Metamorphosis in Motion by Lina Ghotmeh. Image Courtesy of ArchDaily's editors on-site in Milano
Milan reactivates its role as a global design capital this week as Milan Design Week 2026 has began on April 20, followed by the opening of the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano on April 21 at Fiera Milano, Rho. Rather than a single event, the week unfolds as a layered system in which the fair and the city operate through different temporalities and spatial conditions. From early openings across urban districts to the formal start of the fairgrounds program, the staggered calendar reinforces a continuous flow of activity that extends across institutions, infrastructures, and public space.
Entrance to Palazzo Citterio, indicative render. Image Courtesy of ACDF and Bethan Laura Wood Studio
From April 20 to 26, Milan Design Week 2026 returns as a citywide platform where design operates as both a cultural practice and a form of exploration. Framed by the Fuorisalone theme "Be the Project," this year's edition shifts the focus from outcome to process, positioning design as a dynamic, human-centered act shaped by intuition, responsibility, and transformation. Installations and exhibitions across the city foreground making as an open-ended condition, one that embraces error, temporality, and experimentation as integral to creative production. Within this context, design becomes a space of exchange between disciplines, materials, and intelligences, reflecting broader conversations around sustainability, emerging technologies, and the evolving relationship between the physical and the digital.
From April 21 to 26, the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano returns to Rho Fiera Milano, bringing together over 1,900 exhibitors across more than 169,000 square meters of sold-out exhibition space. Yet beyond its scale, the 2026 edition signals a more structural shift through collaborations with figures such as Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten (OMA) and Formafantasma, the Salone continues to reposition itself as an evolving cultural infrastructure rather than a conventional trade fair. This year introduces new curatorial and strategic layers, most notably the preview phase of Salone Contract and the debut of Salone Raritas, alongside immersive installations and exhibitions, while the Salone's footprint across Milan grows further through city-wide interventions during Milan Design Week.
Salone del Mobile.Milano has announced the framework for its 64th edition, scheduled to take place from April 21 to 26, 2026, at Fiera Milano, Rho. The upcoming edition will bring together more than 1,900 exhibitors from 32 countries across over 169,000 square meters of exhibition space, highlighting the fair's continued scale and international reach. Beyond its quantitative dimension, the 2026 Salone positions itself as an evolving cultural and economic infrastructure, increasingly structured around long-term strategies rather than isolated events. The program reflects a growing emphasis on accessibility, curatorial depth, and cross-sector dialogue, pointing at the Salone's role not only as a marketplace for the industry but also as a platform where architectural thinking, industrial production, and global dynamics intersect within a single, coordinated framework.
Courtesy of The Royal Commission for AlUla | Rana Haddad + Pascal Hachem Reveries, Desert X AlUla 2024
Architecture and design enter 2026 in a moment of renewed experimentation, urgent environmental reflection, and an expanded global dialogue on the built environment. As cities confront the pressures of climate adaptation, demographic shifts, and technological transformation, this year's international calendar offers a lens into how the discipline is responding, creatively, critically, and collectively. From long-standing biennials to newly established platforms, the events of 2026 spotlight architecture's evolving role as both a record of our changing world and a driver of more equitable, sustainable futures.
CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati, in collaboration with Salone del Mobile.Milano, recently unveiled the design of a digitally fabricated bivouac set to debut as an urban pavilion during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The digitally fabricated wooden structure is designed to be self-sufficient, incorporating systems for energy production and storage, as well as water harvesting through air condensation. After its debut at Milano Cortina 2026, the structure is planned to be airlifted by helicopter to its permanent high-altitude location in the Italian Alps, where it will serve as a refuge for mountaineers.
The 2025 edition of Milan Design Week took place from April 8 to April 13, 2025. During these five days, the city of Milan hosted special events, exhibitions, installations, and discussions centered on the creative disciplines, including the 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile at Fiera Milano fairgrounds. Among the numerous activities, the event serves as an ideal opportunity to introduce the latest trends and showcase upcoming pieces from brands and designers worldwide. Among the new releases and product launches, the ArchDaily team identified a selection of products designed by architects, ranging from lighting and furniture systems to materials and small objects.
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.
Milan Design Week 2025 is one of the most significant events in the design world, taking place from April 8 to April 13. Following in the previous years' tradition, the city of Milano will host a variety of exhibitions, installations, and discussions throughout its diverse districts, each offering a unique atmosphere and thematic focus. Alongside the renowned Salone del Mobile 2025 at the expansive Rho Fiera exhibition grounds, numerous activities and initiatives will be featured, all coordinated under the Fuorisalone agenda. This article will help navigate the many events by highlighting key venues and installations, ranging from the major fair to vibrant design districts and distinctive locations, such as historic courtyards and revitalized industrial spaces.
The 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile will take place in Milan from April 8 to 13, 2025. Dating back to 1961, Salone del Mobile is a trade fair that covers a wide range of interior design products. The theme of this edition focuses on exploring the deep connections between humanity and design, aiming to establish the event as a creative platform beyond its commercial functions. The fair also serves as a laboratory for experimentation and the exchange of ideas, where new prototypes for furniture and domestic spaces are presented in settings that bring different narratives about ways of living to life. In addition to the furniture exhibition, the event will feature installations, conferences, and workshops, all taking place over the five days at Milan's Rho Fiera fairgrounds.
