A Christmas tree that tells a story: celebrating the human element

The MilanoDesignXmas 2024 initiative, orchestrated by the event agency TOWANT, turned the Spazio Diaz showroom into a hub of festive creativity. This event united design and innovation, challenging three studios to explore Christmas through the lens of design while reflecting the vision of their assigned Brand.

With TOWANT’s renowned expertise in curating unconventional architectural events, studios FrancescaAttolini Interior&Design, Martini & Partners, Slam Architects, and Upper West Architects unveiled their imaginative interpretations of Christmas trees, each inspired by the Brand’s creative brief and brought to life with their unique design philosophies.

Spazio Diaz: the creative brief

Spazio Diaz serves as a vibrant hub for companies supporting designers, fostering connections with the contract industry in a casual and unconventional setting. Unlike a traditional showroom, it offers a space where creations from various companies coexist as immersive installations. These installations integrate seamlessly and interact, providing inspiration and sparking new ideas. The brief for the design studios centered on storytelling, highlighting the human element that defines Spazio Diaz while granting complete creative freedom for each studio to interpret their project.

To enhance their work, the expertise, materials, and histories of partner companies were made available. These included ARTEP, known for its carpets; CARIMALI design water_space, specialists in faucets; CAFE DES ART_Bianchini, creators of distinctive furniture; CASA VALENTINA, experts in curtain systems; LUTRON, pioneers in home automation; and VALPAINT, renowned for its decorative finishes.

FrancescaAttolini Interior&Design

“Our tree is born from the shared desire to play with the theme of Christmas, merging two creative perspectives: design by Francesca Attolini and photography by Alessandro Merlo. We envisioned a tree blooming in winter, crafted from materials chosen to enhance the showroom display. At its heart is a lamp by Antonangeli—flexible and versatile—a luminous stroke that sketches the essence of a tree in space. Complementing this are wool samples from Artep carpets, which, like delicate woolen flowers, add vibrant hues as they appear to bloom from a floor draped in a cloud of wire mesh. The result is a spring-inspired Christmas tree, tangible yet ethereal, a blend of light and color that feels like a painting brought to life in the space.” explains Attolini, founder of the namesake studio specializing in interior design, renowned for its client-focused approach and, above all, its ability to elegantly craft styles that create a lasting impression on all who encounter them.

SLAM Architects

“Recycling. Transforming wallpaper into Christmas trees, or perhaps Trees for Wallpaper. Reusing. A material typically opaque and fixed to walls is reimagined into a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, with its decorative patterns accentuated in an entirely new way. The stereotype. Challenging the conventional idea of a Christmas tree by embracing it: a field of Christmas trees rendered in their most iconic form. Our approach is simple yet profound: we design for people, landscapes, and architecture. Our work reflects a deep awareness of the connection between design and individuals, materials and expression, economy and sustainability,” says SLAM Architects, a forward-thinking studio specializing in the seamless integration of architecture, landscapes, and human-centered design.

Martini & Partners

“The concept arises from a desire to merge natural elements with a sense of warmth, embodying the signature style of Martini & Partners. Featuring a tree made from palm leaves and a base crafted from Artep carpet, the design evokes an organic, soft, and inviting aesthetic. It draws inspiration from Brazilian roots and the summer ambiance of Christmas in Rio, Mari’s hometown. This project highlights our expertise in crafting harmonious, welcoming spaces through the use of natural materials, soft color palettes, and fluid forms. The tree reflects our bespoke, sustainable approach, fusing aesthetics with functionality while celebrating cultural authenticity, ” explains Martini studio, specialized in creating harmonious and timeless spaces, combining natural materials with soft, organic shapes.

Upper West

With a focus on innovation and meticulous craftsmanship, Upper West Architects delivers projects that are both intellectually engaging and aesthetically compelling.

“The concept explores the duality between a physical object and a phenomenological one. In this case, the phenomenological object—a Christmas tree—exists in perception, but the physical object is absent, replaced by an empty space. This idea is encapsulated in the name “The Vanished Tree.” In the initial concept for MilanoDesignXmas, the tree extended from the opposite side of the box. In many of our projects, we push the boundaries by designing furniture elements that transform into standalone objects. Collaborating with Cafedesart/Bianchini and Lutron, we recreated a key aspect of our philosophy: fostering a close relationship with the makers and producers. For us, this collaboration is the most rewarding part of our work in architecture and design.” says the studio.