Porro design has been selected for Casa Italia, the new Italian institutional complex located in Buckingham Gate — the most significant real estate acquisition made by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in the United Kingdom in recent decades.
The Victorian-style building covers an area of almost 2,000 square meters and houses more than 80 officials from the Italian Embassy, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the ICE – Italian Trade Agency. Just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, Casa Italia stands at the heart of British political and institutional life and is conceived as a meeting place for all components of the “Sistema Italia,” promoting Italy in all its facets.

The interior design, curated by Nick Vinson, highlights the excellence of Italian design: furniture and lighting come from the most prestigious names in Made in Italy, complemented by artworks and objects from Italian and British museums.
Porro contributes to the project with the Origata benches and consoles, designed by Nao Tamura in 2024 — a recent project that, in just a few years, has become a symbol of Porro design, combining aesthetic purity with sustainable thinking.

Inspired by the ancient Japanese kimono-folding technique — in which fabric is cut into geometric shapes without waste — Origata stands out for its rigorous construction and vibrant finishes that enhance the essence of the material. In the waiting room, the Origata console in grigio porfido finish radiates harmony, dialoguing with Arturo Vermi’s tempera painting Presenza and creating a measured, meditative atmosphere. Despite its contemporary essence, the console naturally harmonizes with works from the past, establishing a timeless dialogue with a Murano glass candelabrum, nearby travertine funerary urns, and ancient Attic black-figure ceramic amphorae from the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia.
In the small hall, designed to host temporary exhibitions, two Origata benches are placed among the meeting tables. With their essential geometries, the benches encourage contemplation of the exhibited artworks while offering a meeting point between art and design.
Finally, in the secretarial area of the Ambassador and the Minister, the Origata bench in a vivid China red finish is positioned before a glass-paste replica of the Byzantine mosaic from the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare, crafted by the Mosaicists Group of the Ravenna Academy of Fine Arts — expressing, through diversity, a shared commitment to craftsmanship and material refinement.