Milan Design Week stands as one of the most important events in the global design calendar, serving not only as a showcase of innovation but also as a catalyst for critical discourse and creative exchange. This year, the event unfolds with a multitude of exhibitions, installations, and talks happening throughout Milano during the week of April 15-21, 2024. By bringing together diverse voices, perspectives, and talents, Milan Design Week becomes relevant for architects and serves as a nexus for interdisciplinary dialogue. To help you better navigate the plethora of events, conferences, and installations, this article highlights the main venues hosting activities revenant for architects and designers, from the expansive trade fair Salone del Mobile in Rho Fiera to design districts across the city and unexpected locations hidden in Palazzo courtyards or reimagined industrial heritage sites.
Rho Fiera- Salone del Mobile
Happening every year at the Rho Fiera Exhibition Halls, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile is one of the most important trade fairs, gathering home furnishing operators from the entire world. This year, the special exhibition section EuroCucina 2024 will feature a curated selection of products for kitchen and bathroom design. The layout of the exhibition, created by Lombardini22, takes cues from neurosciences to optimize and enhance the visitor experience. Additionally, famous filmmaker David Lynch is preparing an immersive installation that invites introspection, while Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, known as Formafantasma, have announced their contributions taking shape as the Drafting Futures Arena, Salone Library, and the Corraini Mobile Bookshop.
In addition to the installations and fair exhibitions, this year’s edition of Salone del Mobile includes an extensive program of Talks and Rounds Tables entitled “Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives”, curated by Annalisa Rosso. Among the invited speakers are Pritzker-Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré, British architect John Pawson, who will talk with author and curator Deyan Sudjic, Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery, who will interview Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano.
DropCity: Center for Architecture and Design
Dropcity, conceived by architect Andrea Caputo in 2018, is imagined as a hub for exploring alternative design and architecture amidst global crises. Scheduled to open permanently in the fall of 2024, the venue located at Via Sammartini, from Tunnel 38 to Tunnel 60 will host a variety of exhibitions, installations, lectures, and workshops. During Milan Design Week, the center invites innovative companies and professionals to reflect on the theme of progress in Architecture and Design. The public lectures program curated by Anneke Abhelakh includes speakers such as Sam Chermayeff, WE+ from Tokyo, Seoul-based office Archimosphere, Adam Stech, WASP 3D printing, XL Extralight, Muthesius University, Fake Authentic, 6am, and SOCII collective from Tbilisi.
Porta Venezia Design District
Porta Venezia is a cosmopolitan district of Milan featuring a combination of architecture, local histories, and ethnic cultures, a reflection of Milan's ever-evolving nature. For the activities of this year’s Fuorisalone, Porta Venezia Design District hosts an array of exhibitions and installations under the concept "EverythinK is design," embracing inclusivity and diversity. In this area, at Palazzo del Senato, Kohler prepares a large-scale installation titled “Terminal 02” developed with artist-designer Samuel Ross and his studio SR_A. Additionally, RAPT STUDIO with “Design is Language. Speak for Yourself” launches a call to action to ‘see the built environment as a text, a story to be shared’, while the “Inspired in Barcelona: Terra Rosa,” brings to Milan a collective installation created and reinterpreted by 15 Catalan designers.
Alcova
The seventh edition of Alcova, an international platform for contemporary design, takes place in the iconic villas of Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi in the Milan metropolitan area. The interplay between the two locations, a Modernist architectural work by Osvaldo Borsani, and an example of the Lombard Baroque style, create a unique experience for visitors, who will explore themes of technological innovation, sustainability, contemporary craft, and sociopolitical issues. As part of the program, Maniera will present new furniture by architect Junya Ishigami, while the Alcova Design Shop features an installation designed by Space Caviar with materials from Spazio Meta.
