporary twist. The 750m sq, three-storey premises – situated at the intersection of one of Barcelona’s main shopping drags, Avenida Diagonal, and calle Rosellón – occupy a former car park, some of whose original features have been retained, from an entrance ramp and original paving stones to its structural beams. The result is a grittily industrial, ultra-modern style which constrasts strikingly with the vibrantly colourful rugs on display.
Dotted around the shop, which was designed by architect Robert Palli and which opened last December, is decorated with tiny, intriguing treasures which the designer Nani Marquina and her team have picked up on their travels to Asia, Africa and South America – a cornucopia of artesanal objects like baskets, textiles, little cups, blankets, cushions and teapots, many of which have provided inspiration for the brand’s designs. More specifically, these include such stunning objects as lungis – squares of fabric worn around the waist, generally by Hindus brooms made in India out of twigs. On the top floor, there’s a kitchen which gives visitors the chance to taste teas and coffees from all over the world; next to this are two big tables designed to be used for institutional and business meetings, product launches and important media events. This project, which has long been a dream of Nani Marquina’s and which has finally come to fruition, demonstrates the company’s commitment to putting its customers in direct contact with its designs – something it considers a key part of its business strategy. ‘Until recently, we sold our designs via distributors, but we now want to sell these more directly to our customers. We also want to create a space where customers can appreciate our products at first hand – and learn more about the brand and its core values,’ explains Marquina, who describes the showroom as being more of a gallery than a shop.

Its first US showroom attracts many American opinion formers in the hospitality sector. In March this year, contemporary rug design company nanimarquina officially opened its first showroom in the US, in the heart of New York. In accordance with nanimarquina’s core values, the showroom is in the heart of SoHo, a district which blends history, art, creativity and innovation. The space was created by the company’s design team in the same style as its offices and showroom in Barcelona, and is intended to allow US visitors to enjoy the designs, colours, textures and unique materials of this hand-crafted rug firm, and learn more about its manufacturing methods. At its opening, company founder nanimarquina said: ‘North America is one of the markets that’s growing the most for us. It has a huge potential, given its creative nature. We’ll be delighted to welcome our clients and inform them about our history and its links to design.’ Since it opened, the showroom has become one of the coolest shops in the Big Apple. Many American architects and designers visit it to acquire its products for many projects in both the residential and hospitality sectors. nanimarquina now consolidates its position as one of Spain’s most directional design companies to be found in the US, helped not a little by its constant participation in fairs, PR activities, presence in the media and adverts it takes out in T Magazine (The New York Times’s style magazine).

Sustainable offices for our new headquarters in Madrid. After 20 years in Caleruega Street, Ofita has moved in 2021 its offices and showroom in Madrid to a new space in line with current office design trends and, above all, more aligned with company’s environmental commitment. “One of the most interesting aspects of this building was it has the Breeam sustainable construction certification, which means lower energy and water consumption, but also a positive impact on the health and well-being of the workers,” explains Jonatan Molina, Ofita Madrid Manager. The showroom is designed to show “Ofita innovation” and the latest trends in furniture and workspace design. “The pandemic has changed the way of working, and the office has become a place to socialize, where to meet, work better as a team and have connections with the brand, and that is also what we´ve tried to generate in this space both for our own employees and for our clients to perceive it in their visits”, adds Jonatan Molina when describing these sustainable offices. In this space, the latest lines of Ofita furniture are already on display. Especially noteworthy are Forthink, redesigned during the pandemic in response to new forms of agile, mobile and collaborative work, and the Ofita anti Covid solutions, such as protection screens, the first “Zero Covid” tables, which prevent contagion by contact with surfaces, and Vetrospace acoustic pods, with antiviral and bacterial properties. With the opening of these sustainable offices in Madrid, Ofita has also made a significant commitment to greater visibility of its brand beyond the professional sector, which, until a year ago, Ofita was exclusively targeting. “During the pandemic, we responded to the teleworking increase in Spain launching Ofita Store, the online store with ergonomic, quality and design furniture for a healthy Home Office“, explains the General Manager of Ofita, Camilo Agromayor. The new sustainable offices and showroom are located in the Instel building in San Sebastián de los Reyes, a spectacular double-height space with three facades with natural light and direct access from the street level.

The commercial centre operated by JSWB (JiSheng Wellborn) – a leading company in the distribution of upscale furniture in China – was chosen by Pikolin, a firm based in Aragon, as the perfect place to open its first shop in China. The 200 m sq Pikolin shop in this prestigious shopping centre is on a floor devoted to leisure-related products. Other major firms from around the world selling deluxe furniture and design also have stores in the shopping centre. Like Pikolin, they have decided to put down roots in the Asian country, attracted by its new, emerging elite consumer base hungering for foreign goods. This new venture has seen Pikolin form a fruitful relationship with the local business Luolai which has over 2,000 shops up and down China. Luolai, a very respected brand for bedlinen and other types of linen for the home, is in the Asia-Pacific region. During the opening ceremony which took place on April 30, Borja Solans, grandson of Pikolin’s founder and son of the current company president, stated that the special affinity between the goods which Luolai makes and distributes and those of Pikolin make the former the ‘ideal’ partner for the Spanish company as it makes its first foray into this new complex and competitive foreign market. All the products Pikolin sells in China are made in their entirety in its workshops in Zaragoza, where the company has the biggest mattress factory in Europe, which has over 1,000 employees. Pikolin’s slogan in its European markets is ‘Despierta tu salud’ (literally, ‘Wake up your health’), meaning that the company enhances people’s wellbeing and quality of life, as implied by the fact that one sleeps well on a good mattress – and this also makes the Spanish brand appeal to the Chinese market where it’s making its debut. ‘The Chinese consumer who seeks out high-quality European goods expects a European standard that’s markedly different from locally made, generally very hard mattresses,’ says Julio Ceballos, Pikolin’s representative in China. Pikolin, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in business in 2008, is a leading bedding company in Spain, where it has over 200 shops trading under the name Bed’s. It also has factories and retail outlets in Portugal and France. However, its showroom in Shanghai is the first store the group has in the Asia-Pacific region. The firm has ambitions to open at least one other shop in China this year. This would also be located in a commercial centre of the same calibre as the one in Shanghai. Yet Pikolin takes a prudent line when talking about the group’s long-term strategy of expansion in China. ‘This is a market with massive potential but it’s also very complex. First of all we’re going to see how the first shop goes, then we’ll decide what further steps to take,’ says Borja Solans.

POINT and NATURTEX inaugurated a showroom in the Big Apple in May - a space they share with two other Spanish companies and an Italian one. In addition to POINT’s outdoor designer furniture, and the innovative fabrics and rugs by the firm NATUREX, items of furniture from the Jover+Valls interior design atelier, laminar glass by Secrisa, and lamps by the Italian company Kundalini are also showcased. This new showroom – just a stone’s throw away from the Empire State Building – is in NoMad (North of Madison Square Park), a Manhattan neighbourhood that is a hotbed of interior design studios and architecture practices. This refined, welcoming, warm, light-filled space was created by IRPContract, while the interior design was carried out by the Karen Asprea Studio. The latest collections by Spanish firms POINT, NATURTEX, Jover+Valls, and Secrisa can be seen and experienced here. Reflecting the essence of the Mediterranean, POINT has been making outdoor designer furniture for almost 100 years, and exports to over 70 countries. Combining artisanal tradition and innovative ways of using materials and natural fibres, NATURTEX has been designing and producing fabrics and rugs since 1993. Bringing together technical innovation and contemporary design, the Jover+Valls home décor atelier creates unique, customised furniture, while the firm Secrisa specialises in exclusive laminar glass for the worlds of architecture and interior design.

