Milan 08: material producers Dupont Corian and Italian fabric and homeware manufacturers Missoni Home teamed up to present Corian Loves Missoni at Corian Design's Milan showroom.

Rosita Missoni of Missoni Home used different coloured Corian to create her trademark stripes and patterns using the material.

Furniture included portable cube-shaped stools made from transluscent Corian, carved with a wave pattern and illuminated from within.

The Bolt pattern on the rotating dining table (above) was routed from Corian and filled in with black resin.

The floor mat (shown above) is made from squares of Corian assembled using metal pins.

Here's some more information from Corian Loves Missoni:

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“CORIAN® loves MISSONI”

Iconic design material meets world-class master in colour and style

15 - 21 April, 2008: "Corian® Design - Milano Store", via San Nicolao 4, Milan

What happens when you combine a global star among design and architecture materials with a world-class master in colour and style ? The result is one of the most inspiring events of the design week taking place in Milan, a project filled with sunny personality and ironic imaginative spirit.

“CORIAN® loves MISSONI” is an exhibition that creates a visionary residential interior - emotionally warm, enticing and visually inspiring - expressing the design versatility of DuPont™ Corian® solid surfaces through the style of Missoni. The interior environments of “CORIAN® loves MISSONI” are at once rational and essential, yet rich in colour, taste and imagination, reflecting the extraordinary creativity and the skills in colour research and combination that have made the Missoni style so unique and distinctive since the 60’s.

Rosita and Luca Missoni have created elegant chromatic associations enhancing the expressive potential of the colours of DuPont™ Corian® and have conceived a variety of decorative effects playing with different technologies for the surface treatment of DuPont™ Corian®, such as sublimation printing and carving with advanced machine-tooling techniques.

Art directed by Rosita Missoni and supervised by her son Luca Missoni, the project “CORIAN® loves MISSONI” is strongly characterized by MissoniHome patterns, unexpected colour combinations and iconic design pieces that reflect the company’s strong tradition of textile and fashion design.

A tour around “CORIAN® loves MISSONI”

“CORIAN® loves MISSONI” interior design project is a loft-style apartment (extending over the two floors of the "Corian® Design - Milano Store” showroom) with a series of functional “rooms” - an entrance area, reception, hallway, dining room and kitchen on the ground floor and living room, bathroom and bedroom on the lower floor.

Entrance area (ground floor)

The entrance area of “CORIAN® loves MISSONI” signposts the fusion of the two protagonists with two multi-coloured design statements that communicate the textile and fashion roots of Missoni.

One side, the titanic “Ball of Yarn” - a 2m diameter circular structure consisting of thin, curved strips in twelve colours of DuPont™ Corian®. Opposite to it, another “sculptural” installation captures the eye: the giant, 2m-high, “Spool”, made of DuPont™ Corian®

Nocturne (an elegant, solid black colour), bears colourful ropes of thick yarn. This textile theme is echoed by the shelving unit in DuPont™ Corian® Nocturne next to the reception desk, which is filled with bolts of yarn.

The flooring beneath both the “Ball of Yarn” and the “Spool” is also made with DuPont™ Corian® (Cameo White and Nocturne colours) and features a pattern designed by Missoni. In these flooring surfaces, the Missoni pattern has been created rythmically inserting in the “background colour” a series of small squares of contrasting colour (glossy background finish and white matt squares for the “Spool”, white background matt finish and glossy black squares for the "Ball of Yarn").

This flooring solution is made with a patented two-layer framework developed by Listone Giordano, a solution that optimizes the use of DuPont™ Corian® as a flooring material. Eleven colours of the “Ball of Yarn” are picked up in a wall-panelling in DuPont™ Corian® reproducing a pattern of the MissoniHome collection. With the application of Corian® on Corian®, 7cm-wide coloured strips on a background in DuPont™ Corian® Glacier White, the wall delivers a new three-dimensional effect.

Reception (ground floor)

The reception area is dominated by the striking MissoniHome “Bolt” pattern, stencilled on the back-wall of the reception. The desk and the containers demonstrate the richness and vivid intensity offered by the colour palette of DuPont™ Corian®, with Bougainvillea and Mandarin combined with classic Cameo White. Hanging above the reception desk are two “Nur” lights by Artemide in aluminium, which have been personalised for this project with orange-painted interiors.

