Design Variations at Milan Design Week 2025 – Courtesy of ©Mosca Partners.
Design. This is going to be a very long post. Sorry for that. But Milan Design Week 2025 is truly massive! The event takes over the Italian city with over 2,000 exhibitions and events on top of the Salone del Mobile design fair. We mapped the top destinations in town. Check them all out if you can!
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Explore historic cloisters, ceramic ateliers, design apartments, and unexpected installations in the beating heart of Milan. Themed Armonie Invisibili, the 5VIE design district explores the intimate process and hidden network of collaborations behind the finished object. This year’s highlights include a temporary design bar exploring the landscapes of Italian food culture, a digital detox oasis, performing chairs, ceramic adventures, and 3D-printed pasta. Head to Museo della Scienza e della Tecnica [Map] and Via Cesare Correnti 14 [Map] to discover installations by Misha Kahn, Sara Ricciardi, Richard Yasmine, and more. Archipanic is a media partner of 5VIE: check our preview!
Graffito di Luce installation by Luca Trazzi – Courtesy of 5VIE 2025.
Across the neighbourhood, Luca Trazzi presents a luminous installation in a historic cloister. Casaornella’s interior design showcase focuses on contemporary Mediterranean minimalism. A group of designers from Poland explores the country’s Romantic Brutalism. LUCE TU launches a collection inspired by the Japanese word Komorebi, which describes the light shining through foliage.
Sanlorenzo exhibition by Piero Lissoni at Interni magazine Cre-Action.
Creativity translates into concrete intervention at the INTERNI Magazine’s Cre-Action diffused exhibition, featuring over 30 installations. At Statale University [Via Festa del Perdono 7, until April 17, Map], Piero Lissoni creates a labyrinth of wind, water and sails for Sanlorenzo Yacht. MAD Architects reinterprets vibrant Italian plazas for Amazon. The rhythm of water inspired the installation by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group for Roca.
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Centred around Via Durini [Map], the DDD-Durini Design District is a key destination for design excellence. Visit the showrooms of leading Italian design companies such as Porro, B&B, Natuzzi, Cappellini, and more. Cassina presents an installation and theatrical performance created by Formafantasma to celebrate the 60th anniversary of modernist masterpieces by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand.
Martinelli Luce new showroom – Photo by Martinelli Luce.
The nearby Corso Monforte [Map] hosts the flagship stores of leading Italian and international lighting design companies such as FLOS, Foscarini, Artemide, Nemo Lighting, Foscarini, Occhio, Fontana Arte and Luceplan. Martinelli Luce inaugurates its first showroom in Via Borgogna 4 [Map]. Already tired? DAAA Haus transforms its studio into a hidden luxurious forest, an alcove of serenity away from the design week’s hustle and bustle [Via San Damiano 2, Map].
Masterly 2025, Artwork by ©Jasper Abels – Courtesy of Masterly.
A stone’s throw from Piazza Duomo, within the halls of the 16th-century Palazzo Giurieconsulti [Via Mercanti 2, Map], Dutch design incubator Masterly brings cutting-edge creative innovation from the Netherlands to Milan. The Chamber des Reflections by Architect Paul Linse plays with the dual meaning of ‘reflection’. Royal Delft and Royal Leerdam Crystal celebrate iconic craftsmanship. Maxim Duterre unveils booming high-tech flowers. On Sunday 13, Masterly gifts over 1,000 orchids to the people of Milan as a gesture of gratitude for their warm hospitality.
Nobody Owns the Land- Earth, Forest, Mahk by Byoung Soo Cho at Palazzo Litta – Courtesy of Mosca Partners.
Exhibitors from twelve countries explore migrations, cross-cultural exchange and contamination at Design Variations by Mosca Partners at the stunning Palazzo Litta [Corso Magenta 24, Map]. In the main courtyard, Korean architect Byoung Soo Cho presents the Nobody Owns the Land: Earth, Forest, Mahk installation. Adrenalina with Debonademeo presents an exhibition path accessible to blind and visually impaired visitors. At Design Variations, Giulio Iacchetti rethinks the umbrella with a horizontal opening system that eliminates the central pole and minimises space once closed. Officine Tamborrino reinterprets the traditional sideboard with a hydroponic garden. The Tactile Baltics exhibition features innovation and craftsmanship from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Forme Mobili exhibition at Triennale Milano – Photo by Delfino Sisto Legnani, © Triennale Milano.
