m2atelier; a new way of experiencing spaces. The pent-up demand released by the return to normality following the pandemic. Sustainability, too, which has become a central issue in everyday life and is encouraging consumers at every level to raise their awareness. (Here all our posts about m2atelier)
The importance of spaces
What’s more we are being bombarded by new stimuli, which explains the importance of the role played by the person designing the spaces on a yacht or in a home as they adapt to the new requirements.
m2atelier: we live on stimuli
“Our work thrives on stimuli. They provide the spark that brings the creative process to life”, says Marco Bonelli, joint head of m2atelier alongside Marijana Radovic. Founded in 2011, in just over ten years the Milanese studio has completed designs that have left an indelible mark in a variety of fields, from yacht-building to the hotel and residential industries and furnishing complements, all linked by a similar approach where research and investigation play the most crucial role.
The importance of multi-disciplinary work
“This multidisciplinary approach has extended the boundaries of knowledge and draws on solutions, materials and technologies from different sectors”, says Bonelli. “Take sustainability, for example, which has highlighted the need to rethink the design process, not only using greener solutions and materials but also, in our case, avoiding waste, especially in terms of space.
Whether it’s an extensive area or a small space we try to make the most of every available centimetre. For our interiors we use only products made by companies promoting sustainability and with European certification”, says Bonelli.
m2atelier: experimentation and sustainability
“The same applies to consumption”. And this is where technology plays a role, but never an exclusive one. “We choose LEDs, of course, but we avoid the current trend of using them everywhere and without purpose. That’s why in places where lights should always be on for reasons of safety or necessity we use sensors that aren’t activated by someone’s presence but by anticipating that presence, so when you enter one of these spaces the lights are already on”.
A new way of experiencing spaces
The pandemic gave rise to many more ideas, revolutionising the way we experience the spaces, generating a new lifestyle. “An important and irrevocable leap forward”, says Marijana Radovic, “And one that didn’t catch us unawares.
Our attention had already been focussed on creating living spaces in the true sense of the word. Especially on a yacht. Layouts used to follow a standard reflecting the function of each space, but that’s not the case today. In recent times it’s been very stimulating to re-think spaces according to individual owners’ habits. There’s no longer any uniformity of thought.
Projecting the owner’s life into the future
For us, thinking about a design means considering the yacht’s future life, imagining, for example, that one day it may have a new owner with different demands, or it could be given a refit to change the interior style. This gave us the idea of adopting a design approach that takes this into account from the earliest stages”.
m2atelier: increasingly present in yachting
The studio is currently working on a variety of projects, including a 65-metre for Codecasa and a 40-metre by Conrad. But 2002 will mainly be remembered for several new projects where the studio has left its signature, like the interiors of the 56-metre Alea, launched in early summer by Vitters with exterior lines by Frers Design. It’s a revolutionary yacht from every point of view, writing a new chapter in the Milanese studio’s story and ushering in a new era in yacht design.
