The architecture of contemporary exhibition spaces is increasingly less an exercise in representation and increasingly the construction of an experience, in which relationships become an integral part of the brand narrative. It is from this idea that Parisotto+Formenton & partners designed the new Mario Sirtori ONE showroom in Costa Masnaga, in the province of Lecco, transforming a place dedicated to textiles into an environment open to encounter, discovery and contamination.
Inserted within the newly built extension of Mario Sirtori’s headquarters, a company specialised in the production of furnishing fabrics, the project functions both as a corporate showcase and as a relational space. The architecture translates the identity of the brand through an essential language, in which the material and chromatic richness of the textiles emerges in contrast to a rigorous architectural envelope.
Access is provided from the upper level through a large flared black metal portal that introduces a reception space dominated by a monolithic counter in light-coloured stone. The essential character of the space is interrupted by site-specific textile artworks that animate the walls with shades ranging from reds to oranges and burnt tones, anticipating the central role of textile material throughout the spatial sequence.
A large white staircase, with almost metaphysical atmospheres, leads to the lower exhibition level. Here, the architecture opens completely towards the landscape through full-height glazed surfaces that establish a continuous dialogue with the existing garden, preserved and integrated by the extension project.
The ground floor is conceived as an art gallery, an essential architectural box defined by neutral colours and a few monolithic elements in light stone. The continuous resin flooring, the exposed prefabricated beams and the concrete wall blocks create an intentionally restrained setting, becoming the ideal backdrop to enhance the tactile and chromatic variety of the fabrics on display.
The exhibition system itself is conceived as a museum display. Lightweight, custom-made supports, consisting of tubular steel easels suspended by cables, are distributed along the walls and at the centre of the space in a composition of overlaps and varying heights. The fabrics are organised into monochromatic families, generating chromatic accents that punctuate the showroom and guide the visitor’s experience. At the centre of the space, an exhibition runway hosts an installation of the same metal elements, creating a strong visual and perceptual focal point.
Alongside its exhibition function, the showroom accommodates spaces dedicated to conversation, networking and work. Two large lounge areas articulate the open space. The first, organised through modular linear sofas, extends outdoors, establishing a dialogue with a corresponding outdoor lounge arranged around the tree in the patio; the second, circular in shape, proposes a double-embrace layout that encourages interaction and encounter. A series of large tables for meetings and focused work is interspersed with low displays for fabric samples, generating subspaces that ensure privacy and concentration without ever interrupting visual continuity.
The relationship between interior and exterior is finally mediated by a light metal canopy with brise-soleil that defines a hybrid space between the indoor areas and the garden. The presence of evergreens and birch trees accompanies the showroom experience, transforming the landscape into an active element of the project. In this balance between architecture, nature and textile material, the exhibition space goes beyond the dimension of simple commercial representation and becomes an immersive environment, where fabric is not merely a product to be displayed but a material capable of constructing relationships, atmospheres and new forms of experience.
CREDITS
Project: Mario Sirtori ONE Showroom
Architects: Parisotto+Formenton & partners
Location: Costa Masnaga (LC), Italy
Year: 2026
Photography: Mario Sirtori
