PLAN C Flagship Store

Architecture, Milano, 2025

The new Plan C flagship store in Via Manzoni 21, in the heart of Milan, marks the first step in the international expansion of the brand founded and directed by Carolina Castiglioni.

Conceived as a pilot model for future openings, the space introduces a new idea of retail: a flexible and infrastructural architecture capable of hosting collaborations, installations, and temporary residencies with other brands and creative entities.

The project was developed through a collaboration between the multidisciplinary platform  APRIL™ , which curated the strategic vision, and the architecture and design studio (AB)NORMAL, responsible for the architectural development and execution.

The store also permanently hosts ALIITA, the jewellery brand founded by Cynthia Vilchez Castiglioni, reinforcing the dialogue between fashion, design, and craftsmanship within a single spatial ecosystem.

Strategy and Vision

The new flagship is conceived as an open system, able to evolve over time and accommodate different formats — from daily retail to exhibitions, events, or temporary collaborations — with minimal and reversible interventions.
The aim is to create a place where retail and culture coexist, maintaining a clear visual coherence with the brand’s DNA while establishing a scalable model for future international openings.

At the core of the project lies the idea of infrastructural architecture: a solid yet flexible framework that can be reorganised and reactivated without altering its structure.
Each element — from the modular walls to the central staircase — is designed to be movable, replaceable, or reconfigurable, enabling a constant evolution of the space and a sustainable long-term operation.

The concept is designed to be replicable — an exportable prototype capable of adapting to diverse contexts while retaining a strong and recognisable identity.
This logic of continuity and adaptability ensures coherence across future implementations and reinforces the brand’s global vision.

A dialogue with the city is central to the strategy.
By setting the storefront back from the façade, the entrance forms a covered loggia — a spatial threshold that mediates between interior and exterior, inviting passersby into the world of Plan C.
Inside, the red library-staircase acts as both visual anchor and functional device.
It connects the two levels and alternates between library, installation, and display, becoming a symbolic element in the definition of the store’s identity.



Credits
Client: Plan C
Creative Direction: Carolina Castiglioni
Concept & Strategy: APRIL™
Architectural Design: (AB)NORMAL

Project Team: Mattia Inselvini, Luigi Savio, Davide Masserini, Camilla Morandi, Giulia Cova, Ginevra Conchetto, Marija Ivljanin, Silvia Piana

Year: 2025
Photography: Piercarlo Quecchia (DSL Studio)
Editing: Michela Pedranti (DSL Studio)