Brera Design Week
In Milano, the historic neighborhood of Brera, with narrow streets and heritage buildings, is renowned for its concentration of design and architecture-related activities. Between April 15 and 21, the district is scheduled to host a vast array of exhibitions and installations, becoming a hub for design enthusiasts, professionals, and creatives. As part of this, on Via Pietro Maroncelli, 7, the Taiwan Pavilion, curated by Atelier SUPERB, will showcase Taiwanese studios and brands focused on sustainable practices. Design Space AlUla is to exhibit at the Mediateca Santa Teresa in Brera, showcasing recent projects from AlUla, in a space designed by Cloud and Sabine Marcelis. In the courtyard of Palazzo del Beltrami, Mario Cucinella has announced an installation titled “Città Miniera” organized by Solferino 28. Additionally, ARRCC, i29, and Neri&Hu will present the collective exhibition "Architectural Scenarios".
Isola Design Festival
From April 15 to 21, 2024, Isola Design Festival, organized by the digital and physical design platform Isola, will transform hidden venues such as Lampo Milano, WAO PL7, and Galleria Bonelli into design hotspots. With over 320 designers and manufacturers across 60 locations across the neighborhood, the festival's theme, "This Future is Currently Unavailable," challenges designers to address pressing global issues through innovative solutions and collaboration. As part of Architecture Hunter, ten distinguished architecture firms, including Kengo Kuma, Woha, 3XN, and Marcio Kogan, have been invited to represent different countries and craft unique experiences for each. Additionally, on Via Confalonieri 2, an immersive urban installation will offer visitors an olfactory experience of the Black Forest, while the ConstructLab exhibition reimagines consumerism as a positive force for the environment.
Università degli Studi di Milano
Every year during Milan Design Week, the Università degli Studi di Milano opens its courtyards of Ca' Granda to host events like the Fuorisalone exhibition by "Interni". This year, Furiosalone has announced an intriguing addition to its lineup: a temporary installation titled Stone Grove, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates in collaboration with Quarella. MAD Architects have also announced an intervention titled The Amazing Walk in collaboration with Amazon.
Other Venues
In addition to all the established locations, architects, designers and producers are exploring different venues throughout Milano, aiming to engage an even larger public with exhibitions, conferences, and surprising installations. Among the parallel events, Triennale Milano, with its main venue at Palazzo dell'Arte, is organizing an array of events, including a retrospective of Alessandro Mendini’s work and “What?” an installation by Philippe Starck. For the second edition of the LABÒ project, the industrial spaces of SPA - Società Prodotti Antibiotici will host a selection of art galleries and international designers.
At 10 Corso Como, this year’s edition of Capsule Plaza features a hybrid between a fair and a collective exhibition. Separately, Formafantasma is preparing “Earthic Lab” with Cosentino, a unique installation located at Teatro Gerolamo exploring new types of surfaces and textures. Also designed by Formafantasma, Fondazione ICA Milano, on Via Orobia 26, presents the exhibition “La Casa Dentro” (The Home Within) curated by Alberto Salvadori.
Prada presents the 2024 Prada Frames Symposium, curated by Formafantasma, which is focused on the interaction between design and the environment. The event takes place at the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum in Milan, located at Via Gesù 5. As part of Salone del Mobile, Burkinan-German architect Diébédo Francis Kéré collaborates with next125 for “The Fireplace” installation, on view in the Daylight Hall at Superstudio, Via Tortona 27. Among other interventions, at Garage 21, Google Design Studio is preparing the multi-space installation, “Making Sense of Color.”
Across the city, more installations are waiting to be discovered. Grohe SPA returns to Milano, this time reimagining the courtyard of Palazzo Reale near the Duomo with an installation that pays homage to the historical building while incorporating the company’s “Health through Water” concept. Similarly, renowned French artist JR has been invited by Milano Centrale Railway Station to transform both the station’s facade and Piazza Duca d’Aosta into a rocky landscape with his latest installation, La Nascita. Base Milano prepares an outdoor installation in the middle of Via Tortona, while MEET Digital Culture Center has curated a collaboration between 8 internationally-recognized designers including Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, atelier oï, and Migliore+Servetto.
Additionally, on April 18, Form Portfolios is hosting a discussion at Via Santa Maria Fulcorina, 20, moderated by Deyan Sudjic between Marco Sammicheli, Sue Ann Kahn, who is Louis Kahn's daughter, and Gregory Kahn Melitonov, his grandson, to commemorate the launch of the publication “Louis I. Kahn: The Last Notebook”.
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's coverage of Milan Design Week 2024.
