October 6th, 2017
After Paris, New York, London, and all the major design capitals of the world, Le Cercle & Beirut celebrated the 50th anniversary of B&B Italia in a lavish party at the Yacht Club Beirut.
Le Cercle, Opera Gallery & Architectural Digest Middle East joined forces to create an unforgettable evening:
Under the patronage of H.E. the Italian Ambassador in Beirut, Mr. Massimo Marotti, Mr. Massimiliano Busnelli (third generation of family-owned B&B Italia) and the star artist Mr. Umberto Mariani (Opera Gallery Beirut), Italian Design & Art Excellence were at the forefront.
The evening started with a special viewing of the acclaimed design documentary "B&B Italia, Poetry in the Shape. When Design Meets Industry," by Didi Gnocchi for Sky Arte, in a beautiful 360 degree projection on the walls of the Yacht Club. The documentary was followed by a heartwarming performance by the counter tenor Matteo Khodr. While enjoying the art and projection around them, more than 750 guests, had a chance to mingle and view the 'Big Mama' from the Up series by Gaetano Pesce and Zaha Hadid's 'Moon System'.
The 50th celebrations also coincided with the opening of the new B&B Italia flagship store in Downtown Beirut and housed an exhibition of Contemporary Italian Masters curated by Opera gallery Beirut from the 7th of October to 7th of November 2017.