The Bisazza Foundation

Founded in Alte Vicenza, Northern Italy, in 1956, Bisazza are big-hitters. Real big-hitters. Bringing in mega-designers like Jaime Hayon, Patricia Urquiola and Fabio Novembre, for collaborations and commissions, the luxury mosaic brand also keep themselves firmly placed at the forefront of modern design – and all on a particularly grand scale too, Hayon’s Jet Set – a life-size mosaic clad jet (complete with brass propellers, marble stairs and leather wings) – just one of the many commissions that are worthy of the title ‘epic’.

But, what to do with an ever-expanding warehouse of colossal cast-offs from past design fairs? Open up your own 6,000 sq ft gallery, of course. Located at their headquarters – in Montecchio Maggiore, near Vicenza – the Bisazza Foundation for Design and Architecture is a sparkling celebration of all things big, shiny, and clad in mosaic… a homage to luxury, big-name designers and scale. Sure, it’s at times uncomfortably opulent, but there’s humour, innovation and style by the bucketload here, and Hayon’s whimsically original pieces are worth the visit alone.

To mark its grand opening, Bisazza Foundation’s first temporary exhibition (running from 8th June to 29th July) is ‘John Pawson – Plain Space’ a retrospective of the celebrated architect, in conjunction with the Design Museum, London.