The furniture and lighting for the offices and meeting rooms were curated by Lagranja design, and read like an appreciative recognition of Italian design maestros and manufacturers. Munari’s iconic Falkland pendant lamps transform the office of the Consulate General and reception rooms, and Michele de Lucchi’s Tolomeo wall lamps, from Artemide, illuminate the vividly colorful bathrooms. Marco Zanuso contributed one of his Lady sofas; Franco Albini a statement ‘tre pezzi’ armchair and bookshelf and Benedetta Tagliabue, herself a Barcelona resident, her spectacular Dome lamp. Odoardo Fioravanti’s Poltrona Dome chairs were chosen to seat participants for talks and show-cooking events, which the consulate will host in a sleek black kitchen conceived by Casa Lube (Cucine Lube).It was Italian people over design however that provided the guiding light of the project. “Although this was obviously a prestigious commission for any design studio”, says Schiavon, “Our main focus was not so much creating a showroom for Italian design but a comfort zone for Italian people. For this reason, we put so much thought into the service areas, which is really the only part of the embassy most Italians will ever have the chance to visit.”