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SHOWS
Trade-Fair
Stand
of the Year
THE DINER BY
ROCKWELL GROUP
MILAN – ‘Fun’: Paolo Brambilla’s description
of The Diner by Rockwell Group is not one
typically associated with trade-fair stands.
But that’s what the cofounder of Calvi Bram-
billa and his fellow jury members were look-
ing for: deviations from the norm. The Diner
- a collaboration with Cosentino, whose
products formed dining and serving sur-
faces – ‘pushes the industry forward because
visitors are actually using the space and the
products within it’, said Sakchin Bessette,
Moment Factory cofounder and executive
creative director. ‘The project is about social
connection and activation – about coming
together to create an experience far removed
from simply walking around a trade-fair
stand, shaking hands with company reps.’
True to its name, The Diner re-created
the archetypal US eatery within an aban-
doned railway arch beneath Milan’s Central
Station. Popping up for the duration of Milan
Design Week 2018, the installation served up
a spin on American food and drinks by day - during which time it also hosted a conver-
sation series – before transitioning into a
nightclub after hours. Over 25,000 visitors
dropped in over the course of the week, and
The Diner won a Milan Design Award in the
Best Engagement category.
‘The design is quite busy and loud,’
said Bessette. ‘There’s a lot going on, but it
all comes together well.’ Aesthetics aside, The
Diner topped its category because ‘it changed
the context of the typology’ – Rockwell
Group’s answer to the innovation angle called
for in Frame Awards entries. ‘The engagement
factor makes it a game-changer.’ – TI
rockwellgroup.com
PEOPLE'S VOTE
CC-Tapis Stand by Studio MiloFRAME AWARDS 2019 125