Taschen Store

There’s a place in Milan that, more than anything, challenges our self-control and from which is hard to exit without your hands full of bags. We’re not talking about a shoe store or of our favourite boutique, but of the Taschen Store in via Meravigli 17. To us, Taschen is a happy place, where beauty, culture and design meet and take the shape of the extraordinary illustrated books that the German publishing house has been producing for over thirty years.

In the very heart of Milan, just a few steps away from iconic city places like the Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper or the Pasticceria Marchesi, Benedikt Taschen opened in 2014 a store that knows how to surprise its visitors with the wonders it contains. Upon entering, the atmosphere is full of art gallery vibes and the store manager greets you with elegance and professionalism. Taschen books are our love and may very well be our ruin: you go in thinking the idea to buy a book on Manet and we end up going out with the most recent volume about a top photographer or a charming (albeit unusual for our tastes) botanical book, without which we can’t suddenly live.

The three large central windows highlight the uniqueness of the location: the books are carefully displayed on the modular shelf projected by designer Marc Newson, illuminated by ’50s suspended lamps designed by Gio Ponti, everything aims to celebrate Italian and international design. The floors are no less beautiful: they’re real art works, created by American artist Jonas Wood, that drew a tropical jungle using a special technique that mixes artificial resin, venetian terrazzo tiles and brass details.

If that isn’t enough, on the upper floor you will find an exposition room where you can admire the limited edition, for the joy of the most ardent collectors or of who, like us, wants to daydream for a few minutes. Architecture, art, fashion, photography and pop culture are only some of the subjects that the images tell us about at Taschen Store. We suggest just to visit the store and let yourself be guided by your instincts that will bring to you the perfect book for you. You are in for a big surprise.

Photo credit © TASCHEN