SUBSCRIBE
Facebook Instagram Youtube Linkedin Pinterest Tiktok
HomeofArchitecture_Masthead_Black

In Conversation with Molteni&C: An Italian Design Legacy Arrives in Aotearoa

Nine decades of Italian design have found a new address in Auckland. At 99 The Strand in Parnell, Home of Architecture’s digital editor Katie Delany speaks with Giovanni Molteni and Marco Piscitelli of Molteni Group about the enduring relevance of Italian craftsmanship, the evolution of a remarkable design legacy, and the significance of the brand’s first New Zealand flagship showroom.

Few names in Italian design carry the architectural legacy of Molteni&C. For more than nine decades, the heritage furniture house has occupied a distinguished position within the international architecture and design landscape, its enduring pursuit of craftsmanship, material innovation and refinement giving rise to collections that move fluidly between furniture, interiors and architecture.
 

Now, in partnership with its long-standing New Zealand representative Dawson & Co., that legacy finds a new expression in the heart of Auckland’s Parnell. The opening of Molteni&C’s first flagship showroom in Aotearoa marks a meeting of design philosophies: the precision and sophistication of Italian craftsmanship and a New Zealand architectural sensibility deeply attuned to materiality, spatial experience and the relationship between architecture and interiors.

Seated on the sweeping curves of the Augusto sofa, designed by Vincent Van Duysen, in the centre of the new showroom, Giovanni Molteni and Marco Piscitelli appear remarkably at ease, despite having arrived in Auckland only hours earlier. Perhaps it is unsurprising. With more than 130 flagship stores spanning six continents, the pair are accustomed to finding something familiar in distant cities: a distinctive design language that transcends geography, and a continuity of craftsmanship and heritage that remains unmistakably Molteni&C.
 

“We see the opening of a flagship as a way to communicate our values. To be in the right location, in all major cities in the world, we can inspire the Italian culture of quality living,” Marco explains. “We want to be seen not just as a company creating beautiful products, but a company able to build a coherent, valuable environment through quality, materiality and colour, throughout the world.”

It is a philosophy that extends well beyond the individual object. Since its establishment in 1934, Molteni&C has cultivated a revered approach to design, one that draws on the traditions of Italian furniture-making while embracing the possibilities of technological innovation. Its collections bring together some of the most influential names in contemporary architecture and design, including Vincent Van Duysen, Foster + Partners and Patricia Urquiola, alongside archival works by figures such as Gio Ponti and Tobia Scarpa.
 
What emerges is an evolving expression of Italian design culture, where the experimental and the enduring coexist with an almost effortless sense of continuity.
 

“Craftsmanship is in our DNA, but our brand is constantly evolving with the times, mixing new technology and innovation with our past. You can feel our identity when you walk into our store, either Palazzo Molteni in Milan or here in Auckland, because we try to build an experience, not just a furniture store,” Giovanni explains.

“Our historical pieces, many of which are still modern, such as those by Gio Ponti and Carlo Scarpa, are still our bestsellers, and hold on to the pillars of our tradition as a brand.
 
“Molteni&C holds onto these values, not just because we’re the third generation of the family, but we’re the third generation of workers, passing our knowledge down through the decades, focusing on craftsmanship, innovation, and the evolution of our brand.”
 
That intergenerational exchange of knowledge is perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of the Molteni&C story. While the brand’s visual language has evolved over almost a century, its foundations remain remarkably consistent: an understanding of material, an appreciation of the human hand and an enduring belief in the possibilities of design to shape the spaces we inhabit.
Across the Auckland showroom, these ideas find tangible expression in a carefully composed collection of contemporary systems and archival pieces. Vincent Van Duysen’s Hector shelving system and the 505 Up modular system by Nicola Gallizia demonstrate the brand’s command of adaptable, architectural design, where precision and flexibility are brought into considered balance.
 
Elsewhere, Tobia Scarpa’s Monk Chairs gather around Christophe Delcourt’s Lise Table, its richly veined green alpine marble surface resting upon a polished steel structure. The composition is quietly arresting: the expressive character of natural stone meeting the precision of metal, while the sculptural forms of the chairs introduce another layer of material and historical dialogue.
 

It is in these relationships that the strength of Molteni&C’s approach becomes most apparent. Rather than presenting historic and contemporary design as distinct moments, the showroom allows them to inhabit the same architectural language, revealing the extraordinary relevance of pieces conceived decades apart. Material, proportion and craftsmanship become the common threads, giving the space a sense of cohesion that is at once richly layered and distinctly restrained.

The official opening brought Auckland’s architecture and design community together for an evening of celebration, with guests moving between the showroom’s curated settings, discovering the collections over bubbles and canapés. Beyond the occasion itself, however, the arrival of a dedicated Molteni&C flagship signals something more significant: an opportunity for New Zealand architects, interior designers and their clients to engage with the breadth of the brand’s design philosophy in an environment conceived around the experience of living.
 
For Giovanni and Marco, the decision to establish a flagship in Auckland is as much about the people and architectural culture of New Zealand as it is about the furniture itself.
 

“The opening of this showroom is important because the potential of this market is huge. I’m in love with this country, I love the people, and I love the attitude towards beautiful things. We create beautiful things, so there are lots of dots to be connected with us.

“We have been lucky to find the right partner, and the timing is right, with New Zealand’s innovative architecture community,” says Marco. “I believe we can be of great support, giving this beautiful country a small piece of beauty from our country.”
 
There is something particularly fitting about this meeting of two design cultures, separated by geography but connected by a shared appreciation for material authenticity, craftsmanship and the relationship between architecture and daily life.
 

For Molteni&C, Auckland represents another chapter in a story almost a century in the making. For New Zealand’s architecture and design community, it offers a new opportunity to experience that legacy firsthand: not simply through individual pieces, but through the carefully considered environments in which they come together.

Molteni&C is represented by Dawson & Co. in New Zealand. Visit their showroom at 99 The Strand, Parnell, or explore the range online.

Images Simon Devitt

Latest video features

SHIFT HOUSE BY STUDIO2 ARCHITECTS

In the Coromandel, a home with a humble profile and a thoughtful design makes the most of a stunning location.

Terrace Edge by Anna-Marie Chin Architects

Built with awe-inspiring attention to detail, this Arrowtown home is a fresh interpretation of a familiar Otago rural vernacular.

The Dart by Studio John Irving Architects

This sculptural Northland bach is a perfect north arrow on a remote farm high above the sea.

Zonnebries by Strachan Group Architects

With the sun on its bow and the community at its stern, this is a house in which the elements are always front of mind.

Trending articles
Homes

Harapaki House by Piper Architects

A sequence of arches traces the evolution of this 1940s brick-and-tile home, leading from its original rooms to a generous, light-filled extension.