Located at Via Manzoni 21, in the heart of Milan, the new Plan C flagship store marks a new chapter for the brand founded and directed by Carolina Castiglioni.

The project is the result of a collaboration between APRIL™, a multidisciplinary platform that developed the overall concept, retail-cultural strategy and identity model, and (AB)NORMAL, responsible for the spatial translation, architectural development and realization. Conceived as a pilot for future openings, the space proposes an alternative idea of retail: a flexible, infrastructural architecture designed to host collaborations, installations and temporary residencies by other brands and creative partners.

The architecture is conceived as an open system: mobile components, reversible interventions and adaptable materials define a model designed to travel and respond to different contexts.

Three distinct niches guide visitors through different atmospheres — reflective metal for design collaborations, mint-green lacquer hosting the Aliita jewelry store, and soft carpet shaping the butter-coloured lounge space.

At the heart of the store, and clearly visible from the street, a red staircase-library becomes the spatial and narrative centrepiece of the project. It introduces a cultural layer within the retail environment, connecting the two levels while functioning as display, archive and installation device.Entirely built in metal and painted red on site, the structure wraps a spiral staircase within a circular bookshelf. It hosts collaborations, for instance with Milan-based bookshop Reading Room, transforming into a temporary stage for books, objects, and printed matter.

The result is a retail environment that can shift over time, encouraging dialogue between brand, city and guests.