Porcelanosa is one of the most reputable tile, kitchen, and bath products manufacturers in the world. This company, which has over 400 showrooms in over 80 countries, has been established in Miami for almost 20 years. Miami is the ideal location for a Porcelanosa showroom, as this company specializes in contemporary, colorful products. For the showroom’s location, Porcelanosa chose the Doral area, which is known for its tile stores. The Porcelanosa building is backed with a 50,000 square feet warehouse ready to store over 7,000 pallets of material. The showroom is situated near from the airport and a big sign on the warehouse’s roof is visible for all the planes landing. The Miami showroom shows over 79 tile and bath settings in 9,000 square feet. Porcelanosa does not believe in showing tile on racks. Therefore, their most popular collections are featured in room mockups. Porcelanosa has over 5,000 references in stock at all times. Porcelanosa has other 13 showrooms in the US: Los Angeles, San Jose, New York, Paramus (NJ), Rockville (MD), and Boston are some of the cities where Porcelanosa has a warehouse showroom. Porcelanosa also has over 500 dealers across the country.

Last February PORCELANOSA Group, the Spanish multinational leader in the ceramic floor and wall tile sector and with a wide range of products that include everything from kitchen and bathroom equipment to technological materials and advanced construction solutions for contemporary architecture, opened its first showroom in Japan.

This new technical office, located in the center of Tokyo, has been opened together with its partner in the Japanese market, the company Yoshimoto Trading Co, with the aim of consolidating its commercial presence in said market. The 394 sqft (120 m2) space will be used to show Japanese architects, designers, builders and interior designers, the wide range of products offered by the Porcelanosa group in an easy, direct and personal way. The showroom highlights the bathroom furniture created by the famous designer Zaha Hadid.

PORCELANOSA Group has extensive commercial representation throughout the world through its own stores, associates and official distributors. The multinational company currently has more than 950 points of sale in five continents, of which 100 are own stores, allowing both private and professionals users to get to know the innovative solutions of the Group's different brands in a personalized way. Among the main cities where Porcelanosa has its own showrooms are Paris, Rome, Milan, London or Madrid in Europe; New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Miami and Toronto in North America; Mexico City in Central America or Shanghai in Asia.  

PORCELANOSA Group is made up of 8 companies: Porcelanosa, Venis, Gamadecor, Krion. L'Antic Colonial, Butech, Noken and Urbatek. Diversification in production has been a fundamental cornerstone for the growth of this business group, which began in 1973 exclusively with tile manufacturing. Today, these eight Group companies offer a wide range of products, from kitchen and bathroom equipment to technological materials and advanced construction solutions for contemporary architecture.

PORCELANOSA started operations in the United States more than 20 years ago and have rapidly grown to become the choice resource for discriminating homeowners, builders, architects and designers. With a global presence that extends to 80 different countries and more than 400 company owned showrooms around the world and in the US, Porcelanosa Group is one of the most reputable tile, kitchen, and bath products manufacturers in the world. Porcelanosa has other 17 showrooms in the US: Los Angeles, San Jose, New York, Paramus (NJ), Rockville (MD), and Boston are some of the cities where Porcelanosa has a warehouse showroom. Porcelanosa also has over 500 dealers across the country. Porcelanosa made its debut in Chicago Summer 2009 at LuxeHome. Open to the public and located on the first floor of the world-famous Merchandise Mart, LuxeHome is the world’s largest collection of luxury boutiques for home building and renovation and has become synonymous with the best of the best in luxury kitchen and bath products for the home. Porcelanosa took up 7800 square feet of space on the first floor in suite 149. LuxeHome, the country’s premier destination for the finest kitchen, bath and building products, is renowned for its wide selection of luxury tile products from world-class brands including Ann Sacks, Urban Archaeology, Paris Ceramics, Artistic Tile, among others. “ “Porcelanosa’s Lifestyle concept is a way of appreciating beauty and comfort through the creation of stylish living spaces,” said Jim Demestichas of Porcelanosa. “Our philosophy is based on creating advanced, beautiful, original, and functional products, such as ceramics, parquet, bathroom furnishings, kitchens, hydro massage, spas, bathroom fixtures, and quality accessories, all with innovation and respect for the environment.” Some of the latest offerings at this showroom is the Ston-ker collection which features colored porcelain tiles and Urbatek, a collection of unglazed colored through-body porcelain tiles. Urbatek tiles are durable, resistant to detergents, impact and are hypo-alergenic and bacteria free.

Last September the Porcelanosa group opened its flagship store in Manhattan’s buzzy and bustling Flatiron district, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, with all the glamour and high style that the Spanish Brand is famous for. The new store is situated in the iconic, neoclassical 1919 Commodore Criterion building. More than 700 guests attended the opening party, among them many members of key US architecture and interior design practices, as well as well-known faces from the worlds of culture, cinema and international society. The interior of Porcelanosa’s six-storey, 2,000-sq m shop has been redesigned by Foster + Partners, the practice of Norman Foster, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999 and Prince of Asturias Award in the Arts Category in 2009. Foster + Partners has restored the original facade and created an innovative, versatile interior, now recognised internationally as a high-profile project. The building’s lower floors are used to display the products of Porcelanosa’s eight brands, from ceramic floor and wall coverings to kitchen and bathroom fittings and building materials. On the top floor are offices, meetings rooms and plenty of space for holding lectures, seminars and exhibitions. The Porcelanosa group is a leading, globally renowned company in the ceramics sector, which began its expansion into the US market 30 years ago. The new Manhattan shop aspires to be an iconic, corporate urban landmark in the Big Apple, where Porcelanosa already has two shops. The brand has around 500 shops all over the world, 25 of which are in the US, along with over 500 authorised distributors.

The company’s fifth store in Italy. In September 2021, Spanish ceramics multinational Porcelanosa opened a new showroom in the center of Milan to coincide with the 59th edition of the Salone del Mobile Milano 2021. This innovative space covering more than 600 meters is aimed at professional clients working in architecture, decoration and the world of Milanese design. The store has two floors where visitors can learn about the latest trends in ceramic floor and wall tiles, kitchens, bathrooms and constructive solutions from the Spanish brand, guided by technical experts with extensive product knowledge. Large format ceramic tiles, designer furniture, sustainable bathrooms and integrated kitchens are some of the main novelties that shape the environments they create. Among them Porcelanosa - Mediterranean Lifestyle and Design stands out as a place to relax and be inspired by Porcelanosa collections. This new store marks the continuation of the global expansion of the Spanish brand and strengthens its presence on the Italian market. Italy is one of the reference points for design and architecture in Europe, and Porcelanosa has had a presence there since 1982, opening its first store in Corsico more than 20 years ago, and now taking the definitive leap into the city center with this new flagship store. As well as these two showrooms in Italy, Porcelanosa also has its own stores in Rome, Treviso and Sassuolo. The Porcelanosa Group has a total of 1,099 showrooms worldwide, as well as official distributors and multi-brand stores that sell the ceramics multinational's products. Recently they also opened showrooms in London (Hanover Square), Mexico (Artz Pedregal) and in Nice and Quetigny in France. Furthermore, there are plans to open new stores in the near future in the USA (Vienna, Virginia), Mexico (San José del Cabo) and Spain (Valencia, Madrid and Barcelona).

