To set the scene. Nilufar Depot is a cavernous, former warehouse in an industrial part of Milan, reimagined as a showroom and exhibition space by architect Massimiliano Locatelli who used the Teatro alla Scala opera house concept as the genesis of his scheme. Think scale, theatre, lighting and sweeping curtains married with creativity and desire.
The internal volume is vast, with 1500 square metres of display space including a ground-floor atrium for gallery-style exhibits and three tiers of open box-like rooms. Like all ventures by gallerist Nina Yashar, Nilufar Depot, which opened in 2015, illustrates how she is undaunted, backing ambitious projects that have come to define her significant presence on the global design stage in driving the concept of collectible design. In the past she has described her career progress as ‘ant-like’, but then there are more gazelle-like moments where she takes brave and momentous leaps.
Read more of Karen McCartney’s interview with Nina Yashar in the latest issue of est magazine, the Milan 2023 Special Issue, pp. 102-113.
Majestic Nina Yashar in her signature style of bold colour and flamboyant turban. She sits, naturally, in a vintage Franco Albini lounge chair – the Ca832 designed for Cassina in 1946. Albini is a designer she has championed, creating awareness of his genius, and imbuing his pieces with a highly collectible status. Photography by Mattia Lotti.
Photography Filippo Pincolini
Photography by Filippo Pincolini
Photography by Ruy Teixeira
