Inspiration: The Excelsior Milan

Now, dear readers is a guest post from Lisa

We now have (another) reason to visit Milan. The Excelsior Milano was debuted at Vogue’s Fashion Night Out recently, and it has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue, from architects to interior designers.

World-famous architect, Jean Nouvel, designed both the façade and the interior of the seven story, fashion house. Located in the city’s Galleria del Corso, the concept store is housed in an old Milan Excelsior Cinema.

The façade alone will doubtlessly become a staple of Milan architecture, it’s glazed aluminum-slated exterior absolutely pervading the Galleria del Corso. LED screens project fractured images, revealed only in rows by the aluminum slates. The exterior retains the spirit of the old movie theater by displaying classic movie posters on rotating display on the LED screens.

The interior is just as impressive as the exterior. Mimicking a spacious art gallery, the paint has a twinge of sheen that bounces off the LED screens, creating glossy purple and atomic pink reflections. The ground floor flaunts LaDuree macaroons, the sophisticated L’Olfattorio parfume bar, and Tiffany & Co. EAT, a food store and bar at the Excelsior Milan, will occasionally host world renowned guest chefs.

As for Nouvel, he has plans for other projects all around the globe, mostly rescuing forgotten landmarks, much like the old Milano theater.

Lisa is a guest blogger who specializes in Austin homes for sale and real estate in addition to interior design. Her guilty pleasures include drafting house plans and urging her clients to construct outlandish bathroom vanities (because every girl need a great bathroom!).