At Milan Design Week 2026, a distinct shift in atmosphere unfolds within Marsèll’s flagship on Via della Spiga. The space, long recognized for its intellectual approach to design, becomes the setting for Double Void, a site-specific installation conceived by Rotterdam-based studio Odd Matter.
The project introduces a new spatial vocabulary—one that replaces visual comfort with tension and invites visitors into a heightened state of awareness.
At its core, Double Void explores emptiness as a dynamic presence rather than a passive absence. The installation transforms the boutique into an environment where subtle disruptions alter perception.
Vertical elements rise with precision, while reflective surfaces fracture and recompose the surrounding architecture. Glass planes stretch like taut membranes, suggesting a delicate equilibrium that feels perpetually on the verge of shifting.
Photo: ©Alessandro Saletta – DSL Studio
As visitors move through the space, the experience becomes increasingly physical. Every step recalibrates the relationship between body and environment, creating a sense of controlled instability that is both disorienting and compelling. The installation operates as a living system, where tension is not resolved but sustained, encouraging a deeper engagement with the act of perception itself.
This approach reflects the ethos of Odd Matter, founded by designers Els Woldhek and Georgi Manassiev. Their work exists at the intersection of craftsmanship and digital experimentation, shaped by a fascination with material behavior and the boundaries of form.
Their practice embraces unpredictability, allowing texture, structure, and process to guide the outcome. In Double Void, these principles converge into a spatial composition that feels simultaneously rigorous and emotionally charged.
Photo: ©Alessandro Saletta – DSL Studio
Marsèll’s contribution to the project is rooted in its longstanding commitment to redefining the role of retail environments. Over the years, the brand has transformed its Milan spaces into platforms for conceptual exploration, inviting designers to engage with architecture as a medium for dialogue. This collaboration continues that trajectory, positioning the store as a site where design becomes an immersive, intellectual experience.
Within the context of Milan Design Week—a moment often defined by visual spectacle and polished presentations—Double Void introduces friction as a deliberate gesture, encouraging visitors to pause, adjust, and reconsider their surroundings. The installation does not seek to soothe; it seeks to awaken.
Photo: ©Alessandro Saletta – DSL Studio
Open from April 17 through May 23, 2026, with an opening event on April 20, Double Void stands as a compelling reflection on the power of space to influence perception. It lingers not as a static image, but as a sensation—an encounter that reshapes the way space is felt, understood, and remembered.
Photo: ©Alessandro Saletta – DSL Studio
