An enchanting Milanese café concept in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Finnish design brand's most beloved pattern
Milan Design Week 2024: Marimekko’s Bar Unikko Pop-Up
An enchanting Milanese café concept in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Finnish design brand’s most beloved pattern
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The myriad events throughout Milan Design Week range from the nuanced vastness of Salone del Mobile itself to interventions on street corners and within repurposed spaces (including historic palazzos), as well as in-store activations that upend expectation. For Marimekko and Apartamento, this year has meant reimagining a local Milanese cafe—at Via Stoppani 15—into Bar Unikko, an enchanting celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Finnish design brand’s beloved Unikko print. This isn’t a place to observe the past; rather, it’s a welcoming environment open to the public (from 10AM to 6PM) that serves breakfast, lunch and aperitivo.
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Marimekko tapped into the historic venue’s inherent warmth, layering further charm with the addition of the abstract floral Unikko design. “This is a Milanese institution that I could have only imagined in my wildest dreams,” Marimekko’s creative director, Rebekka Bay, tells COOL HUNTING. “We integrate so well into the space because we didn’t try to take it over. We just exchanged elements and added a little more color. The beautiful petrol ceiling actually has nothing to do with us—it was here already. It all works because we are playing off what’s already here and we are not trying to hide the fact we are all about Marimekko.”
Clik here to view.
Guests are not only design week attendees—but also locals, especially in the morning when coffee and pastries are served to those walking in. It was important for the brand to strike this accessible balance. “Instead of Bar Unikko being something that you can only view, we wanted it to be something you can engage with,” Bay continues. “What’s amazing with a bar, is that everyone owns a little bit of the space. We are the bar owners this week, but so are the locals for stop by.”
Clik here to view.
The Marimekko touch is evident everywhere—from the exterior awning to the interior floors, all of the tableware and even the clothing on the cafe staff—but select products have made their debut in Bar Unikko. This includes limited-edition espresso cups as well as mix and match coffee mugs. “Unikko is our most recognizable pattern,” Bay says. “Because of this, we have created anniversary-year exclusives. We rarely talk about original colorways—because what is the original color of Unikko? But here we have gone back into our archive and reenergized some of our colors from the 1960s.” These hues are exactly what one would expect from the lifestyle design brand: sunset orange, cobalt blue and classic red. Each is as joyful as the next.