2018 CONTENT IN ENGLISH 81 ESiC: In your studio, you also design your own creations. How do you understand the creative process? NC: If you are a creative person, you are creative in every aspect of your life. I need to find an outlet for my creativity through other disciplines: painting a picture, playing an in- strument, or designing an object. As an architect, designing furniture comes more naturally than composing a sympho- ny. I design many objects. When designing I use the tools I have at my disposal at HUNICA, from the idea, the virtual model, the visualization, all the way to the construction of the actual prototypes. Everybody is welcomed to use our know-how and the tools we have if they want to develop a new product or project. ESiC: In your opinion, what role does lighting play in this process? NC: One day, a friend, who is a lighting designer, intro- duced me to lighting and from then on I was hooked; as he puts it, light traps you. I love it, it’s a field of incred- ible potential. It is one of the most technological areas of the architectural project and for an innovator that is very exciting. The more I work with light, the more I like it; a designer can change the atmosphere of a space in a second creating unique experiences for the user. Indus- try must keep up with them by introducing new products into the market which can offer technical solutions to an area that is becoming more specialized and complex. If designers and industry would get together, they could create innovative solutions. From HUNICA, we have the tools needed for them to speak the same language at the meeting table. ESiC: In the world of design and architecture, who has influenced you? NC: As architects, we have referents; as designers, we have favorites and as lighting designers, some that leave us speechless. But I prefer not to speak of specific influences, I strive to have a broad outlook on reality and when I am interested in an area, this helps me get an idea of the standard and recognize those who are brilliant. Each week I am surprised with a new idol. I believe in the unknown hero, the obscure genius. While analyzing other sectors, I realized that the automo- bile industry, for example, has mastered to perfection the user’s experience. A car has to be well designed technolog- ically and work properly, but more is needed. That special touch is what ends up interesting the costumer and spark- ing in him/her the desire to own it. It’s the same with a big company that used to buy computers and now sells mobile phones; they basically sell an experience to the costumer. Their products work fine but they are better at communi- cating the magic behind them. In architecture, design and lighting, the project is good and so is the technical solution. We just need a special touch to create the magic; to generate desire. THE 57TH EDITION OF THE ‘SALONE DEL MOBILE’ IN MILAN BRINGS NATURE TO HOMES AND DESIGN TO THE WHOLE CITY Excitement, entrepreneurship, quality and culture are the key words of the first manifesto of ‘Salone del Mobile’ in Milan. It opens doors from the 17 to the 22 of April with two clear chal- lenges: Turn the city of Milan into the great museum of innovation and re- gain contact with nature. Living Nature is one of the many innovations offered for the enjoyment of the more than 300.000 visitors who come every year to keep their date with the city of design. The Natura dell’Abitare, an impressive installation developed with Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), explores the connection between nature and urban living, through temperature control and the possibility of bringing the seasons of the year into the homes. About the installation, to be set up in front of the Palazzo Reale, Claudio Luti, president of Salone del Mobile, emphasized in his statement to iCandela, the importance of creating with a sustainable future in mind, not only for the fair but for the city of Milan as well. In his words: “Energy control does not only apply to consumption in homes but also to the possibility of experimenting nature in different ways and sending our message for the future.” During the press conference at the Salone del Mobile in the Università de Bocconi, Claudio Luti, emphasized the promi- nent presence that the center of the city will have this year. Here, two important events will take place on the inaugu- ration day and the closure of the Salone de Mobile: “The Salone is liquid”, he said. And so is young design which has in Salone Satellite its primary platform, and the more alter- native Fuorisalone, the other lighthearted face of the fair. However, the founder and director of Salone Satellite, Marva Griffin, cautioned on the growing lack of control in this parallel fair: “The goal of Salone Satellite is for young people to have an opportunity to show their designs to the industry so they can manufacture them. In my opinion, the Fuorisalone is getting out of hand due to a lack of control and it is falling in disrepute”, she assured to iCandela. Of the 2.000 companies participating on this edition of the fair (30% of which are international from 164 countries), some have already previewed their novelties at the pre- Salone, held last February. Among them was Lema who announced its arrival in Spain with the opening of a store in Madrid, and Antonio Lupi who presented his new bath- room mirrors with integrated LEDs. Lorenza Luti, market- ing director of Kartell, was also present, and even though she didn’t present innovations she revealed that Kartell will continue to explore the four families of luminaries launched by the company at the last Euroluce, as the Ka- buki series but in a reduced version. The designer Piero Lisoni used to say that Milan has the power to connect dissimilar universes; what better proof that a Salone del Mobile, which is art, culture, innovation and above all, design. Living Nature. La Natura dell’Abitare is an installation located in the Piazza del Duomo, which explores the connec- tion between nature and urban living through temperature control and the possibility of bringing the sea- sons of the year into the homes. Some of the participating companies already previewed their innovations at the Salone del Mobile, among them was Lema who will enter the Spanish market with a new store in Madrid.