Coinciding with the 2008 ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), 16th May saw the opening of the monographic exhibition of Spanish design entitled Rojo (Red), which ran until 8th June in one of Manhattan’s most emblematic stores, The Conran Shop.The exhibition, which pays tribute to the colour red, was commissioned by Nani Marquina and designed by Luis Eslava, one of Spanish design’s young talents. Eslava created a space presenting a selection of Spanish pieces which, while being both classic and modern, had a common denominator: RED.ROJO is an exhibition designed to promote both emerging and established Spanish designers. The selected pieces constitute a small sample of the best that Spanish design has to offer and the most representative “Made in Spain” brands.Nineteen Spanish design firms took part with a total of twenty-one top quality products, some designed by Luis Eslava himself, Jaime Hayón and Emiliana Studio, amongst others. The following companies were represented: ABR, Almerich, Andreu World, Arturo Álvarez, B.Lux, BD Barcelona Design, Concepta, Capdell, Gandía Blasco, Fambuena, Luzifer, Marset, MO, nanimarquina, Perobell, Punt Mobles, RS, Santa & Cole and Vibia.In order to provide some atmosphere in the square where The Conran Shop is located, Luis Eslava produced six king-size versions of nanimarquina's mythic Tomato poufs. Inside, a floor carpeted in white gave warmth and light to the exhibition and helped to highlight the various pieces on display, all of which were red.Inside the store, the products could be discovered behind original curtains made of Velcro, a material that characterises Eslava’s designs and montages. The space was made up of a variety of environments comprising rugs by nanimarquina and several decorative pieces in red. Straight after entering we came across BD Barcelona’s well-known Showtime chair designed by Jaime Hayón, the La Cosa casual chair by Concepta and the Guau wall lamp, produced by Arturo Álvarez and designed by El Último Grito.The central area housed several of ABR’s Cul Is Cool chairs, designed by Ramón Úbeda and Otto Canalda, placed on nanimarquina’s Flying Carpet rug, designed by Ana Mir and Emili Padrós. We then came to Gandía Blasco’s parasols, placed on three of nanimarquina’s News rugs, designed by Martí Guixé. Meanwhile, pieces such as MO’s Twist tables by Martínez Otero, Gandía Blasco’s 356 lounger and the Dedal stools by Punt Mobles were located at the sides.The lamps on display included the following: Trípode by Santa & Cole, Olivia by Marset, Mikado by Luzifer, face to face and Boomerang by Almerich, Clea by Marset, Infinity by Vibia, and Làszlò by Fambuena.

Roca, world leader in bathroom design, has picked Barcelona as the city in which to open its new architectural centre, designed to be a global reference point for the company’s social, cultural and exhibiting activities. This new building, called the Roca Gallery, is conceived with the idea of becoming a new space which will embrace the city and be a venue where visitors can learn about, experience and discover all there is to know about the world of bathroom design. It also aims to communicate to people its brand ethos, its history (almost 100 years old now) and its most recent achievements. The 2,400 sq m space, located on Juan Güell street, occupies three floors. It was designed by the prestigious architecture practice OAB (Office of Architecture in Barcelona) whose director is Carlos Ferrater. This new project is remarkable mainly for its strong architectural qualities which aim to reflect Roca’s core brand values. Water, lighting and colour – all distinguishing characteristics of this firm – are used to create the building’s unique interiors. Iluminated by hundreds of LED lights, the building is designed to be seen as a massive lightbox by night and an enormous shop window by day.
The ground-floor level, called Roca World, focuses on capturing the essence of the brand: its core values and history. State-of-the-art technology allows visitors to see a quick audio-visual presentation of the world of bathroom design and to enjoy various projections which recreate the activities which take place in bathrooms on a daily basis. In addition, this floor has a large reception and a bathroom design consultancy. The first floor, which is called Triple Espacio (Third Space), mounts different temporary exhibitions and sociocultural displays. Roca Gallery’s inaugural show was named El Baño, Una Mirada Histórica (Bathrooms – a Look at their History), where you can see such unique pieces as the sink and bidet from the bathroom of Empress Sisi (Elisabeth of Bavaria, 1876-1965). Roca products are currently available in about 135 countries and the company has 65 factories scattered across 17 of these. It collaborates with highly prestigious designers, architects and interior designers such as Rafael Moneo, David Chipperfield, Herzog & de Meuron, the studio Benedito Design, Giugiaro Design and Schmidt & Lackner. It also promotes and supports young talent via such initiatives as the international design competition Jump the Gap, which gives the winning project and its creator the opportunity to earn itself an international recognition. All this has led to Roca becoming an internationally respected brand in the bathroom design world.

The ROCA Group, world specialists in sanitary ware and bathroom equipment, has already three showrooms in China, and from the outset, the company has worked to secure its high profile reputation in this country and the rest of Asia.Roca’s activity in China began in 1999 with the opening of a factory to produce porcelain sanitary ware. A second factory was opened in 2005, located in Suzhou, and manufactures cast iron and acrylic baths. The company nowadays has a total of 8 production plants located in Suzhou, Foshan and Guangdong.Roca has a showroom in each of China's major cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, which are named “Roca Experience Centres” and allow customers not only to see the products exhibited but to feel and experience them.The Shanghai showroom was inaugurated in May 2007. Covering 1,072 square metres it is in one of the city’s most important and better located shopping centres and attracts around one thousand visitors per month.In recent years, the company has undergone an extraordinary international expansion due to the purchase of sister companies within the sanitary ware sector from various countries around the world. In 2007 the corporation’s turnover totalled 1,788 million euros.In addition to these, Roca has showrooms in Brazil, Bulgaria, Morocco, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and of course in Spain.Roca is the world leader in the bathroom sector and operates in over 135 countries. It also has a division responsible for the production and sale of ceramic wall and floor tiles (Roca Cerámica).“Roca Corporación Empresarial” is the parent company of a group dedicated to the design, production and marketing of specialised products for the Contract market. The group has production facilities all over the world and directly employs over 20,000 people.Roca has been recognised for its commitment to cutting edge design and trend setting and in October 2008 in Cardiff, UK, was awarded the “Best management of design in a large company” prize at the second edition of the Design Management Europe Awards.Design Management Europe is a European initiative whose main aim is to demonstrate and promote the commercial benefits that well integrated design can bring to a company.

