Since its emergence in the world of interior design, showrooms have always occupied a unique place within the urban ecosystem. They serve as a meeting point where different scales – such as the human-centered approach of post-war designers and the industrial scale— intersect and engage in dialogue. It is no coincidence that this concept has captivated some of modern history’s greatest architects and designers, particularly in Italy, including Gae Aulenti and Vico Magistretti, and inspired cross-disciplinary creativity, from the pop aesthetics of Elio Fiorucci to the punk manifestos of Vivienne Westwood. The word “showroom”, then, is just one of many ways to articulate such a highly versatile concept.

With the opening of Italy’s first RNLT© Store, in Milan – located on Corso Garibaldi in the heart of Brera – Renault is writing a new chapter in this narrative of spatial innovation. RNLT© goes beyond the traditional showroom; it is an identity-driven concept that brings together multiple functions within a single immersive experience. It serves as a boutique offering brand-related merchandise, alongside sales and after-sales services such as test drives, vehicle delivery, maintenance, and even car jockeying. All this is characterized by an unprecedented level of integration with the urban space, echoing the experience of Renault’s first RNLT© showroom in Paris. The result is a hybrid space where different expressions of the cultural dimension of the city come together.

The first to “show up” at RNLT© is a new vision of mobility, championed by Renault through its “Renaulution” strategic plan – focusinng on creating a more competitive, balanced, and electrified vehicle lineup – and embodied by the new R5. The R5 seamlessly blends a pop-inspired spirit with a truly revolutionary design, staying true to the radical identity of the “Losange” brand: it is a model that, since its very first appearance in 1972 – when a parade of R5s, adorned with cartoon-like headlights, took over the Champs-Élysées in Paris – the model has maintained an ironic and engaging relationship with urban environments.

Another cultural factor permeating RNLT© has also been a fresh take on urban lifestyle and street fashion since day one, reflecting a new era of luxury, represented by brands like GCDS, founded by Giuliano and Giordano Calza. A collaboration took center stage at Milan Fashion Week FW 2025, where Renault partnered with GCDS to create a unique fashion experience around the R5. The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric was the official courtesy car for celebrities attending the event, and a capsule collection of exclusive clothing and accessories was launched in its honor. GCDS’s disruptive aesthetic – marked by its blend of creativity, irony, and tradition –perfectly aligns with the spirit that gave birth to the R5 project.

Design questions also find in RNLT© a space that feels not only fitting, but almost natural. This is reflected in Ora Ïto’s exploration of the cultural, aesthetic, and technological heritage of a brand and an era – an investigation embodied in the R17 electric restomod, which Renault presents at Milan Design Week 2025.
And there is that vision of urban culture as a city that directly questions itself and its own evolution: for this reason, during Design Week, RNLT© hosts the Domus Talk titled titled “Quale smart city ci attende. Tra intelligenza progettuale e non luoghi” (What Smart City Awaits Us? Between Design Intelligence and Non-Places). Moderated by Domus editorial director Walter Mariotti, the talk will feature architects Floriana Mottola and Claudio Saverino, alongside Renault Group Product Global Leader Ampère Vittorio D’Arienzo. Together, they will explore the role of artificial intelligence in shaping contemporary cities – whether as a tool for managing complex resources like traffic and urban greenery, aiding in decision-making and forecasting, or raising profound questions about information access and system control.

This conversation, set within the highly adaptable and hybrid space of Renault in Brera, offers a rare opportunity for direct engagement with the very subject under discussion – the city and its evolving dynamics – thus opening the door to unique and innovative proposals for the future.