Milano Design City: Design Culture Endures in Italy
The event showed off changing trends and new approaches to everything from showrooms to the process of design itself
This autumn, Fuorisalone.it – which usually runs a city-wide design week concurrent with the iconic Salone del Mobile trade fair that takes place in April every year – teamed up with their founding magazine Interni to organise Milano Design City, a week of design events that took place virtually and around Milan, Italy from September 28 to October 10. Evolving from a smaller Fall Design Week that usually takes place around this time, it took over the city with a full lineup of over 230 events that included seminars with big names in the design scene, inaugurations of new showrooms around the city and presentations of new editions of iconic designs.
There were also many new products, with a surprise twist. New product prototypes are usually presented at Salone in April. As the trade fair was cancelled this year due to the pandemic, many pieces were presented here for the first time – but as products already on the market, not prototypes, thanks to the autumn date.
There were also many new products, with a surprise twist. New product prototypes are usually presented at Salone in April. As the trade fair was cancelled this year due to the pandemic, many pieces were presented here for the first time – but as products already on the market, not prototypes, thanks to the autumn date.
The Plissé line by Michele de Lucchi for Alessi
Companies Taking the High Road
One focus were Benefit Corporations, the formal legal entity that mirrors the third-party accredited B Corporations: companies that focus on social goals as well as profit.
This movement is being driven by recent legislation that officially recognises them as a type of legal entity, but many companies have been taking social and environmental aims into account for some time. “Being a benefit corporation has nothing to do with the size of the individual company; it’s about the reasons for doing business,” says Nicoletta Alessi, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Alessi. “We have never put profit first; despite being a for-profit company, we have always held to another entrepreneurial calling, that of serving society, in our case by making products that are first and foremost works of art.”
Companies Taking the High Road
One focus were Benefit Corporations, the formal legal entity that mirrors the third-party accredited B Corporations: companies that focus on social goals as well as profit.
This movement is being driven by recent legislation that officially recognises them as a type of legal entity, but many companies have been taking social and environmental aims into account for some time. “Being a benefit corporation has nothing to do with the size of the individual company; it’s about the reasons for doing business,” says Nicoletta Alessi, Corporate Responsibility Manager at Alessi. “We have never put profit first; despite being a for-profit company, we have always held to another entrepreneurial calling, that of serving society, in our case by making products that are first and foremost works of art.”
Marsotto showroom, project by Studio Nendo. Photo by Hiroki Tagma
Design on Location
The participating Milanese showrooms attracted visitors with innovative approaches, whether creative new designs for their interiors and exteriors, or by reinventing themselves as multifunctional venues.
The showroom of Marsotto Milano, who specialise in marble and natural stone, was one highlight. A collaboration with Japanese design studio Nendo produced a space that is impactful right from its entrance, where the shadow of a marble seat in a display window immediately draws visitors’ attention.
Inside, the project’s poetic approach, with its predominantly black and white palette, was developed not only to showcase products but also to create a space for temporary exhibitions from outside the Marsotto brand.
Find a designer near you to design your home
Design on Location
The participating Milanese showrooms attracted visitors with innovative approaches, whether creative new designs for their interiors and exteriors, or by reinventing themselves as multifunctional venues.
The showroom of Marsotto Milano, who specialise in marble and natural stone, was one highlight. A collaboration with Japanese design studio Nendo produced a space that is impactful right from its entrance, where the shadow of a marble seat in a display window immediately draws visitors’ attention.
Inside, the project’s poetic approach, with its predominantly black and white palette, was developed not only to showcase products but also to create a space for temporary exhibitions from outside the Marsotto brand.
Find a designer near you to design your home
Pianca & Partners showroom. Photo by Alba Deangelis
Keyword: Better Together
The concept of the showroom has been reinterpreted to not only be a place to display individual products but also as a site for collaboration between multiple brands.
The new Pianca & Partners space is one example. Designed by Calvi Brambilla Studio, it showcases exhibits from around 25 interior design companies that serve a variety of sectors, including residential and hospitality. The new showroom has evolved from simply displaying products to serving as a project location, a place where professionals and architects are available for homeowners to come and jointly develop custom-made solutions.