For the past few months, the company has had its own Roca Gallery in Madrid, an impressive, two-storey 1,200 m sq space. Called Roca Madrid Gallery, it’s the flagship store of this Spanish brand and leading bathroom company, thanks to its spectacular premises and ultra-central location in the Madrid street of José Abascal. The atmospheric interior has been designed in collaboration with Madrid-based architects Estudio Lamela to dazzling effect. It’s a highly unusual space in a futuristic style, boasting cutting-edge equipment which allows visitors to ineract fully with the building. According to its managers, Roca Madrid Gallery communicates the brand’s essence: its values, history, evolution and main turning points. As well as serving as a showcase for the brand’s most iconic pieces, the showroom will host social and cultural events as well as exhibitions reflecting the company’s values, such as energy efficiency, economical use of materials, sustainability, good design and innovation. In the next few months, Roca Madrid Gallery will host temporary exhibitions open to the public, such as ‘Construyendo la cuidad’ (meaning building cities) – a display of projects awarded the Mies van der Rohe Foundation’s European Union Prizes for Contemporary Architecture – and ‘El baño, una retrospectiva histórica’ (the history of the bath) – which charts the evolution of the bathroom and explores its social significance. Roca’s new space wants to reach out to the city – and be a cool hangout for both visitors and passers-by – as its arresting facade, on to which large-scale audiovisuals are projected, amply demonstrates.
Roca currently has 69 factories around the world and a presence in over 135 countries. Its Barcelona showroom, which opened in 2009, recently won American magazine Architectural Record’s prize for excellence.
Features: Bathrooms 2011

Water plays a fundamental role in the space. Last October, legendary Spanish bathroom company Roca opened an iconic, super-organic space in London – Roca London Gallery, located near Chelsea Harbour, where many prestigious design brands have showrooms. Zaha Hadid Architects took on this highly unusual project, whose main inspiration is the force of water as an element with the power to change. The design of this 1,100 sq m showroom is steeped in the complexity and beauty of natural forms. Using a formal language derived from the circulation of water, Roca London Gallery has taken inspiration from the fluidity of water to create a sequence of dynamic spaces conducive to making the interaction between visitor and the space as harmonious as possible. The building’s facade is similarly arresting, giving Roca London Gallery its very distinctive identity. This incorporates a combination of openings which look as though they’ve been eroded by water, and which embrace the city and street life outside. Roca London Gallery is destined to be much more than a showroom to display products: it aims to reach out, in an inclusive way, to a wide audience, from professionals such as architects to students. The venue, which will host a huge variety of activities, such as temporary exhibitions mounted by the company and other organisations, meetings, presentations and discussions, hopes to become one of the city’s most influential spaces. Roca London Gallery is one of a series of concepts initiated by Roca to create unique spaces where the brand can be experienced at first hand – and provide a social and cultural forum in the cities where they’re found. Roca has three other galleries: Roca Barcelona Gallery, Roca Madrid Gallery and Roca Lisboa Gallery in Lisbon. Zaha Hadid Architects’s design doesn’t just appeal on the visual level but helps visitors to understand the relationship between the space’s architecture and the design of Roca’s products. Iraqi-born, London-based Hadid is one of the world’s most celebrated architects. She has twice won the prestigious Stirling Prize for architecture, and the launch of Roca London Gallery marks the third project she has undertaken in London. Roca is a company devoted to the design, production and marketing of bathroom products, flooring and ceramic surfaces for use in architecture, building work and interior design. The company employs over 20,200 staff, it has 72 production plants and has a presence in over 135 countries, spread over all five continents.

Firm’s designer pieces featured in a multi-brand showroom in the Cantonese capital of Guangzhou, China. Sancal’s designer furniture has been included in Chinese importer Louvre Casa’s first multi-brand store in the Cantonese city, which distributes collections of well-known international furniture and decoration brands. The newly opened multi-brand space, located in the Tianhe district, showcases furniture and decorative objects from exclusively European brands, including Spanish Sancal and BD Barcelona and Italian brands Cassina, Baxter, B&B, Seletti, Rimadesio, along with other leading brands in the furniture and lighting sector from around the world. The Sancal design pieces currently available in this space include the comfortable "Air" and "TipToe" sofas, designed by Rafa García, the "Collar" armchair created by the Skrivo studio and "Barnaby” armchair, designed by Perrine & Gilles and iconic chairs from the brand such as the "Tortuga", created by Isaac Piñeiro, “Diwan", designed by the PerezOchando studio and "Elle" by Rafa García. Acoustic and decorative panels, such as Lapso designed by Antoine Lepsur & Marc Benot and Beetle created by Mut Design are also included. Sancal exports over 70% of its production to more than 90 countries, mainly in Europe and North America.  Asia, and especially China, is an area where they expect to see the most growth in the coming years with an appreciation for the quality and style of European products.

Its showroom in Belgium, where the Spanish firm’s latest collections are displayed. Last March, contemporary furniture firm Sancal opened La Nave, a showroom in the shop of Sancal’s agent Alovan International in Belgium. Here opinion formers and distributors can see and admire the Spanish company’s latest collections. La Nave adheres to the same simple, understated aesthetic as that of Sancal’s showroom El Garage in Madrid, which opened in 2013. La Nave’s interior has exposed brick walls which are combined with subtle accents of fluorescent green and Sancal’s upholstered pieces in the brand’s signature colours. The word ‘Nave’ was chosen because it relates well to the space — a transparent design which can be used as a warehouse or factory, and brings to mind a sailing boat and church’s nave. These associations are apt, given the location: for over a century, this building housed an old yarn factory. By changing its use, Sancal aims to renovate this space which it’s owned for 20 years in Belgium and transform it into a destination shop for contemporary design fans.

On June 27 this year, designer furniture firm Sancal, which is based in Murcia, southeastern Spain, opened its first showroom, called El Garaje, in Madrid. The opening party was attended by clients, the press and friends and associates of the company. The showroom’s rather original name refers to its location since it’s situated in a former multi-storey car park. The building also once housed many of Madrid’s printing presses. For Sancal, the unexpected nature of encountering chic designer furniture in this edgy, labyrinthine venue is one of its main attractions. In fact, the company takes the view that unusual spaces make life that bit more exciting. The main goal of the Spanish firm’s new showroom is to make its upholstered, cutting-edge furniture available to all members of the architecture and interior design sectors – and provide an inspiring, comfortable space for them while they carry out their research for their projects.

in MOs Design Manila and Red Star Macalline Home Beijing. Contemporary furniture company Sancal has started its Asian expansion drive with two new shops in Manila and Beijing. In February 2017, the Spanish upholsterer opened its first retail space in Bonifacio Global City, the edgiest, most cosmopolitan neighbourhood of the Philippine capital. In recent years, Manila has become a nerve centre of southeast Asian growth offering excellent development opportunities to brands with high value-added products and cutting-edge designs like Sancal. The new Sancal shop is in MOs Design, a leading Philippine art and design emporium. In just a decade, this retail gallery, built on what used to be a rice paddy, has become synonymous with international design in Manila. For its tenth anniversary, owner Marlene Ong wanted to introduce a new brand to add some excitement for customers and give them chance to celebrate in style. For Guillermo Marqueño, Sancal’s  Area Manager for Asia, it was love at first sight from the second he met up with MOs. A mutual understanding and a shared taste for good design brought about the new partnership and they opted for a joint occasion to mark Sancal’s debut and MOs’ tenth birthday. Guests were treated to hot chocolate and churros – for which both Filipinos and Spaniards have a weakness – and had chance to see the Futura, Majestic and Grafica collections set to go on sale in the store.  A few months earlier, in November 2016, Sancal opened its first mono-brand showroom in Beijing in Red Star Macalline Home, one of the Chinese capital’s chicest malls. For the grand opening, they turned to the geometric patterns of the Grafica Collection for their main theme, but peppered with the brand’s signature playful detail and the style medley contributed by their Majestic and Futura collections. Walls in brick-red, khaki, cement, wood, glass, polycarbonate and red metal mesh featured alongside a wide range of fabrics in a space that perfectly mirrors the brand’s eclectic, irreverent character and seeks to draw a younger, less conventional customer from Beijing and elsewhere in China