Triennale is Milan’s design temple, [Via Alemagna 6, Map]. The Forme Mobili exhibition, curated by Marco Sammicheli, explores Italian design’s silhouettes, movement and shapes. Sammicheli also curates an exhibition exploring the radical creative thinking of architect and artist Franco Raggi. Jasper Morrison celebrates furniture brand Emeco’s 80th anniversary with a showcase inspired by American natural landscapes. Giulio Iacchetti and EMERGENCY present Contro La Guerra, a political statement against the war featuring works by Riccardo Blumer, Sara Bozzini, Lorenzo Damiani, Paolo Julian, and more. Influential magazine Wallpaper* gives voice to the next generation of designers.
Entrance of RO Rossana Orlandi Gallery – Photo via IG, follo @sabrinelj.
Rossana Orlandi opens her gallery to present the work of some of the most promising upcoming talents and established designers [Via Matteo Bandello 14, Map]. Draga & Aurel present transparent lamps blending Minimalism, Space Age design, and Optical Art. Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman unveils glamorous furniture, while SecondoMe presents an exhibition featuring works by Serena Confalonieri, Onka Allmayer-Beck, and Clementine Chambon. Diasen animates the gallery’s courtyard with cork-based sustainable finishings. The seventh edition of the RoGUILTLESSPLASTIC international project showcases projects that raise awareness of the importance of recycling, reusing, and upcycling materials.
Nilufar Depot installation – Courtesy of Nilufar gallery.
Under the curatorship and vision of its founder, Nina Yashar, Nilufar presents Repertorio, an immersive journey that intertwines scenography and theatre. At Nilufar Depot [Via Lancetti 34, Map], Fosbury Architecture co-curates an exhibition paying tribute to the multifaceted world of metal. On the upper floors, space is allocated to solo presentations, including Allegra Hicks, Etereo, and Gal Gaon. The gallery in Via della Spiga 32 [Map] visionary craftsman George Nakashima celebrates the material spirituality of wood. Organic forms, natural materials and earthy textures thrive at Nilufar’s Via Senato. On display are creations by Andrea Mancuso, Maximilian Marchesani and Etienne Marc.
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Cobbled alleys, artists’ ateliers and the world’s higher design concentration per square kilometre. Explore the Brera Design District alternating companies’ showrooms, pop-up installations, design apartments, and exhibitions in historic palazzos. Swiss creativity goes on show at the House of Switzerland [Via Tomato Cazzaniga, corner with Corso Garibaldi 89/A, Map]. Also here, hidden in a secret garden, lifestyle brand MUJI presents a ‘manifesto house’ inspired by Japanese architecture.
Michela Picchi x GLO – Photo by ©GLO.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the 16th-century cloisters of di San Simpliciano [Piazza Paolo VI 6, Map], Gucci celebrates the legacy of bamboo in the Maison’s design history and identity. Hermès returns to La Pelota Jai Alai [Via Palermo 1, Map] to present a stage-like installation with suspended, impalpable structures blending matter with light. Loro Piana and Dimoremilano explore the boundary between reality and cinematic suggestion at the Corte della Seta [Via della Moscova 33, Map]. Artist Michela Picchi takes over Palazzo Moscova 18 with fluid splashes of colour for Glo [Map].
©dOT – dOT-design Outdoor Texture.