Hallway (ground floor)

Opposite the reception desk is a hallway area dedicated to showcasing the five new translucent colours of DuPont™ Corian® - Glacier Ice, Strawberry Ice, Blueberry Ice, Mint Ice and Lime Ice – which take on an enhanced luminosity when back-lit. The area features five cubic stools made in each of the five translucent colours of DuPont™ Corian®. Contrasting with tops featuring a smooth surface, the sides of these stools have been carved with “Onda” (Wave) pattern by MissoniHome, which is also repeated, on a larger scale, on the back-wall in pale green DuPont™ Corian® Mint Ice.

The cubic stools are lit from within by an LCD system developed by Artemide, run from rechargeable batteries, making them totally wireless and mobile.

On the wall, a backlit circular curved fixture made in translucent DuPont™ Corian® Mint Ice is engraved with the “Esmeraldas” pattern allowing lights to elegantly diffuse with varying intensity.

“Mareeba” distinctive, black and white fringed curtain by MissoniHome interweaves throughout the space, dividing areas and giving enticing hints of what is to come, as flashes of colour find their way through.

A recurring element in this area and around the whole exhibition, mirrors contribute to the mosaic-effect of the spaces, as different patterns, colours and textures are reflected and juxtaposed.

Dining room (ground floor)

The dining room is “framed” by two large rectangular pillars in DuPont™ Corian® Bougainvillea. These decorative panels - like many others across the whole exhibition -feature an invisibile audio system by Esarc Hi-Tech, based on acoustic actuators. Thanks to the acoustic actuators of Esarc Hi-Tech applied to the reverse of panels in DuPont™ Corian®, sound is generated without the use of speakers. Within these pillars, a dining table entirely made in DuPont™ Corian® is another jewel of “CORIAN® loves MISSONI” project. Consisting of a swivel top in which both the central circle and outer ring rotate like a “lazy Susan”, the top features the striking MissoniHome “Bolt” pattern, and has been machined in order to emphasise the three-dimensional nature of DuPont™ Corian®: carved into translucent DuPont™ Corian® Glacier Ice, the pattern is filled with black resin, giving it a “jelly-like density”. DuPont™ Corian® Claret - a new, deep, warm plum colour - has been used to create the central circle and the edge of the table, while the base in Cameo White and Nocturne colours of DuPont™ Corian® echoes the giant “Spool” at the entrance. Around the table are contemporary “Ripple” chairs of Moroso.

Above the table, DuPont™ Corian® proves once again it can become "everything". Designed by Rosita Missoni, the chandelier features an over-sized central white metallic cylinder with embedded LEDs, diffusing light down onto the suspended letters of “MISSONI”, made in DuPont™ Corian® Glacier Ice in varying sizes. Echoing the aesthetics of the table, the MissoniHome “Bolt” pattern is stencilled on the wall behind, in a larger scale.

Kitchen (ground floor)

The kitchen area is characterised by MissoniHome “Pois” pattern, which is used in two ways: on the wall in DuPont™ Corian®, the large-scale black-out-of-white pattern draws the eye to the central point of the kitchen, while a smaller, negative version of the pattern appears on the sides of Boffi’s “K2” kitchen island by means of sublimation printing on DuPont™ Corian®. Boffi’s “K2” kitchen has been customised to include the pattern on the sides in DuPont™ Corian® Cameo White and a worktop in DuPont™ Corian® Claret. The Claret colour is also used to punctuate the wall with a long shelf. Moroso’s “Fjiord” chairs nicely complement the environment while a series of beautiful and colourful decorative objects in DuPont™ Corian® – featuring patterns from MissoniHome – is displayed throughout the kitchen area.

Living room (lower floor)

Descending to the lower floor, visitors find themselves in the living room area where they are surrounded by a combination of multi-coloured and monochrome forms. The “Relaxer” chair and “Wengen” rug by MissoniHome are set against a large backlit screen: a wonder in terms of both aesthetics and technology. Made in DuPont™ Corian® Glacier White and carved with the “Esmeraldas” pattern from MissoniHome, the four parts of this screen are slim boxes illuminated using Artemide’s “My White Light” system, integrating RGBs and LCDs, to give different coloured lights and varying shades of white light, from warm to cool.

The two low tables in the living room space feature bases in DuPont™ Corian®, created using a new assembling technique reminiscent of mosaics: small rectangular elements in DuPont™ Corian® in black and white colours (Glacier White and Nocturne) are jointed together with metal rods to create a sort of “flexible surface”.

