Background
Before launching Atelier L’inconnu, architect/designer Fadi Yachoui honed his skills in various design studios in Beirut, Paris, London and Milan. He studied architecture at the Lebanese American University in Lebanon and the Ecole Speciale d’Architecture in Paris. He then worked at Bernard Khoury / DW5 in Beirut and Piero Lissoni Associati in Milan before obtaining his master’s degree in industrial design from the renowned Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan. That was in 2018, the same year he won the “express yourself campaign” competition for Lavazza. Atelier L’inconnu was launched at Milan Design Week’s 60th-anniversary edition with a showcase of his CACTI collection. Fadi lives between Milan and Beirut, where he develops international projects.
Signature Style
While architecture allows him to create places, it also presents him with the opportunity to build the components that populate them. “Straddling the line between my training in architecture and experience in product design, my work gravitates towards unexpected forms, counterpoised by refined and sober materials,” says Fadi. “I aim to create objects that captivate the user, with the ability to excite and break away from the formal.” The smaller scale and faster timeline kindle his interest, pulling him towards cross-disciplinary creation focused on the process experience and craftsmanship. Everything in Fadi’s daily life can become a stage for his ideas, constantly projecting new stories onto individual objects and spaces, influenced by his frequent travels and changes in context.
Showstoppers
The award-winning Cacti Collection plays with the tension between the functional “defensive” shape of a cactus and the inviting comfort of seating, merging the two to embody soft power. These designs bring people together in a personal and informal manner, as their shapes eschew rigid structure.
