You can tell a true globetrotter by the passion for the places they choose to visit. Yes, because there’s a right way and a wrong way of travelling and a great difference between the two! True travellers are not just tourists: passionate and curious, always seeking something new, they keenly keep a low profile to blend into the new environment as much as possible.
Contemporary travellers are always after destinations that are not necessarily unusual, but feature attractions that stimulate their curiosity. For example, design is a trending topic in travel searches by modern globetrotters, who, now more than ever, keep an eye out for trends in terms of style, architecture and interior decoration.
Discovering a place, a country, a town, means embracing its shapes, delving into its streets and losing oneself in its squares. Forgetting maps and sat-navs to lose oneself in the mysterious charm of the great metropolitan chaos. According to a renowned Italian architect, “A town is not designed, it simply creates itself. Just listen to it, because a town is the reflection of many stories”. These are the words of Renzo Piano, who with the simplicity of great men, outlines in a few words the mission of those who travel in pursuit of design destinations: seeing and listening.
Design is the beating heart of every great cosmopolitan city: their skyline make them immediately recognisable and their buildings are examples of contemporary architecture known all over the world. Places that are alive 24/7, where creativity meets innovation, with a nod to history. The design capitals are primarily that: towns with an eye on people’s desires and environmentally-friendly, built by the genius of architects and designers who have turned them into destinations for culture and entertainment. In this regard, Europe is in no way inferior to the US and the Far East and, on the contrary, it proudly boasts its showpieces: Berlin, London and Milan are three examples of European destinations that design-lovers really cannot miss.
Berlin
It’s the cool heart of Europe: the city that, more than any other, has to deal with a troublesome past, gets a new lease of life and shows new views of itself every day. Berlin is a city that knows how to reinvent itself – it is able to open its doors to innovation thanks to an extraordinary ability to adapt and an open mindset. A place with countless facets: modern and unconventional, yet romantic and relaxing, with new spaces that blend in with existing ones, enhancing their charm. This is where the KaDeWe shopping centre was built in 2016: SM Marble was used in different shades, combined in strips, in the women’s department designed by French designer India Mahdavi. The result is a spectacular flooring in strips with alternating colours reminiscent of the catwalks of fashion shows, but also walls and interior design items that confirm the versatility of this material.
Milan
“The Italian capital of fashion and design” has one virtue: the ability to shrug off this all too easily applied label, the one that has been used to describe it for countless years. While being true, it’s not enough. To understand and experience Milan, one needs to understand the huge commitment of this city to worshipping beauty, innovation and design. Museums, events, dynamic and constantly-evolving spaces are Milan’s beating heart, which does not just belong to the Milanese, but to its visitors, who are welcomed, attracted and drawn into the city’s pleasant frenzy. The Unicredit Bank building is located in the quintessentially Milanese Piazza Pordusio: the wall of the hall, 4 metres high and 30 metres long, features Santamargherita products, in special colours and sizes that enhance their brilliance and make them decorative while providing perfect white walls for screenings.
London
Always at the forefront of anything related to style and design, London firmly reigns supreme over European design thanks to the whirling rhythm that combines innovation, research and style. Without considering the countless special events and festivals, the atmosphere is always cosmopolitan, even when taking a stroll in the boroughs featuring Victorian architecture and coolness abounds in every corner. In short, London is the fusion city par excellence, the beating heart that melts together different cultures, music, art, fashion and architecture.
The glittering city is home to a Jigsaw shop, the large UK luxury retailer with shops all over the country. The project was designed by Dalziel & Pow: the architects chose Santamargherita’s SM Marble – Arabescato Bianco and used it on the floor and walls. The ambiance of the premises perfectly expresses London’s ultra-modern style: open to cross-breeding, dynamic and oh so cool!
The Editor