Milan Preview: Dada - Design Bureau

GIUSSANO MOLTENI FABBRICA MOBILI MOLTENI ANDREA -

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Milan Preview: Dada

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014

ANDREA MOLTENI, Owner

Considering that his family runs the Molteni Group, an 80-year-old institution comprised of Molteni & C, Unifor, Citterio, and Dada, Andrea Molteni has attended the Salone for as long as he can remember. “I was probably carried there as a baby,” he says. He’s been actively involved in the fair for more than 15 years, and while he studied architecture, he helped design the Dada exhibition stand. This year, the Molteni Group will present new designs for both Molteni & C and Dada, and for the latter, he says we can expect an update on the brand’s most successful kitchen models, the Vela.

Having been immersed in the design community for his entire life, Molteni has a perspective that is steeped in history, and his knowledge of Milan is plentiful. “It’s a city where it’s possible to find almost any kind of material manufacturer, from wood specialists to glass companies to metal fabricators and aluminum specialists in a very small area,” he says. “The know-how is incredibly high.”

Dada was founded by the Garavaglia brothers in 1937 and joined the Molteni Group in 1979. In 2007, the brand partnered with Giorgio Armani to create a new generation of kitchen furnishings called Armani/Dada, which served as the main focus for the company at last year’s fair.

How would you describe the Salone experience?

For a first-time visitor, it can be a little bit daunting. The size of the fair grounds, the dimensions of the stands, the number of exhibitors, and the huge crowds make for an incredible scene. But there are so many things to see and experience both at the fairgrounds and in the city with all the most important design brands showing their excellence. For whoever is passionate about design, art, or architecture, it’s surely an event that can’t be missed.

Tell me about the last time Dada showed at the Salone.

Last year, Dada’s presentation was focused mainly on two new products: one was the updated version of an iconic piece, the Banco model kitchen, which is composed of an aluminum structural element with cabinets that hang from it. The second product that we presented was the latest kitchen borne from our collaboration with the Armani Group, the exclusive Slide, which has elegant design and stunning marble sliding elements that reveal the cooking area.

What’s Milan like outside of the actual fair? Does Dada have anything special planned in that regard?

We always have side activities in the city center, the now famous Fuori Salone, which translates to “outside salone,” which livens up the whole city during the days and evenings of the Salone with happenings and exhibitions in showrooms, art galleries, and temporary spaces. This year, Dada will present its new products both at the Salone and at our showroom in downtown Milano, where we will host our guests during the evening’s events.