During Milan Design Week, award-winning UK designer Lee Broom is celebrating 10 years of work with an installation set inside a derelict vault in the famous and historic Milano Centrale train station.
The vaults, which have been unused for over 30 years and previously never been opened to public, form the brand new Ventura Centrale Design District in the heart of Milan.
Lee Broom’s collection is presented on a dramatic and modernist interpretation of a fairground carousel, placed right in the centre of the vault, rotating to represent the evolving life cycle that the brand has journeyed through the past decade.
“I decided I wanted to recreate pieces I had designed over the past 10 years in a single colour palette and with new and different finishes which would give a cohesion to the presentation. I then explored interesting ways to present my designs which document the journey of the past decade in a thought provoking way,” says Lee Boom.
The designer is known for his surreal and dramatic presentations and this one is no different. Spanning more than 340 square-metres (his largest exhibition to date), the space is lit solely by the light of the carousel, thus creating a stark contrast between the derelict environment and the purity and playful serenity of the installation.
In line with the subject of time as well as the reimagined collection, Lee Broom is also unveiling an exclusive grandfather clock design. Handcrafted from Carrara marble, the monolithic structure features a traditional engineered clock mechanism with a solid brass pendulum, weight and hands.
“Set within one of the most exciting spaces I have seen in Milan, I hope that this will be a memorable show for everyone, [offering] a look at the past with a glimpse to the future,” says Lee Broom.
Both the grandfather clock and reimagined designs will be limited editions. Only 10 of each will be produced.
Words by Janice Seow
Photography by Luke Hayes
