For Prada’s Resort 2018 show—held at Fondazione Prada’s new exhibition space, Osservatorio—long-time collaborator AMO designed a set featuring a series of elements complementing the location's architecture and transforming the space into “an ephemeral experience,” according to a press release from the firm.
AMO, the research brand of architecture firm OMA, describes the design as a confrontation between real and manufactured moments—mirrors and reflective, pastel-pink translucent columns transfigure guests’ views and augment the room’s proportions. Fragmented black-and-white photographs of Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II—which houses the Osservatorio—and details of the collection in reflective and pastel colors cover a series of screens. Presented in a distorted fashion, these details blend the show and the set into an evanescent spectacle.
AMO's mission, according to their website, is to "apply architectural thinking to domains beyond."
The Osservatorio is located on the fifth and sixth floors of the Galleria, the site of Prada’s first shop, and the space looks out over the building’s intricate glass and steel vaulted roof. Seating is arranged in a linear fashion, positioning guests towards the cupola beyond the large windows. Models walk along these windows, positioned between the sky and the intricate iron dome serving as a backdrop for the show.
This exhibition marks Prada’s first ever Resort show. Outside of the show, the 800-square-meter Osservatorio space is dedicated to photography and visual languages.
