Poltrona Frau opens its first flagship store in Taipei

On the 5th October 2007 Taipei will inaugurate the second Poltrona Frau mono-brand store in Taiwan. Located near the 101 skyscraper, in one of Taipei’s most central districts, the flagship store is the result of the collaboration with Eu-Chain Enterprise Co. Ltd., leader in the distribution of furnishings and design products in Taiwan.

The new store covers an area of approximately 400 square metres, with a large glazed front which represents a window onto the world of Poltrona Frau. The transparency of the glass is framed by a bronze ornamentation featuring a stylized and enlarged reproduction of the Pelle Frau® leather. To give life to the new flagship store, as with the brand’s other showrooms throughout the world, Milan, Rome, Naples, Bologna and Paris, Poltrona Frau was inspired by the concept of the French designer Jean-Marie Massaud, who has consistently developed ideas on sensual sophistication, evocative decor and emotions.

Inside the shop, scrupulous attention has been devoted to detail, great quality and the careful selection of materials, something that has always distinguished Poltrona Frau. The area has been conceived as a theatre, with striking scenic effects cadenced by hand-cut leather panels, like attractive stage curtains, that gently reveal sofas, armchairs, chairs and tables.

A particularly important role is played by Pelle Frau® leather, which can be recognised in every detail. It has both the material and symbolic role of suggesting the magic of sensual delight.
Soft and of the highest quality, it is used to cover the handle of the entrance door, a warm invitation to enter. It is worked with a series of squares, like a modern capitonné effect, upholstering the doors and internal walls. Warm and embracing, it embellishes a private space furnished with design icons, such as the Sangirolamo table by Achille Castiglioni and Michele De Lucchi. It is a sort of studio created especially for the client who wishes to discover, develop, imagine and implement tailor-made projects with Poltrona Frau.

The evocative gallery of products from the Poltrona Frau Historic Collection is enhanced by images illustrating the evolution of the Poltrona Frau brand, right from its foundation in 1912.

The grey-painted walls blend with the natural elements in the layout, such as the large moss feature suspended from the ceiling and the scenic walls in the same material that form a backdrop for products in the collection. Vertical elements in wood, evoking a dense forest, are enclosed in a smoked glass display cabinet with a mirrored back wall, especially designed to contain special installations. Surprise, imagination and dreams are combined in this modern way of conceiving nature. Nature becomes design; the ancient is combined with the new.

The craftsmanship quality of the leatherwork, the attention to detail and the excellence of materials are enhanced by the presence of the historic Vanity Fair armchair – worldwide icon of the brand – which is sectioned and exhibited inside the store in order to reveal the various phases of construction.
The inauguration of the Taipei flagship store follows, by two years, the opening of the Poltrona Frau showroom in Hsinchu.