Visit the showrooms of leading Italian and international companies. Moroso presents new collections by Zanellato/Bortotto and Patricia Urquiola [Via Pontaccio 8, Map], Elitis presents its new collections within a setting by Masquespacio [Via Palermo 8, Map], Laufen’s nocturnal installation features designs by Yves Béhar, and Molteni&C inaugurates its own Palazzo in Via Manzoni 9 [Map] with interior design by Vincent Van Duysen. Dutch design company Moooi opens its new Milanese home in Via Turati 2 with the A Life Extraordinary exhibition [Map]. dOT-design Outdoor Texture transforms San Marco Square and its Cloisters into a space for research and design experimentation [Map].
Philippe Stark’s War Flags – Courtesy of Interni Magazine.
As part of the INTERNI Magazine’s Cre-Action diffused exhibition, Philippe Stark denounces and urges action against the forces and violence on the move in the emerging new world order. At the Orto Botanico di Brera [Via Brera 28/via Fiori Oscuri 4, Map], the installation Hate Unlimited Korporation features insignias, flags and armbands indispensable for new warriors to recognise each other on today’s political battlefields.
TOILETPAPER x PRIMA Assicurazioni, Porta Venezia Design District – Courtesy of TOILETPAPER.
Design with boundaries goes on show at the Porta Venezia Design District. Creative studio TOILETPAPER dresses the neighbourhood’s historic gates in Piazza Oberdan with its signature snake pattern for PRIMA Insurance company [Map]. At Garage 21, tech giant Google presents the Making the Invisible Visible exhibition, shedding light on art and design as acts of alchemy that bring ideas to life [Via Archimede 26, Map]. Glass remains a star of the district with Poetica by WONDERGLASS and CALICO WALLPAPER. This installation transforms glass and paper into storytelling tools [Istituto dei Ciechi, via Vivaio 7, Map].
GOOGLE’s Making the Invisible Visible exhibition – Photo by © Lachlan Turczan and GOOGLE.
At Palazzo Serbelloni, Louis Vuitton presents the new exclusive designs of the Objets Nomades collection [Corso Venezia 16, Map]. At the Giardino delle Arti, German luxury Maison MCM and Pet Therapy by Atelier Biagetti debut a bold new collaboration centred around a collection of sculptural, pet-friendly pouffes shaped like cats and dogs [Via Palestro 8, Map]. Historic Villa Necchi Campiglio hosts Occhio’s design showcase [Via Mozart 14, Map].
DRIFT x AUDI at Re-Creation – Courtesy of Interni Magazine.
Discover the next wave of international design at Convey, a project curated and led by Simple Flair, featuring the latest collections of independent brands such as Meritalia, Dante Goods and Bads, Campeggi, Parachilna and more. New York City-based studio Sunfish debuts in Europe with a self-produced furniture collection [Via Rosolino Pilo 14, Map]. At Palazzo Bovara, Elle Decor Italy celebrates its 35th anniversary with Alchemica, a design exhibition exploring the evolution of domestic spaces [Corso Venezia 51, Map]. As part of the INTERNI Magazine’s Cre-Action diffused exhibition, the site-specific installation by Dutch design studio DRIFT for AUDI reinterprets the concept of transformation in the 16th-century courtyard of Portrait Milano [Corso Venezia 11, Map].
CAPSULE PLAZA – Photo by © t-studio.
Capsule Plaza returns to Spazio Maiocchi, a striking industrial cathedral turned cultural destination [Via Achille Maiocchi 3-5-7-8 and 23, Map], and expands with new venues around the neighbourhood. HEM launches a collection by Philippe Malouin, Formafantasma, Max Lamb, Faye Toogood, and more. Hydro continues its design journey, exploring stainless steel innovation and sustainability in collaboration with Sabine Marcelis, Stefan Diez, Cecilie Manz, Keiji Takeuchi, and Daniel Rybakken. New York City Gallery Friedman Benda presents a solo exhibition by Misha Kahn. Special projects by Konstantin Grcic, Harry Nuriev & Tyler Billinger, Nike, and Stone Island are on display.
Tortona Rocks, inside Opificio 31 in 2021 – Courtesy of Tortona Rocks.