Salone Satellite 2024. Image Courtesy of Salone del Mobile
The 2025 edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano has just announced its opening dates and events program. The 63rd edition is set to take place from April 8 to 13 at Fiera Milano, Rho. This year's event will bring together over 2,000 exhibitors from 37 countries, reinforcing its role as a strategic platform for the design industry. The fair will highlight industrial manufacturing, sustainable innovation, and emotional intelligence as key themes, aiming to shape the future of design.
2025 promises to be a landmark in architecture, heralding a vibrant renaissance of creativity and exploration. As societies confront challenges such as climate change, rapid urbanization, and technological evolution, architecture is both a mirror to these dynamics and a compass pointing toward a sustainable and inclusive future. This year's architectural calendar offers abundant opportunities to celebrate the discipline's transformative power — from boundary-pushing festivals to thought-provoking exhibitions that explore pressing cultural and environmental narratives.
From well-established biennials to inaugural gatherings, including the World Architecture Festival 2025, Desert X Al Ula, and the COP Climate Conference, the 2025 calendar highlights themes such as sustainability, heritage, and community. These events underscore architecture's unique ability to shape a better future, addressing global challenges while honoring cultural diversity and design ingenuity.
Entrance to Salone del Mobile 2024. Image Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano
For the first time, the Salone del Mobile.Milano offers a comprehensive look at its impact with the release of "Milan Design (Eco) System," a research project developed in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano. This inaugural annual report provides a detailed analysis of Milano Design Week's influence and impact, showcasing Salone's role as an international catalyst within the extensive program of design events. The report aims to establish a robust, long-term monitoring system that addresses key sustainability challenges – environmental, economic, and social – as well as inclusion and cultural developments. This data-driven approach is set to inform the future strategies for Salone and the wider design community.
Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA) has reimagined the architectural design of Palazzo Citterio in Milan, Italy, integrating historical and contemporary elements to create a dynamic cultural space. As part of the Grande Brera initiative, which seeks to unify key cultural institutions such as the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Braidense National Library, the palazzo now stands as a hub for modern and contemporary art. Ultimately, the project aims to reestablish Palazzo Citterio as a significant cultural and social landmark, fostering community engagement and interaction.
Designing for the human experience has been at the forefront of architect's intentions and motivations behind their work. While traditional processes prove beneficial, the industry is peering over boundaries to find opportunities for collaboration with other design and non-design fields. New approaches have emerged with collaborations between architects and service designers, or even psychologists, to create more human-centric spaces. A new intersection captures the attention of practitioners, especially with a recent installation at Salone de Mobile neuroarchitecture. ArchDaily breaks down the scope and potential for this new field with Federica Sanchez, architect and neuroscience researcher at Italian firm Lombardini22, responsible for revamping the Salone.
This year's Milan Design Week brought together designers, architects, producers, and key figures from the design world. The events were divided between the Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera, a trade fair with over 1950 exhibitors, and Fourisalone, featuring various events across Milan. With numerous installations throughout the city and a wide range of events, conferences, and debates, Milan Design Week stands as one of the most significant design-focused events worldwide. For architects, this represents an opportunity to not only exchange ideas but also to actively contribute through collaborations and explorations across disciplines.
This year, many internationally recognized architects have entered collaborations with furniture and light design companies, exploring the intersection of design and architecture. Despite the change in scale, many of these products reflect the recognizable architectural language of their designers, offering an insight into the principles that guide their practice. In addition to aesthetic explorations, many of the products selected are tackling important themes of interest, from the need to develop more sustainable materials with a reduced carbon footprint, to the potential impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
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Concept redesign routes Salone del Mobile.Milano - Ph. Cristian Catania, Lombardini22. Image Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano
The 62nd edition of the Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera brought together designers, architects, producers, and prominent figures from the design realm. With more than 1950 exhibitors, the six-day event, running from April 16 to 21, 2024, emphasized conviviality, well-being, and sustainability. Designed with a human-centric approach, incorporating neuroscience principles to enrich visitor interaction, Salone del Mobile is revolutionizing the future of fairs.
On-site during the event, ArchDaily had the opportunity to speak with Cristian Catania, Senior Architect and Project Director for Reinventing Fairs at Lombardini22, responsible for revamping Salone, about the primary changes in the fair’s layout and the implementation of neuroscience approaches in conceptualizing the exhibition spaces.
Piazza Gae Aulenti - Milano. Image Courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano
As Milan Design Week begins, the Italian city is transformed into the grounds of one of the most expansive celebrations of global design, with its streets and venues brimming with cultural events, exhibitions, large-scale installations, talks and conferences. At Rho Fiera, the 62nd edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano brings together designers, architects, producers and leading figures of the design world, featuring over 1950 exhibitors which will remain open for the next 6 days. Additionally, across the city Fuorisalone opens up locations across the city with an engaging and varied cultural program.
