On the occasion of Made in Italy National Day, the Italian Embassy in Tokyo will open to the public on 15 April the “House of Italian Design”, the first permanent exhibition of Italian industrial design in an Italian embassy abroad. The initiative, requested by Ambassador Gianluigi Benedetti and curated by architects Matteo Belfiore and Valentina Cannava (MB-AA), has been realised in collaboration with the Association of Industrial Design (ADI) and with the valuable contribution of more than 20 Italian companies.

The exhibition, which opened on 12 March, is set up in the open spaces of the Chancellery (entrance, atrium, and hall), which was renovated in 2005 to a design by architect Gae Aulenti. The exhibition includes a selection of iconic objects and furnishings, some of which have been awarded the prestigious Compasso d’Oro. The layout has been designed so that the rooms can be easily configured to suit the different needs of the Embassy.

The first room is dedicated to automotive design, combining design components for four and two wheels. The totems, made by Graniti Fiandre, are covered with the innovative 6 mm Maximum Uni Ice Active slabs and contain the Brembo Upgrade Gt Braking System disc brake, the Pirelli P-Zero (PZ4) tire, the Piaggio Vespa Primavera bracket and the Oz Rally Racing rim. The adjoining room contains lockers specially made by Shukoh, a Japanese company with an Italian soul. They are painted in the characteristic red-brown RAL3011 colour that characterises the façade of the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo and recalls the colour of refined Japanese lacquer. The famous De Rosa bicycle is also displayed at the entrance.

The foyer that welcomes guests in a warm waiting area features Cassina’s Flat cabinet, on which the scale model of the Ferrari Daytona SP3 rests, and Artemide’s iconic Come Together lamp. The modular sliding curtain by I-Mesh closes the space and marks the passage to the consular offices. The Multichair armchair by B-Line and the Ginger chair by Poltrona Frau create a small meeting area, completed by the Nuvola Rossa bookcase by Cassina and scale models of Lamborghini cars designed by Centro Stile, the Maserati MC20 and the Ducati Panigale V4.

The Salone is a multifunctional space that, thanks to the lightness of its furnishings, can be configured in many different ways, making it possible to hold meetings, press conferences, and seminars, as well as promotional and cultural events in the meeting room. The Flipper tables by Unifor (Compasso d’Oro ADI 1998), the Close chairs by Quadrifoglio Group, the Componibili cabinet by Kartell, the Touch Down unit by Unifor, combined with the Dedica coffee machine by De Longhi, create a fully equipped work area.

On the opposite side of the room, two relaxation areas welcome guests. The first comprises the Intervista sofa and armchairs by Poltrona Frau, the D.555.1 coffee table by Molteni, and the Luminator lamp by FontanaArte. In the background, the Contemporary tapestry by I-Mesh. The second, more informal, is made up of the Bardi Bowl chair by Arper and the Filinea armchairs by La Cividina, the Arco lamp by Flos (Compasso d’Oro ADI 2020), and the CF bookcase by Unifor.