The Santa & Cole Group has been up and running for 23 years, and in this time has become a global point of reference in the world of design.The Santa & Cole brand encompasses various groups of products: indoor lighting and furniture, urban lighting and furniture, books and elements for urban reforestation projects. The Group has teams of professionals (interior designers, architects and gardeners) working in these different fields, all striving towards a single goal: the achievement of excellence in design.Santa & Cole has been operating in California, Florida, France, Holland and Germany since 1988, but its most significant push in the international market came in 2004 when it opened its first subsidiary in Italy.In 2007, Santa & Cole exported approximately 26% of its total sales, to over 30 different countries. In line with its international expansion plan, on the 4th July 2008, the company opened its first showroom in Frankfurt.The Santa & Cole showroom in Germany is located right in the centre of the city, on the Schäfergasse, nestled between one of the most emblematic designer stores in the city (Leptien 3) and the Bärbel Grässlin gallery. It is an expansive luminous space covering an area of 250 m2 with views of a pretty internal courtyard, where Santa & Cole displays not only its interior decoration collections but also part of its urban furniture collection.Since it was founded in Barcelona in 1985, Santa & Cole has held by the same philosophy: “We only produce objects we identify with. They are objects with warmth and light, comfortable and homely. We focus on putting together a catalogue of products and we entrust the design and production to other companies”The firm has worked with a total of 88 designers from all over the world, some illustrious figures, other younger designers and even total unknowns. These collaborations include eminent international designers such as Vico Magistretti, Arne Jacobsen and Philllipe Starck, together with Spanish designers such as Miguel Milá and Antoni Arola.The Santa & Cole catalogue includes a number of products that have won prestigious design awards, for example the ADI-FAD Gold Delta Award 1966 for the American Lighting Series, designed by Miguel Milá; the IDEA 2007 and the Red Dot Award 2008 for the Key bicycle stand designed by Lagranja.Santa & Cole’s business ventures have also received the National Design Award (1999), the Prince Felipe Prize for Business Excellence (2006) and the Design Management Europe Award (2007).

Opens its first flagship gallery in the United States 

Winding its way from floor to ceiling in a series of elaborate loops that stretch right across the three storey showroom, Spanish Light plays on the theme of continuity, as the path transports us from the outside in, and allows us to connect with the lights by walking amongst the display.The show includes a mix of commercially produced and experimental designs by: Martí Guixé, Herme Ciscar & Mónica Garcia, Wis Design, Burkhard Dämmer, Bang Design, Ray Power, Christophe Mathieu, Admir Jukanovic, Jordi Canudas, Alfonso Fontal, Martín Azúa, El Ultimo Grito, Jonathan Daifuku, Jon Santacolma, JBA Design, Antonio Minervini and Luis Eslava.Products are from: LZF, Marset, Lampister, Noonbarcelona, Almerich, Leds-C4, Modiss, Fambuena, Lujan + Sicilia, Arturo Alvarez, Metalarte, Carpyen and B.Lux.Luis Eslava is the designer of this extravagant installation at the new Kettal showroom. Letting his imagination run wild, Eslava indulges his sense of humour by creating a path of light out of strips of coconut fibre to showcase some of the best in new lighting design from Spain.Kettal is the leading Spanish supplier of outdoor furniture to the international market. Spanish Light celebrates the opening of its first UK showroom on London’s Kings Road. A range of its latest collections including chairs, armchairs, deckchairs, tables and sofas will also be on display.

Cologne in Germany – and more specifically the Kunstbar, a bar-cum-art gallery in a prime location very near the cathedral and main station – has been the spot chosen to showcase 33 of the most iconic examples of indoor and outdoor lighting produced in Spain in recent years. The aim of the initiative is to highlight the strengths of the best Spanish lighting: innovation, good design and great quality. Gerard Sanmartí, a founding member of Barcelona-based design studio Lagranja, organised the exhibition and selected the pieces. These are manufactured by 18 companies – all undoubtedly the most influential lighting firms in Spain: Marset, Bover, Vibia, Santa&Cole, Luzifer, Almerich, Fambuena, Metalarte, Troll, Uno Design, Vondom, Lampister, Estiluz, Dab, Carpyen, Evaluz, B.Lux and BD Barcelona Design.
While some were only designed very recently, others created longer ago have since become indisputable classics of Spanish design, the most notable being Santa & Cole’s piece Trípode G5, outdoor light Boletus created by Jorge Pensi for B.Lux, Jean Nouvel’s Araña light for Troll, Carpyen’s Galilea light and, last but not least, Jaime Hayón’s elegant design Josephine for Metalarte.

Stone Designs’ luminously white new studio-cum-showroom, which it recently opened in central Madrid, faithfully reflects its creators’ aims. From the start, the idea was to create a neutral, inspiring, relaxing space resembling a blank canvas so that when those working there look up from their sketchpads, they don’t see obvious references which might influence their projects. Moreover, the aim was to ceate a space which would evoke nature. Seen from the street, the building is fronted by a tall window framed in wood in front of which stand monumental steel trees painted white which beckon passers-by into the forest-like interior where flora and fauna harmoniously coexist. On entering the space, the first thing you encounter is a ramp intersected by two spaces used as meeting rooms with sofas and low-level tables. Here, there’s also a wooden chest of drawers that appears to fly over a platform behind which is the reception. From one of these platforms an unusual metal staircase rises steeply. This gives access to a mezzanine supported by white metal trees whose branches have green bud-like tips as if to suggest they’re constantly flowering. In the ‘shade’ of these trees is a huge meeting table which everyone sits around to share their experiences and voice their everyday concerns in a friendly, chilled atmosphere. At Stone Designs, the belief is that for a team to work well together it can’t limit itself to being a group of colleagues but needs to involve more personal contact so people bond and share the same concerns and goals. This in turn ensures that their projects will be successful. Lamps shaped like bent branches, crowned by white metal shades which cast a warm glow over the work areas at night, demarcate the different workstations. And to provide a focal point at the end of the room, and separate the working area from a meeting room also at the far end, stands a large cloud-shaped screen which emits a gentle blue light. This encourages the studio’s designers to give their imagination free rein – and reminds them that it’s essential to keep an open mind if ideas are to flow freely. Lining part of the walls is what the studio calls ‘by yourshelf’ – booskshelves which provide all the studio’s necessary storage space, not only for all things admin-related but also for books, catalogues and so on.

