PROJECT

Space Between

Exploring flows at Milan Design Week

An evolving modular landscape that explores the role of the hotel lobby as a site of emergence

Unveiled at Milan Design Week 2025, Space Between reimagined third spaces as a site of exchange, rhythm, and evolving interaction. Developed in partnership with Design Hotels, the installation draws upon the notions of rhythms and flows, inviting guests to gather, rearrange, learn and initiate new conversations.

Set within the STRAF hotel, it explored how third spaces such as hotel lobbies, can act as catalysts for cultural activation and expression. More than just a place to stay, it considered how shared spaces can foster dialogue, encourage spontaneity, and reflect the flow of people and ideas. The installation is built from a single, simple module, repeated sixteen times. From this singular element unfolds a plural landscape: units that can be rotated, rearranged, and reimagined — allowing inhabitants to continually remake the space.

“Space Between is an invitation to rethink how hotels can foster community, spark creativity, and inspire meaningful dialogue. By reimagining the in-between spaces, we open doors to new connections and cultural exchange.” — Sarah Doyle, VP & Global Brand Leader & Deputy Managing Director at Design Hotels

Crafted entirely from compressed natural fibres, Space Between brings typically unseen construction materials into the foreground. Wool fibre mats — usually hidden within building systems — are transformed into soft, cushioned surfaces. In contrast, rigid wood fibre boards, often used for acoustic insulation, provide structural form and sculptural clarity.

More than an installation, Space Between is a participatory setting. Guests are invited to sit, lean, move, and contribute — reshaping the space through use and conversation. Every day brings a new configuration, a new rhythm, and the possibility of a new connection — blurring the boundaries between people, design, and place.

The concept began with a simple framework: a grid and a single modular element. Based on a cube, this element is shaped through a series of deliberate subtractions — subtle yet intentional gestures that offer intuitive cues for interaction. Each subtraction invites a particular use: to sit, to lean, to rest, or to place something down.

Over the course of three days, new spatial narratives emerged. Visitors were also invited to mark the soft surfaces with messages, drawings, or symbols — contributing to the evolving story of the installation through direct interaction.

DETAIL

Space Between at Milan Design Week

Explore the concept

Building on our exploration of the Space Between — those subtle thresholds where meaning often gathers — we continued to evolve our partnership with Design Hotels through their annual Further study. What began as a spatial inquiry during Milan Design Week has since grown into a broader investigation into how spaces and feeling intersect.

The Passion Principle: A Framework for Post-Experiential Hospitality, draws on these early observations on flows and invitations: the way light moves across surfaces, how a soft edge invites contact, or how restraint can speak louder than ornament. Informed by insights from over 1,600 community members and global case studies, this study outlines a shift from hospitality as a curated experience to one shaped through co-authorship — where connection, friction, and participation are integral to designing for deeper, more meaningful experiences.

Click below to read the full article

OPINION

The Passion Principle: A Framework for Post-Experiential Hospitality

“This in-betweenness – a condition unconstrained by the defined hierarchies of work, leisure, or home – can, if fully embraced, become a powerful catalyst for creativity, expression, dialogue, and knowledge exchange.” — Jason Holley, principal at Universal

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Universal Design Studio is an architecture and interior design practice based in London & New York

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