Colnaghi Art Gallery, London. Some things are better with age

One of the oldest galleries in the world Colnaghi was originally founded in 18th Century London, dealing exclusively with works by the Old Masters. When the gallery recently moved from its previous address on Bond St. the design of the interiors was entrusted to Diego Fortunato.

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Getting the right balance and providing a contemporary space for an institution that specialises in classical art was a delicate challenge but Fortunato who is an industrial designer and also the creative director for Colnaghi introduced antique elements combined with modern icons.

One of which is the table top version of the Mayfair lamp, inspired by the antique bouillotte lamp that features a metal shade supported on a slim metal column.

The gold version provides a luxurious addition to the monochrome color scheme used throughout the interior.

The overall project consisted of the provision of a gallery space, offices and a consultation library accommodated within a suite of rooms over the top three floors of 27 Bury St. Fortunato designed the Mayfair collection for Vibia and its sensibility is visible throughout this project which mixes references from the palace of Versailles, such as the parquet flooring with a pristine modern spiral stair intervention whose organic form contrasts beautifully with the rigidity of the modular shelving and flooring of the library space.

The project reflects the possibilities of modern craftsmanship applied to age-old references, a bit like the Mayfair collection itself.

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