Stua, a company which won the Premio Nacional de Diseño (National Design Prize) in 2008, has now opened a shop in Madrid. The space, which has been redesigned, is very high-ceilinged – over 6m tall – and has enormous windows. It has two distinct areas: a lower floor housing a showroom and an upper one converted into an area for working and meetings. The two parts are separated by a spectacular screen – one of Stua’s own designs. The redesign of the space was undertaken by Francisco Varela and Jorge Stinus, of architects 3.14 Gestión y Arquitectura (which has offices in Granada and Madrid). Opting for simplicity, order and plenty of light, the architects approached the project in the spirit of taking advantage of the space’s many design possibilities and with the aim of making the showroom the main focus of the project. The result is an all-white space devoted to showcasing design and cutting-edge ideas, making it the ideal environment for housing Stua’s furniture. After all, the company values simplicity, timelessness and attention to detail above all else. Stua’s furniture has a very fresh feel to it: it has a Scandinavian simplicity with a hint of the Mediterranean about it. Good examples of this are the Gas chair (of 2000), Onda stool (2006) and Globus chair (1994) – all star pieces in the new Madrid showroom. Stua’s Madrid shop aims to be a mecca for architects, interior designers and members of the general public and a place for them to familarise themselves with the company’s furniture collections. Another aim is to bring together furniture and art as the shop will also hold temporary art exhibitions.
Stua also has a showroom in Bilbao.

STUA presents its first retail showroom in Paris. This is the company´ s flagship store, and is located just a few metres away from the Paris town-hall in the area of Village Saint Paul, between the Marais and IIle St. Louis. The area of Saint Paul is regenerating itself to become a design area, making it an appropriate location for the STUA showroom. The retail space measuring 140 m, is located in a XVI century building with the basement case from the XIII century. The space houses the entire STUA collection in a magical and ever-changing environment. Art director for STUA Jon Gasca designed the interior. Jon designed the showroom to wrap around the furniture, incorporating the window space to its fullest, for maximum theatre and impact. The walls are screened with white fringe curtains, backlit with changing colours. The overall effect both conceals and reveals giving a mysterious life to the interior. The juxtaposition of an old building´s architectural detail with a clean contemporary interior makes a dramatic backdrop for the furniture. The most special part of the shop is the ancient cave downstairs. The shape of the walls curves to become an ancient cave now full of design and contemporary atmosphere. The natural stone is the perfect background to contract with the clean lines of the Stua furniture collection. The floor is made of grey concrete, the ceiling and most of the walls are also finished in black and white thereby heightening the effect of the lit curtains with shimmer and move as people progress through the store. A wonderful environment in which to experience the complete STUA collection. The work of STUA is conceived and executed at an extraordinarily high level of aesthetic and engineering detail. The work is innovative and original. It is suitable equally for commercial and residential applications. Stua has two other showrooms, one the city of Madrid and another in the city of Bilbao.

Tau Cerámica is firmly committed to expansion in the US market. Proof of this came when the Spanish company opened its second standalone showroom in the US last summer. This move is consistent with the company’s policy of being in close and constant contact with its customers in order to offer them the entire range of their goods in a direct, professional manner. In terms of its location, the company plumped for Chantilly, in the state of Viriginia. The showroom is situated more specifically in a commercial and services area called Park Long Court. This is a prime location – indeed one of the nerve centres of the country – since it’s situated in the Dulles Corridor, the mandatory route for anyone travelling to the international airport of Washington DC, the administrative capital of the US. The layout of the interior of the new, 700 sq m showroom has been very carefully thought out. The display area measures 390 sp m, of which 300 sq m are taken up by the showroom itself. The rest of the building is devoted to providing both printed and audiovisual material for architects, designers and interior designers. Visitors to the showroom can see furniture collections, large-scale environments showing how the products can be used and mock-ups of environments which present commercial schemes of the highest calibre. The new Tau Cerámica showroom supplements its other US store in Frederick, Maryland, which has been up and running for three years. The latter has already proved itself to be an unqualified success with the public – and in terms of sales.

Materia is a coherently designed space in Barcelona created by Beatrice Askanazy. The soft furnishings, furniture and accessories displayed here all share the same philosophy: a love of natural fibres, pleasing materials, the hand-crafted, the unique, the timeless, the absence of any dominant trend. Spanish company Tiexidors, which is based in Terrassa, near Barcelona, has occupied this space in order to display its entire range of goods. Materia isn’t just designed to be a mere shop for selling home fabrics but a place where customers instantly experience the sensibility of and philosophy behind Materia and Teixidors. It gives visitors an insight into how a domestic space can connect with nature, the hand-crafted, a sense of continuity, serenity, warmth – all perennial attributes of Teixidors’ collections. In Askanazy’s words, ‘We’re not interested in trendy ítems, classified as either contemporary or classical, but in pieces that dovetail with our idea of all things natural. The pieces chosen complement each other, don’t detract from each other. They are life-enhancing, transcend mere trends and fit into the present and future: they feel current today and will feel current tomorrow.’ Teixidors has developed a way of working and its own style which radically differs from any other textiles company operating in Spain today. It was founded in 1983 not as a business but as a non profit-making cooperative that provides employment and social integration to people with learning difficulties.See special feature on TeixidorsSee latest news on Teixidors

It opens its first US showroom to consolidate its existing, significant presence in the country.Spain’s multinational Cosentino group, which makes and distributes worktops, launched Cosentino City Manhattan in September, 2015 — its first US showroom. This 375-sq m space was created thanks to an investment of more than €1m and is found in the city’s iconic A&D Building, the nerve centre of contemporary New York design, which houses the premises of the leading interior design firms in the city. This showroom offers architects and designers large display and office spaces equipped with state-of-the-art technology which helps them to realize all types of projects. The ‘Cosentino City’ is the name of the showrooms which the company is opening in different cities around the world. This new concept aims to make the brand more familiar to its clients and capture the attention of visitors, thanks to the sensory experience this showroom offers and the comprehensive service of its expert staff. Visitors can interact with the various materials offered by Cosentino to create, visualise and develop projects digitally with the aid of computers in the showroom. The first Cosentino City showroom opened in Sydney in September, 2013, the second in Singapore in November, 2014 and in October, 2015, it opened a similar showroom in Milan. The company has another showroom in Asia, called City Associated, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This last shop reinforces the company’s commitment to trading in the US, where the firm set up its first foreign subsidiary in 1997. Since then, Cosentino’s growth has been unstoppable, and today it has 27 operating centres all over the country, two distribution hubs, 12 kitchen and bathroom surface production centres and agreements with eight wholesale distributors, such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. All this has consolidated Cosentino’s leading position in the US market, which today accounts for 57 per cent of its consolidated sales and where it has around 1,000 employees. The Cosentino group produces high quality worktops for the architecture and design sectors. As a leading firm, it envisions and anticipates, in conjunction with its clients and members, solutions that offer design, good value and inspiration to people’s lives. This objective is possible thanks to using products by pioneering brands in their sectors, such as Silestone®, Dekton® and Sensa by Cosentino®, whose innovative surfaces allow for the creation of unique designs for both domestic and public spaces.

Design fans can take in the best of Spanish design at the Galerie des Beaux-Arts, which is part of Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Bordeaux, France, until September 16. The show opened on June 14 and will be open to the public throughout the summer. This exhibition aims to give the French public and all international visitors to Bordeaux the opportunity to find out about Spanish design – both in terms of the country’s most high-profile designers and its manufacturers specialising in contemporary design. The exhibition also celebrates Spanish creativity from the entire 20th century, and showcases all areas of Spanish inventiveness – furniture, graphic design and industrial design. The exhibition occupies two floors measuring 700 sq m. Pieces by internationally known Spanish designers such as Patricia Urquiola and Jaime Hayón, among others, are displayed on the lower floor. Meanwhile, more iconic, historical examples of Spanish culture, which laid the foundations for and inspired contemporary Spanish and graphic and industrial design, are showcased on the upper floor.

