Designer Tom Dixon is opening a restaurant and showroom called The Manzoni in Milan, allowing his brand to "forget being temporary and build something permanent" in the city.
The 100-cover restaurant, designed by Dixon's Design Research Studio, will open next month in time for Milan design week, which runs from 9 to 14 April.
The Manzoni, Dixon's first permanent space in continental Europe, will give the brand its own location in the city, allowing it to present products during the annual furniture fair without having to search for a temporary location every year.
The Manzoni will be Dixon's first mainland Europe outpost
"After years of doing five-day exhibitions in Milan, we finally decided that we had enough of putting such huge energy into pop-up interventions," said Dixon, who is a judge at this year's Dezeen Awards. "We wanted to look at different ways of being present in Milan." "With the city being so active and engaging right now, it is the right time to forget being temporary and build something permanent," he continued.
Located at 5 Via Manzoni, close to Milan's La Scala opera house, the venue will be fitted out with products designed by the Tom Dixon brand, including three ranges that will launch during design week: a series of upholstered chairs called Fat, the Spring series of pendant lamps, and Opal translucent globe lights.

Combining a showroom with a restaurant will create a more engaging environment for shoppers, ...