Slalom Acoustics brings a sound revolution to the Salone del Mobile, with a setup that embodies the idea of acoustics in continuous flow, as suggested by the theme of the stand, “Continuous Acoustics”. «Acoustics is a discipline that is constantly expanding through research, and acoustic comfort is now a priority in public architectural projects», explains Elettra de Pellegrin, founder and CEO of Slalom; «for this reason, in this year’s stand we present numerous suggestions for using Slalom solutions, designed to go beyond the office world».
Curated by Studiolatte’s art direction, the concept of the booth develops in two directions: «on the one hand it is a spatial expression that generates different environments, characterizing and immersive, where the visitor can recognize himself, exploring his own “personal Slalom”, created for individual acoustic well-being», explains Isabella Del Grandi, architect and founder of Studiolatte; «on the other, the title reflects the design meaning of making a significant evolutionary step in acoustic design, extending its application beyond the traditional world of contract and office, embracing new horizons such as hôtellerie, restoration and much more». The space is thus divided into several architectural points, offering the public various opportunities to identify with and approach Slalom’s Acoustethics philosophy, which combines acoustics, ethics and aesthetics in every product of the company.
After having explored, in past years, different declinations, potential and limits of innovative materials — such as wood — this year the stand design integrates diversified elements to engage the visitor’s senses. The invitation is to perceive, touch and even smell the materials that give life to Slalom acoustic solutions. The experience is transformed into a real “Slalom house”, where each room, with its specific function and materiality, tells a unique facet of acoustics.
The magic of the installation lies in the architectural design on the floor, a 1:1 scale plan that guides the path and invites to explore each space intuitively. This layout not only orients the visitor, but highlights the wall-mounted acoustic products, and their role in optimizing the acoustic comfort of each room. The result is a fluid circulation between real rooms, each with its own defined function: Entrance, Meeting area, Dining Hall, Suite, Arena and Break area. Each corner is designed to offer an authentic experience of acoustic comfort, telling its own story made of raw materials, finishes, processes, customization and colors of the latest Slalom solutions.
In each room, Slalom’s list products are presented in new applications and combinations, also introducing pendant and lighting elements. From the Entrance, where sustainability and nature are celebrated through direct contact with natural raw materials, to the Arena, the beating heart of the stand, where Slalom tells its story through a series of films and a floral arrangement designed by Simona Bracco. In the Suite, visitors will discover how even the headboard of the bed and the niche of the bedside table can become acoustic surfaces, while the Meeting Area explores new stories of décor, thanks to an innovative “acoustic boiserie” by Slalom.
In the Entrance, three exhibitors invite the public to discover and smell Slalom’s most innovative raw materials: wool, wood and flower petals. In fact, it is from the continuous research on how to process materials, including bio-based ones, that the company’s most advanced solutions are born. The entrance represents a tribute to sustainability and nature, with the magic of the installation enhanced by the fake backlit windows, which amplify the sensation of an intimate interior space, where the boundaries of acoustics progressively expand. The space is further enhanced by a light integrated into a hand-made Slalom panel.
In the Break area, the strong architectural line of the new Arrow solution (by Studiolatte) stands out, covering an entire wall, accompanied by the Arlecchino wallpaper, designed for Slalom by Swedish colorist Tekla Severin. A futuristic touch is given by a half-spheres wall composition reminding a climbing wall, adding an element of dynamism to the environment.
The beating heart of the installation is the Arena, a space designed for relaxation and reflection, where the public can sit and watch a selection of projects projected on a video integrated into a sound-absorbing panel. In this immersive corner of the Slalom world, the behind-the-scenes of the creation of the products and the origins of the materials are told. The walls are covered with Bloom and Grass, two of the new Slalom surfaces made with a mix of plastic and bio-based materials, while a floral installation by Simona Bracco involves the visitors’ sense of smell in a natural atmosphere of essences and colors. In the Arena, Slalom’s openness to synergy with other realities is reflected in the collaboration with Rubelli, which appears in the space with its cushions, making the relaxation experience even more comfortable.
In the Meeting room, walls and ceilings are enriched with new solutions: Bounce tailor-made wall designed by Studiolatte in a new serial version, while the Silent Disco lamp designed by Giuseppe Albera(AMA – Albera Monti Architetti) illuminates the room in its new, central light version. Surprisingly, a fun mixed wall plays with materials: below, the 5x5cm Waffle laser felt, and above, a boiserie made with Square, a new thermoformed product featuring 5x5cm three-dimensional squares.
In the Dining hall, which evokes the atmosphere of a hotel canteen, attention shifts to the world of hôtellerie, with another cameo by Rubelli through its fabrics applied to Slalom’s ECOwall surface. The design becomes even more elegant and functional with Woody, a new frontier of acoustic design that uses FSC® certified wood, presented in the canaletto walnut version. The colored Slalom profiles, inspired by nature, intertwine harmoniously with the wood, creating an environment dedicated to conviviality. The bar counter is covered with Regolo, a new print on felt designed by Studiolatte for the niche and counter, while on the wall, Wave is declined in a new herringbone tweed. The space is illuminated by the Hull Lamp, designed by DWA Design Studio for Slalom.
Even in the Suite, Slalom’s innovations triumph on the four walls: from Tunnel in the Bouclé version to Tailor Made Bugnato, a customizable surface featuring the architectural effect of ashlar (here declined in its rectangular shape), obtained through a new technology application; from the fake wardrobe made with Woody in its oak version, with details of handles and disappearing door, up to the fourth wall, which presents the new FUSIONfelt. The prominent architectural element is the headboard of the bed with rounded corners and covered in Tunnel Bouclé, with two recessed niches that mimic the bedside table, covered with the Eclipse acoustic solution. Another new entry in the Suite is Idol, the pendant lamp (by Studiolatte), composed of three half cylinders in two colors of velvet, which descend in clusters, dialoguing with the shades of the room. On the ceiling, tailor-made panels complete the environment.
In Slalom’s emotional and sensorial journey, every corner tells the story of an acoustic designed to improve the comfort of the environments and enrich the design experience, with an eye always attentive to sustainability and innovation.
