The New Wave at Milan Design Week

Living Design is based in Stockholm, Sweden, but since its founding in 1984 it has been responsible for hundreds of prestige projects all over the world. The studio’s mission is to break down the barriers between art, design, architecture, graphics and all the other elements that go into creating a large five-star hotel or statement facility, in order to offer the client an entire solution, bespoke and specific to their wishes. As CEO and creative director since 2006, Tarek Hegazy has continued the studio’s commitment to progressive design and flexibility established by his predecessor. Tarek leads a large, diverse team of professionals in many fields who are plugged in to the latest global trends and are enthused by finding new definitions of beauty and functionality to meet their clients’ demands.

As a Scandinavian studio, clarity and a purity of intention are important to everyone at Living Design. But that shouldn’t deceive anyone into thinking their projects are utilitarian or understated. Tarek is aware that the atmosphere he and his team creates in a building is what gives his clients a competitive edge. Large hotel operators want their guests to be wowed by the structures and interiors of their grand projects. That is the return they are seeking when they invest in Tarek’s services. So there is always scope for eccentricity and grandeur, as well as comfort and intimacy, in his work.

We catch up with Tarek at the Pinacoteca di Brera, which is hosting our GROHE SPA launch event. With its neoclassical porticos around this vast central courtyard, it certainly expresses grand aesthetic ideals – and that’s before one considers the rich collections it houses, or our own installation! Yet these galleries and lobbies had a functional side, as the perfect places for Milanese society to meet and talk, to strike business deals, settle arguments and start affairs, and generally carry on the life of the city, something like the modern business hotels that Tarek and his team so adeptly create for their clients.    

We are keen to hear what Tarek makes of our GROHE SPA launch and this amazing venue. We hope our big event meets with his approval, bringing together as it does architecture, interior design and cutting-edge technology. We would hope also that the GROHE SPA portfolio of products would find a place in a Tarek Hegazy / Living Design project. The key takeaway from the launch should be that these are products that offer the latest, most advanced design and the highest levels of performance and luxury, but importantly they are there to be used, combined, adapted and customized to the client’s vision. Let’s find out from Tarek.