The 2025 edition of Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile.Milano, spanning April 7th to 13th, brought together a diverse range of temporary installations at the intersection of architecture, design, and material innovation. Spread across historic sites, courtyards, and exhibition venues throughout the city, these site-specific works explored concepts such as sustainability, impermanence, sensory experience, and spatial interaction, in line with the theme of this edition of exploring the deep connections between humanity and design. Architectural studios, designers, and artists collaborated with brands and institutions to create environments that responded to context while proposing new approaches to how spaces are designed, experienced, and constructed. The following selection highlights ten installations presented during the week, reflecting a range of design approaches, materials, and spatial concepts.
Library of Light / Es Devlin
Es Devlin brought a kinetic light installation to the heart of the Pinacoteca di Brera, one of Milan's most historic cultural institutions. Installed in the 17th-century Cortile d'Onore, linking the art gallery, the Braidense National Library, and the Academy of Fine Arts, the 18-meter-wide revolving sculpture was composed of illuminated bookshelves housing over 3,000 volumes. Known for her sculptural use of light, the British artist and designer integrated mirrored surfaces that reflected sunlight across the courtyard's colonnades and statues during the day. By night, the structure became a luminous centerpiece, casting shifting shadows on the surrounding architecture.
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Designed by light-and-water artist Lachlan Turzcan, in collaboration with Google's Chief Design Officer Ivy Ross and her design team, Google presented Making the Invisible Visible, a multisensory installation at Garage 21 that explores the transformation of abstract ideas into tangible experiences. The experience opened with Turczan's Lucida (I–IV), a series of immersive environments sculpted entirely from light and mist. Through large-scale optics, light responded to visitors' movements, bending and forming into shifting veils that blurred the boundary between material and immaterial.
Source of Pleasure / Juliana Lima Vasconcellos for Lavazza
Lavazza presented Source of Pleasure, a site-specific installation by Brazilian architect and designer Juliana Lima Vasconcellos. Located in the courtyard of Palazzo del Senato in the Porta Venezia Design District, the installation offers a multi-sensory exploration of the coffee experience, marking Lavazza's 130th anniversary with a new development in coffee innovation. The 18-meter diameter structure, set against the historical colonnade of the Milan State Archives, combines monumental scale with a restrained, almost sacred atmosphere.
All the Things We Do in Bed / Laila Gohar for Marimekko
Marimekko and New York-based artist Laila Gohar presented an installation and capsule collection focused on the theme of the bedroom. Installed in the foyer of Teatro Litta, the immersive experience centers around a large bed, showcasing a selection of bedroom-themed items curated by Gohar. The installation features bold, contrasting stripes from Marimekko's archive, particularly patterns by artist Maija Isola, reinterpreted through Gohar's design perspective.
Growing Matter(s) / Henning Larsen
Henning Larsen, in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, presented Growing Matter(s), a site-specific pavilion exploring bio-based materials and design aesthetics. Installed at Via Bonardi 9, the pavilion showcased mycelium as a living, evolving building material, with 80 uniquely shaped mycelium spheres. Emphasizing circular design principles, the installation featured biodegradable spheres that decompose at the end of their life cycle, while the scaffolding structure, designed for disassembly, will be reused after the event.
Golden Light Cage / Luc Druez
The golden light cage, directed by Luc Druez and created by LCD Textile Edition, surrounded a chandelier in the Sala degli Specchi of Palazzo Litta. Made from recycled materials and semi-precious metal wires, the installation created an optical effect, with light reflections on the metal and floor blurring the distinction between floor and ceiling. Covered in enameled copper threads with a memory of form, the work interacted with visitors, reflecting on the fragility of our time through its ephemeral presence.
Nobody Owns the Land / Byoung Soo Cho
"Nobody Owns the Land: Earth, Forest, Mahk" by architect Byoung Soo Cho, installed in the Cortile d'Onore of Palazzo Litta, explored the bond between man and earth through three interconnected elements. Earth featured a suspended platform of red earth, contrasting with the sky over Milan and inviting sensory meditation. Forest wove between the columns with abstract paintings made from a blend of earth and ink, creating a seamless visual continuity. Mahk, a Korean approach to imperfection, was expressed through Mahksabal ceramics, crafted with spontaneous gestures that embrace natural flaws.
TAM TAM. Temple, Action, Movement / Alvisi Kirimoto
Alvisi Kirimoto, in collaboration with COREPLA, presented TAM TAM. Temple, Action, Movement, a site-specific installation exploring the intersection of architecture, human interaction, and material sustainability. Installed at the historic courtyard of Università degli Studi di Milano 'La Statale', the 6 x 6 x 5-meter structure featured six movable columns, inviting visitors to reshape the space in real-time. Emphasizing flexibility and participation, the installation allowed the dynamic arrangement of columns to reflect the evolving nature of human relationships. Made from recycled plastic, TAM TAM aligns with a focus on material life cycles, with the installation's materials set to be repurposed after the event.
Opposites United: Eclipse of Perceptions / Philippe Parreno and A.A. Murakami for Kia
The Opposites United: Eclipse of Perceptions, an exhibition curated in collaboration with artists Philippe Parreno and A.A. Murakami (Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves) for Kia Design, installed at Museo della Permanente. The installation explored Kia's design philosophy through four sensory installations: Marquee, The Cave, Beyond the Horizon, and The Eclipse. These works reflected Kia's "Opposites United" philosophy, highlighting the intersection of contrasting elements in contemporary design. The exhibition also provided a platform for creative exchange, fostering dialogue between artists, designers, and the global creative community.
A Beat of Water / BIG for Roca
A Beat of Water, designed by BIG for Roca, was presented at the Università degli Studi di Milano. The installation featured a 14-meter-long structure composed of 300 meters of galvanized steel pipes, forming a closed-loop system that visualized the flow and rhythm of water. By exposing typically hidden infrastructure, the design offered visitors an immersive experience that emphasized the journey of water from natural sources to technological management.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's coverage of Milan Design Week 2025 and Salone del Mobile 2025.