Bathroom (lower floor)

The same small elements and assembling technique are used for the wonderful floormat reproducing the stripe motif “Estelle” by MissoniHome via the combination of hundreds of elements in DuPont™ Corian® in Grape Green, Glacier White, Nocturne, Summer Sky, Hot and Claret colours. The “Estelle” pattern is adopted also in the two “PHC” cylindrical vanities by Boffi. Emerging as one of the eye-catchers in the project, a large, elegantly curved screen in DuPont™ Corian® Nocturne creates the scene for the freestanding bathtub “Po” by Boffi in DuPont™ Corian® Glacier White. The screen features the “Esmeraldas” pattern by MissoniHome, created perforating DuPont™ Corian® using advanced tooling techniques.

Matching the design combination of the bathroom floor mat, the shower is another colourful surprise made with strips of DuPont™ Corian® combined to form a continuous and seamless structure. The shower area also features a significant technological innovation: a radiator made with black and white stripes of DuPont™ Corian® adopting a special technique devised to exploit the conductive qualities of DuPont™ Corian®. This innovative radiator – incorporating an advanced heating fabric between two layers of the material - is the result of the collaboration between the research and development teams of Zehnder Group/Runtal and DuPont. A number of large round plates in DuPont™ Corian®, fully perforated with the “Esmeraldas” pattern by MissoniHome, complement the colourful decoration.

Bedroom (lower floor)

A 3.7 metre long screen made with DuPont™ Corian® Glacier White, curved with the same pattern and technique as for the bathroom area, surrounds the bedroom area, complemented by “Tiamat” round bed from the MissoniHome Collection. The backlit screen provides a fascinating backdrop to the room, creating interesting shadows across the ceiling. On the floor, the “Wengen” rug by MissoniHome is a further elegant ingredient of this room’s environment. The suspended lamp Castore by Artemide provides an additional decorative light to the bedroom.

“CORIAN® loves MISSONI” according to Rosita Missoni

“Corian® is a material with extraordinary characteristics that, in my opinion, make it unique. I chose it a few years ago for my homes and now for Missoni Hotels. I was initially attracted by the “silky” feel of this material combined with its excellent durability and resistance to stains and scuffs. I later discovered the priceless possibility of making seams invisible to the naked eye.

I believe that colour is a vital ingredient. I was seduced by the density of its dark colors (Claret, Nocturne and Hot) and its lighter shades (Summer Sky, Grape Green, Mandarin, Bougainvillea and Cameo White) as well as by the brightness and translucency of the pale tones (Mint Ice, Lime Ice, Glacier Ice, Strawberry Ice and Blueberry Ice).

Using a special technique, we have woven multicolored striped patterns and designed floors by playing with geometrical black and white shapes with a positive/negative effect. We also enjoyed trying different techniques, including sublimation, inlays, engraving, perforation and bas-relief, with highly decorative, fun and pleasing results.”

Luca Missoni’s thoughts on “CORIAN® loves MISSONI”

“Corian® is a new generation material that has surprising properties for working with. One particularly incredible feature is that it is possible to join and inlay pieces of the same color without leaving visible the slightest seam. Corian® also makes it possible to create large pieces that look like they’ve been made from a single piece of fabric. This highlights the sensation of the material and creates a perception of soft surfaces.

There’s a huge range of colors to choose from, making it possible to create increasingly individual combinations. Color is the primary and essential ingredient of our designs, and the shades available today of this material have allowed us to create a look that is uniquely Missoni.

The new opalescent tones combined with the technical properties of Corian® make it possible to investigate new directions in scintillating furnishing elements. The possibility of creating relief finishes in the fabric by varying the thicknesses of these elements has meant we’ve been able to apply our hallmark patterns in three dimensions, creating a look reminiscent of a hologram.”

Art Direction: Rosita Missoni; supervision: Luca Missoni
Organizer/sponsor: DuPont™ Corian®
General project: MISSONI
Project manager: Arch. Massimo Fucci, DuPont™ Corian®
Partners:
Artemide (lighting solutions)
Boffi (kitchen and bathroom)
Listone Giordano (flooring systems)
Moroso (furnishing)
Zehnder Group/Runtal (radiator technology)
Hasenkopf (fabrication of DuPont™ Corian®)
TechLab Italia (fabrication of DuPont™ Corian®)
Esarc Hi-Tech (invisible audio systems)
Antica Gelateria del Corso/Nestlé (decorative ice cream compositions)