During Fuorisalone 2025, HD Surface took part in INTERNI’s CRE-ACTION exhibition with In-Between Worlds, a collaborative installation by designers Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces. Set within the historic Ca’ Granda at the University of Milan, the work redefined a transitional space by turning a staircase into a textured, immersive threshold where color and material controlled the experience.
The project reflects HD Surface’s core focus: building tactile, expressive surfaces that don’t rely on ornament. Founded by Ruggero Caratti and Pierpaolo Smussi, the company has developed a wide range of coatings designed for both interiors and exteriors, emphasizing performance and low environmental impact. Their presence at Fuorisalone aligned with the broader theme of CRE-ACTION, projects that consider the connection between design, material, and the construction of possible futures.
Design That Moves with the Body
Meda and Quincoces designed the installation as a spatial funnel. Visitors walk through a passage wrapped in a continuous mortar gradient, experiencing a slow, intentional transformation. The shift in color, combined with the rough surface, invites a different pace. Instead of racing through, the architecture encourages people to observe.
The material used, HD Surface’s Argille collection, draws from natural elements. It combines clay, lime, plant-based cellulose fibers, and marble powder. The mixture creates a textured finish that reacts to natural light, adding softness and variation to each surface. In this project, the designers used a neutral base tone treated with a custom decorative intervention to generate a layered gradient effect across the passage.
Material as Structure
Instead of relying on architectural volume or dramatic form, the designers used material itself to shape the installation. The funnel-like structure doesn’t disrupt the existing architecture, it filters it. Light hits the surface differently throughout the day, and the finish responds with subtle tonal shifts.
Argille’s granular texture creates tension with the historical architecture of Ca’ Granda. Rather than clash, it sets up a quiet dialogue. This contrast, both visual and tactile, gives the installation a grounded presence.
A Controlled Collaboration
HD Surface used this installation to show how surface material can define spatial rhythm. Known for working across residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors, the company offers coatings that combine performance with visual precision. At Fuorisalone, they narrowed that scale. Here, one surface material, applied with focus, defined the entire experience.
The choice of designers strengthened the concept. Francesco Meda brings experience from both industrial design and independent studio work. David Lopez Quincoces moves between interiors, furniture, and gallery projects. Both now lead creative direction for brands such as Acerbis and Fast, and both emphasize a design language built on proportion and material clarity.
Color, Light, and Transition
In-Between Worlds avoids theatricality. Instead, the experience comes through movement, contrast, and control. As visitors move through the funnel, they encounter subtle shifts in color and atmosphere. The structure becomes a filter, framing light, shaping perception, and emphasizing how even a small passage can carry architectural weight when handled with care.
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Fuorisalone often features large installations that grab attention. HD Surface and its collaborators chose a different path. They worked with an existing structure, a single material, and the natural light of the site. Through that, they demonstrated how surface alone can define not just the appearance, but the tempo of space.
