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S.Pellegrino has teamed up with revered Italian architect Giulio Cappellini for a Design Special Edition celebrating the Journey of Water.
Cappellini, who is well known for his mentoring abilities, helping to bring through the next generation of international design talent, has personally selected designers to create three limited edition S.Pellegrino bottles, to be launched as part of Milan Design Week 2018, before the project is toured around the biggest events on the global design calendar.
The designers – China's Neri&Hu, the US's Steven Haulenbeek and France's Philippe Nigro – have each chosen a different stage of the 'Journey of Water' as their design inspiration.
Neri&Hu start with the cloud, where the cyclic journey begins, in the air. Their design comprises thousands of tiny dots in a cloud formation, which when viewed through a special magnifying glass (each designer has created an accompanying object or objects with which to better appreciate the design and the product), become more visible. Their message is one of celebrating difference, but also unity: “Our argument is together we will make a difference, together we will make beautiful things. The magnifying glass allows you to see the many dots and the difference between them. We’re different, yet we’re the same; we’re different, but we’re a community."
The journey continues with Steven Haulenbeek, who has taken the filtration of water through the earth as the inspiration for his label design, which consists of an inverted pyramid of lines flowing to a source – the famous S.Pellegrino red star in the centre of the label, with more lines flowing from it – plus accompanying blown glassware. Finally, Philippe Nigro celebrates S.Pellegrino's signature sparkle and taste with his bubble label design and perforated bottle cooler.
Alongside installations from all the designers at this year's Milan Design Week, the designs are also being launched over three days and three different dinners in the city, with local top chef creating menus inspired by the designs.
CLOUDS DINNER BY CHEF MATIAS PERDOMO
It was the job of Matias Perdomo of Milan’s one-Michelin-star Contraste restaurant to go first with his cloud-inspired menu, starting with the idea of a cartoon cloud, represented on the plate by set goat's cheese and red onion, followed by scallop noodles in a rich dashi, with a Parmesan foam on top that recalled the kind of rainy day icons you see on weather forecasts. This was followed by unctious slow-cooked veal cheek topped with a potato cream and an intriguing dessert of fluffly cocount soufflé clouds that were hard to the spoon, but desolved instantly in the mouth (entitled 'Pulp Fiction,' it was plated with chocolate ganache bullets and beet blood).
“It’s actually really nice to have a theme, because then you have a direction,” said Perdomo, “but it was challenging, because clouds make me think of imagination and something really light, so the risk was people wouldn’t have enough to eat!” Tantalisingly, the Uruguayan chef, who is known for his experimental take on Italian cuisine at Contraste, flirted with the idea of making a dish that floated, such as an edible balloon, before deeming it too impractical for the 50 or so guests.
The remaining two dinners will see chef Daniel Canzian create a menu inspired by Steven Haulenbeek's design, while chef Davide Oldani will turn to the work of Philippe Nigro.
All images by Luca Rotondo
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