Keyword: Better Together
The concept of the showroom has been reinterpreted to not only be a place to display individual products but also as a site for collaboration between multiple brands.
The new Pianca & Partners space is one example. Designed by Calvi Brambilla Studio, it showcases exhibits from around 25 interior design companies that serve a variety of sectors, including residential and hospitality. The new showroom has evolved from simply displaying products to serving as a project location, a place where professionals and architects are available for homeowners to come and jointly develop custom-made solutions.
Cassette by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan
Designing Around A Defining Product
Design processes were also rethought. One new approach was exemplified in interiors such as that of the Luceplan showroom, where the latest project by Daniel Rybakken – the Cassette lamp collection – was the leitmotif of the setting “in a rigorous and essential aesthetic, where geometry and formal cleanliness play a central role,” as the company’s press release explains.
The showroom was built around Cassette, showcasing an alternative mode for interior styling: rather than selecting furniture based on an overall design, it showed how an entire design concept can flow from a single, central piece.
Designing Around A Defining Product
Design processes were also rethought. One new approach was exemplified in interiors such as that of the Luceplan showroom, where the latest project by Daniel Rybakken – the Cassette lamp collection – was the leitmotif of the setting “in a rigorous and essential aesthetic, where geometry and formal cleanliness play a central role,” as the company’s press release explains.
The showroom was built around Cassette, showcasing an alternative mode for interior styling: rather than selecting furniture based on an overall design, it showed how an entire design concept can flow from a single, central piece.
Touch Down Unit, a flexible and multifunctional workspace by Studio Klass for Molteni & C
New Ideas In Response to the Pandemic
Salone del Mobile having been cancelled this year, Milano Design City allowed design companies to present specific innovations, some of which sprung from changes prompted or imposed by the pandemic.
Transformable furniture. One clear trend, which we’re seeing at many fairs this year, is transformable furniture: pieces are becoming more and more flexible and adapting to the – often obligatory – functional changes taking place in different areas of the home.
For example, there were a lot of solutions for bringing the office into the home, while taking up as little space as possible and working multiple functions into a single piece of furniture.
New Ideas In Response to the Pandemic
Salone del Mobile having been cancelled this year, Milano Design City allowed design companies to present specific innovations, some of which sprung from changes prompted or imposed by the pandemic.
Transformable furniture. One clear trend, which we’re seeing at many fairs this year, is transformable furniture: pieces are becoming more and more flexible and adapting to the – often obligatory – functional changes taking place in different areas of the home.
For example, there were a lot of solutions for bringing the office into the home, while taking up as little space as possible and working multiple functions into a single piece of furniture.
Integralis light by Artemide
Battling viruses and bacteria. The world of furniture and lighting is focusing on finding technological solutions to bolster safety and hygiene inside the home.
One example is sanitation technology, such Artemide’s new Integralis light, pictured here. The brand has long been committed to producing lights that do much more than just illuminate – for instance, they’ve previously showcased lighting systems that can transmit data. In the case of Integralis, an app lets users select specific light frequencies that inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and mould, and kill viruses.
Battling viruses and bacteria. The world of furniture and lighting is focusing on finding technological solutions to bolster safety and hygiene inside the home.
One example is sanitation technology, such Artemide’s new Integralis light, pictured here. The brand has long been committed to producing lights that do much more than just illuminate – for instance, they’ve previously showcased lighting systems that can transmit data. In the case of Integralis, an app lets users select specific light frequencies that inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and mould, and kill viruses.
Sideways Sofa by Rikke Frost for Carl Hansen & Søn
Apart, yet connected. Social distancing is affecting how living spaces evolve, but the industry has been working on developing a new sense of togetherness. New solutions encourage interpersonal communication. For example, Rikke Frost’s organically shaped Sideways sofa, which was also a hit at the 3 Days of Design event in Copenhagen, Denmark, consists of two seats that face each other to encourage conversation.
Apart, yet connected. Social distancing is affecting how living spaces evolve, but the industry has been working on developing a new sense of togetherness. New solutions encourage interpersonal communication. For example, Rikke Frost’s organically shaped Sideways sofa, which was also a hit at the 3 Days of Design event in Copenhagen, Denmark, consists of two seats that face each other to encourage conversation.