In April 2005, Jaume Tresserra opened its first exclusive store in Paris, the boutique TRESSERRA COLLECTION, which is at number 168 of one of the most popular streets in the French capital, on Rivoli street, where a large number of international brands are present, and opposite to Louvre Museum.The firm TRESSERRA Collection was created in 1987 by the Catalonian designer, after he had worked as interior designer for several years and had designed furniture exclusively for his costumers, in response to the demands of a particular consumer whose wants and needs reflect an entire life style. Since then he designs splendid furniture collections and decorating accessories, based on his philosophy of the rejection of excessive industrial constraints in which beauty is often lost as a trade-off in the pursuit of financial gain.The boutique Tresserra Collection in Paris occupies an exceptional space of 160 square metres with four shop windows totally open to the street and another five facing the square yard of “Louvre des Antiquaires”. Both entrances lead to a luminous, neutral and open environment, where a large part of the furniture and accessories collection is displayed as an art gallery. The white walls and the ivory floor allow the pieces of Tresserra to express them without impediment.A tour around the store makes it possible to enjoy the great “classics” of Tresserra like the “Samuro Cabinet”, the “Carpett Secreter” or the “Chiffonier Storage”. One space recreates an office with the Novel desk, the Casablanca armchair and the five metres long Prólogo bookcase, while in another space there are products for the home. Another space is devoted to new designs or performance according to the designer’s original ideas. Since December 2007 Tresserra boutique in Paris exhibits the latest creation of the collection: the Bolero, a pool table that was designed only a year before and that can already be found in the most elegant lounges of all over the world.Tresserra Collection consists of several designs, from trunks reminiscent of the glamorous time of transoceanic journeys to elegant armchairs, chests of drawers with secret drawers, refined chairs and tables, as well as bar furniture, desks that spread out, screens and lamps. In 2004, Jaume Tresserra incorporated into his range of pieces a collection of accessories with the name “Variations”. This collection includes candelabra, vases, candle holders, letter-openers, desk clocks, desk blotters and games like chess and backgammon. It consists of a large range of very sophisticated furniture and accessories with a style that is classical and innovator at the same time.Faithful to Jaume Tresserra’s aesthetic commitment, shape has been given to the designs through the employment of the revered arts of hand craftsmanship and artistry, and through the utilization of only the highest quality materials, being wood the favourite one. For the furniture in this collection Spanish white walnut was mainly used, treated with natural varnishes and always applied by hand to pay homage to its nobility and natural qualities. The metallic pieces are of brass dipped in an electrolytic bath that allows various high qualities finishes to be obtained: gunmetal chromed or silver-plated. Armchair and seating upholstery is made from un-dyed cotton cloth or calf leather. For other accessories in the collection, timbers like iroco, sycamore, cedar and other natural materials are employed, handcrafted with skill and experience.One of the peculiarities that defines Treserra’s designs is that they are “completely finished” on all sides. Some of the models look like sculptures. According to Jaume Tresserra, “everything comes from a personal dislike of that furniture that has the hidden part finished with an ordinary wood. A piece of furniture should be able to stand alone in the middle of the room or in a separate space”.Speaking of Jaume Tresserra in the world of international interior design is linked to a Mediterranean of an atmosphere that is refined, rationalist, warm, contemporary and full of beauty, passion, perfectionism and innovation. This requires a subtle balancing of characteristics that exploits this century’s best design, especially Art Deco and Rationalism, close to Eastern traditions and finishes, sifted through an essentially Latin designer’s intuition, capable of infusing life into all these traditions to recreate a piece of furniture that looks towards the future.

The Spanish contemporary furniture firm, Viccarbe, expands its commercial presence in the Land of the Rising Sun with the opening of a new showroom in the city of Tokyo. The company initially entered this market in 2013 with the debut of the first Viccarbe Studio in Osaka and with this latest opening, Viccarbe establishes its commitment to the Japanese market. This new showroom was opened in collaboration with E-INTERIORS INC., its main distributor in Japan, and is located in Aoyama, one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the Japanese capital. With this new studio, Viccarbe consolidates its brand among the Japanese public, bring its Mediterranean Loungexperience to one of the world’s design hubs. This space was also created to allow Japanese architects and interior designers to collaborate and exchange ideas on an ongoing basis. To that end, the firm’s most significant pieces are displayed. In recent years, Viccarbe has been selected to furnish major projects in the Japanese capital, including the offices of Apple and Coca Cola, and the Tokyo University of Science. In addition, several Japanese designers have collaborated in designing its collections, such as Naoto Fukasawa, who created the Common modular seating system, its benches and side tables; Tomoya Tabuchi, who designed the Nagi armchair; and Kensaku Oshiri, who created the Brix armchair. Viccarbe’s functional collections of furniture and accessories reflect a contemporary lifestyle, with a wide range of products for the home, office, hotels, restaurants, airports, schools, universities, and libraries, designed by the most reputable international designers, including Patricia Urquiola, Jaime Hayon, Piero Lissoni, Jean-Marie Massaud, Lievore Altherr & Molina, Naoto Fukasawa, Arik Levy, and John Pawson, among others. Its furnishings can be found in the offices of internationally renowned brands like Microsoft, Coca Cola, LinkedIn, and Adobe, and are exported to more than 70 countries.

Last year, Vondom opened its first flagship store in the US, choosing to occupy premises in the iconic Decoration & Design Building at 979 3rd Avenue, Manhattan. This 18-storey edifice, devoted to showcasing design and interior decoration, houses around 120 of the world’s most reputable furniture and lighting manufacturers.This 300-sq m showroom displays a wide-ranging selection of Vondom’s latest, cutting-edge furniture, lighting and rug collections. The main hues in this space are on-trend, natural tones, such as taupe, ecru and khaki, all of which bring a touch of refinement to the interior, along with the brand’s signature colour, white. Here, the organic and geometric forms of its furniture collections, dreamt up by the internationally renowned designers with whom the firm collaborates — among them, Karim Rashid, Ross Lovegrove, Ramón Esteve and Javier Mariscal — create a luminous, sophisticated, highly dynamic atmosphere.Thanks to opening this shop — in tandem with its creation in 2013, also in New York, of its subsidiary, Vondom LLC — the company has raised its profile in the North American market, especially among product specifiers, chief among them interior designers and architects.

The highly respected Spanish indoor and outdoor furniture firm Vondom continues to expand in the US. This time, it has reaffirmed its commitment to expand Stateside with the opening this year of its first standalone store in Los Angeles. The new showroom, which measures over 300sq m, is in the Pacific Design Center, a building on Melrose Avenue in the trendy neighbourhood of West Hollywood. Now design lovers in California — the state with the highest population in the US, birthplace of the cinema and home to Silicon Valley — can become truly familiar with the Spanish brand’s exclusive, cutting-edge products. Vondom’s plans for expansion in North America have accelerated since 2014 with its creation of a subsidiary in New York and the opening of its first showroom in the US in Manhattan’s iconic Decoration & Design Building. The fact that the company already has an office, shop, logistics warehouse and staff in the US is an important indication of its commitment to consolidating its presence in this market.

