Minimalist room with exposed pipes, mustard panels, and cube furniture.

Scandinavian Elegance: Note Design Studio’s Modular Terracotta Revolution at Mutina

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Written by Seth Sebastian

2026-06-24

Sun-dried mud bricks have shaped human architecture since 7,000 to 9,000 BC. Their modern evolutions, such as decorative tiles, have continued to form the backbone of construction. Yet today, designers are reinventing these ancient forms. Note Design Studio’s newest collaboration with Mutina presents “Emisferi,” an innovative approach to architectural design.

For another take on minimalist design intersecting with nature, see how Aagaram Architects created a modern mud house using local craftsmanship and materials.

Cristiano Pigazzini, Design Manager and Founding Partner at Note Design Studio, describes the inspiration. “We began with the hemisphere as a concept. This form, simple yet profound, organizes space through its repetition.” The result is a striking balance of positive and negative spaces, creating a textured landscape that engages the viewer’s senses.

Room with beige textured walls, dark floor, and orange-accented shelves.
Minimalist interior with textured beige walls, dark floor, geometric furniture, and three rectangular wall-mounted shelves with orange accents.

A Bold Leap Forward

Unveiled at the prestigious 3daysofdesign, the Emisferi collection transforms Mutina’s graphic tiles from two dimensions into three, challenging traditional tile applications. Known for pushing the boundaries, Mutina’s exploration of terracotta isn’t just aesthetic; it changes how we interact with space, standing as an architectural component in its own right.

Explore how terracotta materials are used creatively as OMA transformed the Edo-Tokyo Museum into a living canvas without physical alterations.

Room with yellow walls, modular furniture, blue table, and large mirrors.
A room with textured yellow walls, featuring modular furniture with circular cutouts, a blue table, three cylindrical vases, and two large wall mirrors.

These glazed terracotta bricks, with semicircular recesses, pioneer new architectural forms. When assembled, they form dynamic structures, allowing air and light to flow through. As bases for tables or frameworks for shelving, their possibilities are limitless. Ideal for both indoor and outdoor settings, Emisferi enriches spatial configurations with its unique adaptability.

Black chair in front of beige wall with large circular indent pattern.
A black chair is positioned in front of a beige wall with a geometric pattern of large circular indents.

The Art of Imperfection

Emisferi’s seemingly perfect grid structure conceals the subtle glaze imperfections, adding warmth and tactile depth. Available in Beige, Light Blue, and Brown, the tiles encourage pattern experimentation and creative use of color.

Beige wall, circular cutouts, light blue cabinet, and small wooden stool.
A beige wall with a circular cutout pattern, a light blue cabinet with similar circular designs, and a small wooden stool on a dark floor.

To explore the full breadth of this collaboration, and its creators, visit notedesignstudio.se and mutina.it. For a closer look into this vivid blend of design and function, photography by Peter Vinther provides a captivating view into the elegance and versatility of Emisferi.

Street view of Mutina storefront with signage and potted plant.
Street view of a storefront with large windows displaying “MUTINA” and “66 New Design Studio” signage, brown and cream exterior, and a potted plant on the right.

Source: design-milk.com