Clubbing as Sensory Explosion

Linda Pezzei: Cleaf produces innovative surfaces and solutions for the furniture industry and interior design sector – where do you get the inspiration for your collections?

Roberto Caspani: For us finding inspiration means observation, analysis and exchange. We keep a close eye on what is happening around us and at the same time try to maintain a distance to the furniture industry. We evaluate findings on how people live in interiors and share our thoughts with the furniture manufacturers and architects that we collaborate with. Inspiration comes in one of these moments. We then structure the insights gained and pass them on to the R&D Team which then does the technical assessment and begins to develop the design.

How have the direction of the company and the way it sees itself altered since it was founded in 1975? And where is the journey going in future?

Roberto Caspani: We have always had a passion for furniture and over time I would even say this passion has grown. Since our transition from being a trading company to becoming a manufacturer back in the early 1990s, our efforts have been aimed at researching surfaces for furniture and interior design. Thanks to technological advances and the increasingly avant-garde desires of furniture manufacturers and architects production but also the way research is conducted have also advanced. Now but also going forward we are also working hard at perfecting our services – an area that is becoming increasingly important if you wish to remain competitive on a global scale.

You also collaborate with other companies such as Egger. How important are such collaborations for Cleaf and how do they come about?

Roberto Caspani: Our partnership with Egger goes way beyond being a mere business arrangement and is a real affair of the heart. Our families have been friends for decades: and given our mutual appreciation we decided through our cooperation to offer our customers the expertise of both our companies. The collaboration began with a trading partnership in six countries and ultimately led to Eggers acquiring a minority stake of 27.5 percent in Cleaf. Not only do both firms benefit from our collaboration I would also clearly argue that our customers benefit, too.

How did the idea for the Cleaf Club come about and what role does the showroom play for sales?

Roberto Caspani: The idea came about as a result of the pandemic: As clubs were forced to close it led to a crisis for the entire sector. Our aim was to pay tribute to clubs as the epicenter for experiments in the youth and contemporary culture. Clubs are places where there are no divides between music, architecture, fashion and design. Our customers appreciated the fact that we were meeting the need that we all felt: to get together again in a relaxed setting, to dance and have fun with friends. Our showroom is the place we invite our partners to every day – architects, furniture makers, carpenters, journalists, students – to present our products to them and give them ideas for their projects. The Cleaf Club represents the current climax of our range of offerings.

Campos Costa Arquitetos masterminded the Cleaf Club in CCube. How did that collaboration come about? What was the basic idea behind the installation and how does it reflect Cleaf materials?

Roberto Caspani: Campos Costa Arquitetos were the winners of the first edition of “Shaping Surfaces”, a competition we launched in 2020 and that is aimed at architects around the world who use our surfaces when realizing their interiors. Campos Costa Arquitetos won back then with the “Banema Studio Concept Store” in Lisbon. The interior extends over a single floor and is defined by an unexpected installation made of our Yosemite textured surfacing. The prize for the winner is always supporting us in developing the most important projects of the year: the design of our corporate showroom and the exhibition stand at Salone del Mobile. Our discussion with founder Pedro Campos Costa and his team was fantastic and very enriching. We gave them the briefing on the topic of clubbing and the architects transformed our corporate showroom into a club as well as suggesting a new presentation for our products.

What new products can we look forward to this year and is there a specific topic for 2023?

Roberto Caspani: In recent years the depth of our textures has no longer been the main driver of research work for our surfaces. Now the focus is on creating natural tactile sensations. In April we will showcase several new surfaces that reflect this shift in focus at the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Linda Pezzei: You designed the Cleaf Club for Cleaf in the showroom in Lissone – what was special about this project and what challenges did you face?

Pedro Campos Costa: We faced two major challenges: firstly, the space – too big and open – and secondly the functionality – too lacking in order for customers to understand the product. The space didn’t encourage you to set off and make discoveries because everything was there to see as soon as you walked in. What’s more, when several meetings took place at the same time this open space proved difficult to handle. From the customer’s viewpoint there was no clear or visible order to the products. Now two walls divide the space into zones, they arouse people’s curiosity to discover the spaces in-between and help solve the technical issues. So as to make the organization of the products visible we divided them into four material effects: Stone, wood, metal and fabric. This provides a basic organization that helps customers and sales staff alike.

How did you specifically stage the Cleaf surfaces?

Pedro Campos Costa: We believe the best way to present something is to show it in use. So, we created different situations that might actually exist: a bar in a wooden look, a toilet featuring a stone effect finish, a dance floor with a metal look and a lounge with a fabric effect surface. Naturally it is still a showroom that should ultimately show different materials.

So, what can visitors expect? Does the installation encourage interaction?

Pedro Campos Costa: The installation makes people want to discover things, to explore what is hidden behind the walls and what kind of room, what colors and what kind of setting. I would say that this experience of the space is the strongest experience visitors have – that is what they take away from the installation.

Given your intensive examination of the Cleaf product were you able during the project to discover new aspects that you can apply in your daily work?

Pedro Campos Costa: Cleaf products are very interesting when it comes to the wide range of options they offer. You can create many different combinations by exploiting the diverse visual effects of the materials. I think that the showroom clearly illustrates several possible uses although for sure the options are never-ending. That’s really fascinating. Although it is possible, personally I wouldn’t use Cleaf for "normal" or everyday situations. For me what makes the surfaces so charming is being able to collect tactile and visual experiences.

If you could design CCUBE again in 2023 what would be your favorite motto and why?

Pedro Campos Costa: Good question. It would be great to have a slogan that expresses a universal wish right now: Make love not war!

CLEAF CLUB
A project by Cleaf
Corporate showroom and installations by Campos Costa Arquitetos

Via Bottego 15
20851 Lissone MB Italy
Phone: +39 039 2074

Until 17. March 2023