Spanish outdoor furniture brand Vondom is stepping up its presence in the USA. In December 2016, it opened its third American store, following on from New York and Los Angeles. With more than 600 square metres, the new flagship is in the edgy Wynwood neighbourhood, Miami’s street-art mecca. The interiors have been designed by Spain’s Ramón Esteve. Defined by curved lines and an industrial style, the design language uses rounded corners to create continuity between the façade and the showroom inside. Circular geometries invade the space vertically and horizontally.Large cylindrical decks showcase iconic Vondom pieces. The Surf sun chaise and Vela, Bum Bum and Flat collections generate a colour-structured landscape of monochromatic islands, arranged on designer rugs created by brand designers. Round mirrors hang above the decks, reflecting these brightly-coloured items against the deep, black ceiling. Circular shelf units of differing diameters provide spatial definition and showcase the new Vondom chairs, hydraulic stools and planters, set against a mirror backdrop. A central cylinder houses the toilets, kitchen and conference room, connected to the space around it and acting as a graphic support for the brand. Customer service desks are clearly identified by backlit images of Vondom furniture collections.Outside, the strikingly colourful façade is the work of Okuda San Miguel, winner of the Miami Wall Art Project. Featuring two flamencos – one of the city’s typical icons – the effect is bold and innovative, yet elegant at the same time. Smart and sophisticated, the new showroom is set to become an obligatory hangout for lovers of Florida’s state-of-the-art design.

At the end of June, Spanish designer furniture manufacturer Vondom opened its first flagship store in Mexico. The over 900 meters of space provide a warm and elegant venue to exhibit the brand's latest designs and "Best Sellers" so that all professionals in the sector in Latin America can enjoy them. This showroom follows the trend that Vondom has been promoting for its spaces over the last two years: sustainability, elegance, subtlety, modernity, and refinement.  Its design, with a Mediterranean aesthetic, was created so that each area has its own personality, without losing the overall intended harmony. This is the beginning of Vondom Mexico, which will grow step-by-step to provide its Latin American customers with a more friendly and personalized service. A month earlier, the company opened its first Flagship Store in Toronto. Here there is awide range of collections created by international designers, such as Ramón Esteve, Teresa Sapey, Eero Aarnio, and Stefano Giovannoni, among others. The interior design of the space highlights the uniqueness and modernity of the wide variety of outdoor furniture manufactured by the company: from elegant and sophisticated dining sets to comfortable armchairs, modular sofas and sun loungers for relaxing and enjoying the sun. There are also accessories such as the new outdoor rugs made from recycled plastics, lamps, and flower pots to create a cozy atmosphere in any outdoor space. These two showrooms consolidate Vondom's presence in North America, where it already has three flagship stores in the U.S. cities of Miami, New York, and Los Angeles.

Spanish outdoor furniture and rug company Vondom opened its first flagship store in the South Korean capital of Seoul in January. The desire to enter this market lay behind the decision to open a new shop there. The store occupies over 140 sq m of retail space in the city centre, and is surrounded by cafés, libraries and shopping centres. The way both the furniture and different decorative lighting effects are displayed throughout give the space a touch of originality and sophistication. Various inviting, cosy zones in the shop entice customers to enjoy this Spanish firm’s designs over a delicious, frothy cup of coffee. Vondom plans to open new showrooms in different continents. It will begin by opening its next new shop in New York in May to coincide with the city’s design fair, ICFF. The shop is part of Vondom’s strategy of international expansion. Indeed, the firm is currently negotating setting up a subsidiary in China, where it has already established a strong presence with two warehouses and a franchise which Vondom considers key to its entry into the Asian market. What’s more, this year Vondom plans to open several showrooms in China — in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou and Xiamen. Moreover, Vondom also has its own space within the showroom of its distributor in Taiwan. Vondom grew by 15 per cent in 2013, thanks to an increase in its exports which constitute over 70 per cent of the company’s turnover.

Combined with the opening of its subsidiary in China, it reinforces Vondom’s expansion in China. In September, Valencia-based outdoor furniture company Vondom opened its first standalone shop — whose interior has been designed in a style that reflects its brand’s image by Spanish studio A-cero — in Shanghai. A-cero has created an open space furnished with pieces picked from Vondom’s collections. Its lighting includes the wireless DMX lighting system, whose cutting-edge technology creates different moods by changing colours and intensity at the touch of a smartphone or tablet. In the middle of the showroom, a 65-inch TV projects 3D videos of the company’s different collections, giving visitors an opportunity to appreciate their forms and tactile qualities. The 200m-sq store has a large shop window which showcases its latest collections, meeting rooms, offices, a storage area and a reception to provide a better customer service. This is Vondom’s first showroom in China, where it has also created its first subsidiary. And this October several Vondom franchises are opening in other cities — Shenyang, Lecong and Nanjing — while there are plans to open more in other Chinese cities. This spectacular invasion of China forms part of Vondom’s grand plan to expand into Asia, following the opening of its shop in Seoul, South Korea, where has a showroom of its distributor.  

Since it was founded in Valencia in 2006, outdoor furniture company Vondom has grown steadily and scored success after success. Zeroing in on good design and the manufacture of cutting-edge outdoor furniture, its products are ergonomic and sustainable, its materials very hard-wearing. What’s more, the company has collaborated with high-profile designers – both from Spain and from around the world – of the stature of Karim Rashid, Javier Mariscal and Ramón Esteve. Firmly committed to innovation whenever it develops new collections, Vondom has succeeded in recent years in expanding internationally into every corner of the globe. In recent months, it has concentrated specifically on the Chinese market, opening showrooms in such cities as Xi’an, Yantai, Wuxi, Suzhou and Wuhan .Another showroom has been opened in Taiwan, last March. This 220 sq m shop is located in Taipei’s New World Design Center, where all of Vondom’s latest collections are on display. The latest showroom Vondom has opened in China – last May – is in the city of Shenzhen.

A tribute to the Aztec country, with a space designed by Teresa Sapey.

The new store created by Geometrix Design is located in the "ArchiLoft” events and performance space. If you are visiting Moscow and want to see Vondom’s latest designer furniture proposals, visit their new store in the Russian capital, open since November 2020. This showroom of the Spanish company Vondom was created by the Russian interior design studio Geometrix Design and is located in the "Archiloft” public space for events and performances. This 450-square-meter complex is the result of months of hard work renovating an old power plant from the 1970s. The final space is an enchanting building with carefully preserved and restored brick walls, which in recent months has become a platform for exhibitions and cutting-edge events for technological and artistic projects, a true "creative temple" where Russian "design lovers" can enjoy themselves. Geometrix Design has been the studio in charge of creating this showroom for the Spanish brand, comprising polygonal structures that, in combination with the character conveyed by the Vondom collections, manages to create an elegant and innovative space. Russian designers have chosen interior furniture with soft lines and white tones, such as the sofas and table from the Faz collection, designed by Ramón Esteve, and the Voxel chairs, created by Karim Rashid. And to break up the polished décor, armchairs from the Stones collection in black, designed by Stefano Giovannoni, have also been incorporated.