Founded in 1931, Finsa is a Spanish company that specializes in the processing and innovative use of wood in the worlds of furniture and architecture. It will be at MDW2023 (17–23 April 2023) with an installationcalled “Il Senso di Finsa per il Legno”, which has been designed by 967arch to showcase the wonders of all the different ways wood can be used. In the Brera district, the installation will offer a warm welcome and be complemented by talks, debates, round tables, and initiatives produced in partnership with the Foundation of the Order of Architects of Milan. The venue is the 19th century building at 17 Via Solferino where the Order is based.

The designers at 967arch have come up with a captivating, open and hospitable space for Finsa, where all the senses have a part to play. In each of the rooms, the aim is to encourage interaction between the visitors thanks to the warm presence of wood, which can be seen in various forms: panels, decorative surfaces, outdoor furniture, indoor and outdoor flooring, structures and façades selected from Finsa’s vast range of wood types and finishes. Numerous separate parts have been brought together to form a layered, composite forest that will give guests the chance to see, touch and experience the showcased products.

“For this project, we took inspiration from the poem ‘The scent of fresh wood’ by the Norwegian writer Hans Børli, who worked as a lumberjack throughout his life,” reveal Cesare Chichi and Stefano Maestri, the founders of 967arch. “The architect Guillermo Blanco is behind the installation, which slots into the setting like a second skin. It’s almost like a book waiting to be browsed and visitors are free to experience and move around the sequence of environments however they like. They can learn about the various production processes that the company has developed for numerous design solutions. The installation reproduces a series of different spaces where people can work, meet up, get together, discuss, and take a break.”

The names of the rooms - Bienvenida, Tertulia, Encuentros, Sobremesa and Charla - have been chosen by Finsa. Designed by 967arch, these spaces aim to create a welcoming atmosphere and promote active participation in a place designed with an environmentally friendly outlook. After all, a green approach is one of the core characteristics of the Spanish company, which for almost a century has been dedicated to the industrial processing of wood, as well as to the design and production of technical and decorative solutions for the world around us.

As well as indoors, visitors will get the chance to take it easy in the open air. The courtyard of the building on Via Solferino will host a Patio serving as a gateway to the “Finsa world”. In this heavenly little spot, people will be able to unwind in the heart of the city while admiring the vertical gardens produced using Vp Modulo Thermopine, the system consisting of green walls and thermally modified wood developed jointly by Verde Profilo and Savia by Finsa, which is being unveiled at this event. Also on show will be the Orixe modular outdoor furniture – conceived by Stone Designs and manufactured by Savia by Finsa – and the Gradpanel Thermopine solar control system for façades made of thermally modified wood, which was developed jointly by Gradhermetic and Savia by Finsa. Unifor will be responsible for the display.

Finsa’s dedication to sustainable growth goes far beyond the walls of its factories and the many certificatesbearing witness to the quality of its products. Wood is its number one raw material and the key to respecting and protecting it lies in safeguarding and efficiently managing forests.

With this in mind, the company has embraced the challenge laid down by the theme of the 2023 Fuorisalone initiative, which is “Laboratorio Futuro”. Finsa has put together a packed schedule of round tables, discussions and debates led by architects, interior designers and industrial designers. They will revolve around the European Climate Pact and they will each cover urgent, topical matters regarding the wood industry, looking into industrialization, decarbonisation and digitization in order to propose innovative design models.

Finsa has lined up two events every day during the Milan Design Week, at 11:00 am and 6:00 pm. They will take an in-depth look into subjects such as reducing the environmental impact of buildings, reuse and circular materials, new housing scenarios (with models such as Build to Rent, Senior Living and Co-living), and the emerging challenges in hospitality and the office world, where fluid, hybrid spaces - where people can work, eat, rest and more - are increasingly widespread. Then there are the new coworking scenarios, which encompass other types of real estate assets in the residential field.

Among the speakers will be Jose Aguilar of Agvar Architects, Daniel Ibáñez, Director of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and Sergio Baragaño, founder of the start-up ROOM 2030.

Scheduled for 6:00 pm on 20 April is an all-Italian talk moderated by the television writer and journalist Giorgio Tartaro. Taking part will be Cesare Chichi of 967arch, Aldo Parisotto of Parisotto + Formenton Architetti, the architect Paolo Mauri, and Michele Rossi of Park Associati. Discussing their experiences and revealing details of their new projects, these architects will tackle topics associated with construction techniques and the use of wood in architecture, highlighting aspects of technological innovation connected with modern uses of this ancient yet always new material.