Sydney’s design community gathered last Wednesday evening to celebrate the opening of Molteni&C‘s new flagship store in Surry Hills, marking a new chapter for the Italian furniture brand in Australia.
Located at 532 Riley Street, the 760-square-metre showroom occupies a heritage building dating back to the 1890s, perhaps best known to Sydneysiders as the former home of restaurant Porteño. Its transformation into a design destination brings a new purpose to a building with an established place in the neighbourhood’s cultural history.
The opening also marks an important shift in Molteni&C’s Australian operations, with the Sydney flagship now operating directly under Molteni Australia Pty Ltd. It joins an international network of directly operated stores spanning cities including London, Paris, New York and Melbourne.
Conceived under the creative direction of Vincent Van Duysen, the showroom takes its cues from an art collector’s home rather than a conventional retail space. Across two levels, furniture, kitchens, wardrobes and outdoor collections are arranged in a series of domestic settings, encouraging visitors to experience the pieces as part of a broader living environment.
A central glass atrium draws natural light deep into the building, while a palette of travertine, pale timber, softly textured fabrics and understated wall finishes establishes a quiet architectural backdrop. The changing light lends the interiors a character that feels particularly appropriate to Sydney.
The collections bring together work by some of the most influential names in international design, including Van Duysen, Yabu Pushelberg, Gio Ponti, Patricia Urquiola, Foster + Partners and Christophe Delcourt.
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Among the highlights are the sculptural Intersection kitchen island, the modular Augusto sofa and pieces from the Molteni&C Heritage Collection, which places historic designs alongside contemporary work. Upstairs, further kitchen and living compositions demonstrate the brand’s approach to integrated interiors, with natural stone, timber and finely detailed joinery taking centre stage.
The grand opening offered an opportunity to explore the showroom and consider how the brand’s longstanding commitment to Italian design translates into an Australian setting. More than a display of individual products, the space presents a cohesive vision of contemporary living, with architecture, furniture and materiality considered together.
For Molteni&C, the new flagship strengthens its presence in the Australian market. For Sydney, it adds another significant design address to Surry Hills, bringing an international collection into dialogue with one of the city’s most recognisable creative neighbourhoods.
