Lune is the name of a new modular sofa designed by Jaime Hayon for Republic of Fritz Hansen. It is also a Danish word that refers to a coveted ideal temperature – the feeling one gets when everything is just right.

That’s exactly the feeling that Hayon and Fritz Hansen sought to inspire during Milan Design Week with their presentation of Lune within a specially curated space in Milan’s Brera district.

The Fritz Hotel was not exactly a hotel, but rather a conceptual hotel lobby where Lune was displayed in various settings to show how the new modular sofa can take multiple compositions. It was complemented by a new pillow, two throws and a sofa tray designed by Hayon for the brand’s Objects line of home products.

Stylistically, the space blended Nordic restraint with a tropical spark. “It’s a fun, informal space,” said Hayon during a presentation to the media within the Fritz Hansen Hotel. “I thought, why not break the rules a bit with colour and art? It makes it more casual – more celebratory,” he added. “Scandinavian design is not about being less playful. Think of the Arne Jacobsen pieces. We are here to dare,” he said.

Various zones – a reception, a bar and lobby-style seating areas – allowed people to choose how they would experience the space. Alongside a display of some of the brand’s most famous chairs and abstract sculptures by Hayon, the Lune modular sofa was the star attraction. “I always dreamed of a sofa that doesn’t look like a square modular sofa but almost like an armchair,” said Hayon. And it’s easy to see the formal connection between Lune and Hayon’s other designs for Fritz Hansen – particularly the Fri and Ro easy chairs.

He explained: “Some sofas are too big. Lune is lighter because you can see the pillows a little bit from behind. It becomes gentle to enter and exit the sofa because you have this distance – this little lip [at the side]. This is a bit of a signature in the pieces I’ve designed for Fritz Hansen. If you make an armrest too long, it covers too much.”

As evidenced by the way it was presented at the Fritz Hotel, Lune was designed to be appreciated from every angle. “Sofas tend to be presented from the front,” said Hayon. “I wanted to highlight the beauty of the Lune profile and the harmony between the backrest and the seat.”

Jacob Holm, the CEO of Republic of Fritz Hansen, offered his own interpretation of the form: “I think the basic idea and the basic feeling one should have when looking at the sofa is a small crooked smile – not because it is risqué, but because it gives you a certain pleasure.” Very lune.

Singapore will have its own opportunity to experience Lune from early May, when it will be unveiled here by W. Atelier.