Words on an unconventional project
Which came first, design or architecture?
Historically speaking, architecture. Caves were our first dwellings, and purely functional interior design followed soon after. However, by pre-Roman times, a keen aesthetic sense had already developed. Painting, for example, was a way to narrate mythological stories.
We cannot ignore the concept of the container when we think of content, they go hand in hand. This is why q-bic works on both. Design and architecture have evolved in parallel since ancient times, and they will continue to do so. Despite the fact that —from a professional standpoint— in other cultures the two branches have separated, these two disciplines cannot but converse with one another, in a continuous interplay of full versus empty, light and shadow, function and aesthetics.
Exploring the concept of container and content, the vessel and what it contains, we see that one cannot exist without the other.
How did your passion for design develop?
Over the years we delved deeper and deeper into design and its declinations, with an intense focus on the concept of the “container,” architecture and possible functions and uses of space.
What captures our interest is design from a 360° perspective. For us that means everything, this idea directs our work. Unlike other studios, we are not interested in specializing: we feed on novelty, always working in the same field can become sterile.
For example, we worked on certain projects for restaurants which were so successful that we were asked to replicate our designs. We do not believe this is the right approach: different clients, spaces and locations require ad hoc ideas. We prefer to create a completely new, never-before-seen design for each commission, even if it is for the same client and they have the same format. We believe it is better and more functional not to repeat ourselves; for instance, with the Ditta Artigianale, the locations were all set up with a unique vision to fit the different spaces, taking into consideration the primary customer groups through geolocalization: tourists, students, professionals…
Why ZOO?
ZOO’s founding group, of which we are a part, felt that spaces dedicated to design and research were lacking. In Florence and in Italy similar spaces exist, but they are few and far between. This project gave us the opportunity to discover a new type of container – a space and a non-space, from which to open a contemporary discourse.
Design is an integral part of many aspects of our human existence. It accompanies us through daily life and defines the functions of a given space, the beauty of an event. It delineates public and private spaces. It fascinates and surprises us, it welcomes us and puts us at ease.
ZOO’s concept is far-reaching and ambitious: the creation of an open, unconventional space from which to spark a dialogue on design. It is a meeting space, and a space for research to draw from and to contribute to according to one’s personal inclinations and interests. It is a space which collects exceptional and never-before-seen objects, ideas and knowledge. ZOO aims to innovate, divulge knowledge and protect its values with the same passion and dedication of that of a scientific researcher, but with more creativity.
Today’s current professional outlook is evermore focused on international cities, and spaces which conduct design research are evermore sought-after. The demand is there, but the supply is limited, and many times, underdeveloped. This is why we felt called upon to start creating the necessary conditions to nurture the culture of Design.
We are continuously in search of new ideas.
Before, we could only dream up certain utopias. Today, they exist. They are entire cities: eclectic ones in which to live and experience in new ways.
ZOO’s mission is to protect the culture of Design.
How does this project differ from other sites and e-shops? What about ZOO’s physical store?
There are many excellent designers out there that have the talent to contribute something new and offer their perspectives, but they lack visibility they deserve and struggle to share their work with a wider audience. ZOO’s goal is to offer spaces and opportunities to those designers and businesses who take the risk of working in contemporary design, those who truly abolish repetitiveness and seek new ways of conversing through objects. In addition, we all have a deep interest in what’s happening abroad in the design world. We are all well-traveled, and we liked the idea of bringing the international design scene to Florence, via our showrooms. We aspire to create new places, physical and digital, that are entirely unconventional and break from traditional platforms. ZOO offers new, unpublished work. Experiential design is a means to retell functions, memories, goals and dreams. But in order to make all this happen, a great many skills are required, skills beyond those which we might individually possess. That’s why our group of founders is so varied and multidisciplinary.
Where we observe a void of intention or concept, we act to fill it.
ZOO is not just a digital and physical commercial platform. It is also divulgation and dialogue. For this reason, our site is designed to highlight editorial content and to search and share valuable content from other authoritative websites. This underscores the essence of ZOO as a container, in which we find multiple sources of input. The language in which we speak about design draws from the fashion world. Fashion marketing and communication employs a faster-paced, more innovative approach because of its cyclical, seasonal nature and its tendency to use events as an integral part of its communications.
ZOO is a container of stories, objects, events, talent and culture.
The physical location of Manifattura Tabacchi is already unique thanks to its surrounding neighborhood, and it is one of the largest and most innovative urban regeneration projects in all of Europe. But the content of the ZOO store will be entirely original: a small, curated selection of objects chosen ad hoc by our team. These items span from revisited cult products to objects by emerging designers, to one-of-a-kind pieces.
The setup will not be static. It will involve all five senses – not just sight – to narrate the objects in an original way and breathe life into them.
Touch, sound installations, music and fragrances will all be part of the experience, as will a series of events which will draw the public to live our space in a holistic, innovative way, creating a regular “user-base” which will come back to discover new content, trends and explore design-related themes and points of interest. The online store has also been integrated with a web radio station, with curated content related to the project, because we cannot speak of “contemporaneity” without including music: the art of sound has marked every epoch since the dawn of time and has always been an integral part of revolutions, progress and culture.
It will be more than just a showroom. ZOO is a window onto something broader.
ZOO speaks of contemporaneity – not just of design. Music is contemporaneity and art in continuous evolution.
ZOO does not want to have one single stylistic direction, which might limit its possibilities. Rather, ZOO narrates design’s variety, even when certain styles might contrast with one another.
What does it mean to speak of design today?
IDesign has always combined function and form. Today we add an artistic component which sometimes might clash with function, perhaps to provoke or inspire, or to deconstruct the object itself. Certain artistic elements have an experiential function instead of a practical one, and emotions play an integral role in the process.
Our choice of location is not happenstance. Transcending tradition, especially in Florence, is the breaking point wherein to act. This has been possible thanks to the support of an extraordinarily open-minded committee and illuminated team of international partners. ZOO’s innovations go beyond aesthetic choices and curated merchandise. We feature exclusive, meaningful content within our showrooms as well as online.
Being part of the community at Manifattura Tabacchi with the ZOO_Hub store signifies becoming a member of an up-and-coming neighborhood which already boasts a future-forward vision. ZOO and Manifattura are two journeys which have crossed paths. Together we are exploring what it means to be “contemporary,” today.
