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SALONE DEL MOBILE MILANO
A CITY TOUR IN MINIATURE

Once again this year, the Milan Furniture Fair became a magnet for hundreds of thousands of furniture enthusiasts and lovers of superb design from all over the world – and so it was the ideal platform for our latest creation, Rolf Benz ALMA. The ALMA range of lounge furniture, designed by Beck Design, provides an almost weightless sitting sensation, and its puristic design and filigree legs give it the illusion of airy lightness.

We wanted Rolf Benz ALMA to attract the attention it deserves outside the exhibition area of the legendary Salone del Mobile as well as inside, so we came up with a neat idea: we devised a meticulously accurate scale model of Rolf Benz ALMA on a scale of 1:10, and set about finding the most beautiful photo locations in this huge city in Lombardy with its millions of inhabitants.  We found just what we were looking for. 

First photo stop: Fontana di Piazza Castello. This picturesque fountain in the north-western part of the old city lies directly in front of the main entrance to the impressive Castello Sforzesco – it’s a perfect place for both old and young to relax. Our practical pocket-sized ALMA seating furniture was set up in a flash, and within minutes it had become a popular subject for photos, stealing the show from the lovely fountain. The mighty castle, constructed from 1450 on the ruins of the Visconti family fortress, became almost insignificant in comparison!

Next stop: Largo Maria Callas – an idyllic small square with attractive shops not far from the castle, a great tribute to the famous soprano after whom the square is named. Here again, our charming mini model attracted the attention of passers-by, capturing their hearts.

On we went to the Casa Feltrinelli Porta Volta. This multi-functional building belonging to the Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation houses a library, a bookshop, a café, and space for exhibitions, events and offices. It has spectacular eye-catching glass windows. This impressive building was designed by the Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron, whose Elbphilharmonie cultural centre recently grabbed the headlines all over the world.

And talking of sensations: people were so thrilled to see our “mini ALMA” against the majestic backdrop of Milan Cathedral – the third-largest church building in the world – that some image-hunters were kneeling down on the ground to get the perfect shot. We’re convinced that it’s sometimes the small things that spark the greatest excitement. Even on the fringes of the most significant furniture fair in the world.