Retrovare (next to Atelier SOOI.Lab.) feels less like a shop and more like a carefully composed archive of lived design. It is the kind of place where objects carry memory — and where browsing becomes a slow, almost meditative act. Run by Silvio Cazorzi, the space is dedicated to buying and selling design pieces from the 1920s to the 1970s, alongside selected antiques. But beyond the categories — furniture, lighting, glass, ceramics — what defines Retrovare is its restraint. Every chair, every lamp, every small object seems chosen not just for its age, but for its presence.
Unlike typical retail spaces, Retrovare operates on its own rhythm. The showroom opens only on selected Saturdays, with visits during the week arranged by appointment. This limited accessibility adds to the sense that you are entering something more private than commercial — almost like being invited into a collector’s personal world.
What makes Retrovare stand out is not scale or trendiness, but clarity. In a time where “vintage” is often reduced to aesthetic shorthand, this place insists on authenticity. It reminds you that good design does not age — it simply accumulates stories.
Open every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 1pm to 5pm.
Retrovare, Oberstrasse 167b, 9000 St.Gallen, Website
