Summary:
- CROMO Tea debuted a temporary teahouse installation. The brand placed the structure on the top floor of Torre Velasca.
- The space featured a collaborative design by Bogdan Martoiu. A special matcha bar partnered with Oatly served visitors.
- The brand introduced nine functional teas. The founders aimed to support physical and mental performance.
You look over the edge of Torre Velasca and see the Duomo directly in your line of sight. This is the setting for the Secret Teahouse, a temporary installation marking the public debut of CROMO Tea during Milan Design Week 2026. The media gathered here on April 20 to preview the brand, stepping into a raw space suspended high above the city streets. The environment immediately establishes the mood for the entire project.
The central structure results from a collaboration with Milan-based designer Bogdan Martoiu. His design draws direct inspiration from the Vietnamese Rong House, a traditional ceremonial building used historically for shared cultural gatherings. Constructed using modern, utilitarian materials, the shelter features a reflective outer shell. This surface choice makes the installation look both foreign and inevitable against the urban backdrop of Milan.
Inside the shelter, you participate in a guided tasting session. Visitors sample Cyborg Beauty, a Moroccan Mint blend designed to alter your perception. The naming convention ignores flavor profiles entirely. Instead, CROMO labels each tea based on the specific feeling the brew intends to evoke. The founders engineered these high-frequency teas to support your physical and mental performance throughout the day. They source the nine debut blends from small farms located in China, Japan, Kenya, and other remote regions.
Stepping out of the main structure brings you to a dedicated mini matcha bar. CROMO partnered with Oatly to develop the Double Tea for a specific limited release. The recipe combines jasmine tea, matcha, and Oatly. Both brands share a visible commitment to doing things differently.
Objects Are By operates as the parent venture behind CROMO. Artist Phil America and brand builder Jenny D. Pham founded the studio. Pham brings extensive industry experience, having previously worked as Chief Brand Officer at Versace and Head of Global Brand Marketing at adidas Originals. They chose to place the Secret Teahouse within the METT Lifestyle Hotel footprint. This decision supports Madison House, a private membership club planning to establish a permanent home inside Torre Velasca later in 2026.
The organizers opened the pop-up to the public strictly by confirmation on April 21 and 22, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. This activation represents the first in a scheduled series of nomadic teahouse experiences throughout 2026. The brand plans to launch a permanent CROMO location in Milan before 2027.
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