Hotel Chimera, by Elena Salmistraro for Florim
Colourful Floor and Wall Finishes
Ample space at the event was dedicated to floor and wall finishes, which are becoming increasingly influential in interiors. Trying to catch up after Cersaie –the major trade fair for finishes and bathrooms – was cancelled, Milano Design City presented many new ideas in porcelain stoneware.
Bold colours dominated, moving away from a years-long trend of natural materials lookalikes like wood-effect stoneware. This made room for the creativity of designers like Patricia Urquiola and Elena Salmistraro.
Colourful Floor and Wall Finishes
Ample space at the event was dedicated to floor and wall finishes, which are becoming increasingly influential in interiors. Trying to catch up after Cersaie –the major trade fair for finishes and bathrooms – was cancelled, Milano Design City presented many new ideas in porcelain stoneware.
Bold colours dominated, moving away from a years-long trend of natural materials lookalikes like wood-effect stoneware. This made room for the creativity of designers like Patricia Urquiola and Elena Salmistraro.
Abstract Room by Studio Elisa Ossino for Amini Carpets
Craftsmanship in Accessories
Milano Design City also placed accessories – from rugs to mirrors to bathroom and kitchen decor – in the limelight. It was hard to pin down a particular style trend among the myriad pieces on display, but a general attention to craftsmanship was clear.
Case in point was the Salvatori showroom, pictured below, which shows that “the competence and knowledge of local master craftsmen carry on the Italian tradition of dedication to detail and manufacturing skills,” as their press release points out.
Craftsmanship in Accessories
Milano Design City also placed accessories – from rugs to mirrors to bathroom and kitchen decor – in the limelight. It was hard to pin down a particular style trend among the myriad pieces on display, but a general attention to craftsmanship was clear.
Case in point was the Salvatori showroom, pictured below, which shows that “the competence and knowledge of local master craftsmen carry on the Italian tradition of dedication to detail and manufacturing skills,” as their press release points out.
New interior of the Salvatori showroom in Brera, where collections of accessories created with Piero Lissoni, Yabu Pushelberg, Elisa Ossino and Federico Babina were shown
Innovation and Endurance in the Design Sector
As a “rehearsal” for the next Salone del Mobile or an attempt to recover what was missed in April, Milano Design City sought to demonstrate that the sector is active and intends to use its intelligence, technology and poetic senses to continue generating innovative ideas for products and design culture.
It was clear that something was missing in the lack of international attendees and buyers at this event, but, as Giulia Molteni, member of the Board of Federlegno Arredo and director of the Assarredo furniture association says, “We had the opportunity to finally let the world see the novel things that companies were to show in April at the Salone del Mobile, and relive the annual experience of the Fuorisalone in the capital of design.”
Read more:
What’s New in Nordic Design?
Tell us:
What did you find most striking about the design fair?
Innovation and Endurance in the Design Sector
As a “rehearsal” for the next Salone del Mobile or an attempt to recover what was missed in April, Milano Design City sought to demonstrate that the sector is active and intends to use its intelligence, technology and poetic senses to continue generating innovative ideas for products and design culture.
It was clear that something was missing in the lack of international attendees and buyers at this event, but, as Giulia Molteni, member of the Board of Federlegno Arredo and director of the Assarredo furniture association says, “We had the opportunity to finally let the world see the novel things that companies were to show in April at the Salone del Mobile, and relive the annual experience of the Fuorisalone in the capital of design.”
Read more:
What’s New in Nordic Design?
Tell us:
What did you find most striking about the design fair?
From Virtual to Physical
Some of the energy and novelty of the April event was captured this autumn in design districts around the city. There were also new ‘urban itineraries’ that laid out routes through the city’s events. Local organisations also participated: The Triennale Milano, for example, opened the Museum of Italian Design for free.
The event was jam-packed with installations, showroom openings and talks on design trends. Hot topics included the advent of benefit corporations, the evolution of furniture finishes and new developments in intelligent lighting technology.