Via Tortona is the cradle of Milan Design Week but is now a victim of ‘design gentrification’. A true design lover would dodge design-unrelated installations, giving out tacky gadgets, artsy showcases, and fun park-like parties. Under Gisella Borioli’s helm and Giulio Cappellini’s artistic direction, Superdesign Show celebrates 25 years of design thinking with the HAPPINESS manifesto, which encapsulates hope and beauty in these dark and uncertain times [SuperStudio Più, Via Tortona 27, Map].
Superdesign Show 2025 – Courtesy of SuperStudio Più.
Here, the visitor’s heartbeat merges with the sounds of nature in the A-Un installation by Lexus, exploring how cars can push the boundaries of human-machine interaction. Geberit‘s immersive experience unveils the essence and power of water. Happy projects on display include Carla Tolomeo’s Tree of Life, crafted with precious fabrics. Amore Ocean by SLIDE is a bench made from ocean-recovered recycled plastic; Daniele Cima’s Artphabetical low table combines lettering with design.
Giovanni Amerio @ BASE – Courtesy of Base.
Located in a former streetcar depot, BASE‘s co-working space and creative hub returns with the fifth edition of the We Will Design group exhibition in Via Bergognone 34 [Map]. This year, it explores the creation of alliances and kinship, investigating new ways of coexisting and collaborating. The DO YOU SPEAK FLOWER? exhibition by students of the HEAD–Genève University features deceiving vases with encrypted political, feminist, and queer messages. Ahmet Selcuk Dis presents colour-changing and shape-shifting garments inspired by amphibian behaviours; Ana Souto Neves introduces a joystick designed to help manage anxiety. Giovanni Amerio explores how architecture absorbing new liberal values impacts on urban communities
TA Design at Tortona Rock 2025 – Courtesy of the company.
Centred around Opificio 31 [Via Tortona 31, Map], Tortona Rocks combines pop aesthetics with research projects and outdoor furniture. IQOS and Seletti present a monumental installation inspired by the typical Italian piazza. TA Design unveils urban outdoor furniture. Archiproducts explores design through the design elements. In Via Vigevano 18 [Map], IKEA celebrates its 30th design week. Archipanic is a media partner of Tortona Rock: check our preview!
Playful and tongue-in-cheek brand Qeeboo launches new collections by Stefano Giovannoni, Furf from Brasil, Maum Studio from South Korea, and more [Via Stendhal 35, Map].
‘A form of one’s own’ – human object by Lee Shmeltz at the Conscious Objects exhibition, Isola Design Festival 2025 – ©Guy Rashkovan.
Crafts and Technology blur at Isola Design Festival 2025. Organised by the international platform Isola Design, the event brings together international designers, architects, creators, and manufacturers to champion a humanity-driven approach to design. Basic Village [Via dell’Aprica 12, Map] is the design district’s new epicentre. Archipanic is a media partner of Isola Design Festival: check our preview!
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At the playful Conscious Objects exhibition, chairs work only when sitting with their host while furniture shape-shifts to adapt to the user’s needs. Arno Hoogland nobilitates MDF, the underdog material snubbed by designers [Via Luigi Porro Lambertenghi 3, Map]. Moreover, several studios, workshops and galleries across the district open their doors to visitors.
©Portanuova Vertical Connection.
Portanuova Vertical Connection is an AI-powered, fully walkable, accessible Layher structure [Piazza GAe Aulenti, Map]. Through interactive buttons and sensors, visitors can create and shape content on videowalls—choosing locations, colours, and sensations that transform into images, sounds, and lights. British designer Benjamin Hubert celebrates the 10th anniversary of his studio Layer with an exhibition at 10 Corso Como [Corso Como 10, Map].
©ADI Design Museum.
The ADI Design Museum—ADI is the influential Italian Association of Industrial Design—celebrates the country’s creative heritage with the Design Up exhibition [Piazza Compasso D’Oro 1, Map]. The Fabbrica del Vapore, a former train factory, presents an exhibition dedicated to Nanda Vigo; the DcomeDesign showcase features prototypes of female designers, and Lorenzo Damiani presents the ABOUT WOOD exhibition, showcasing how design thinking and experimentation can give life to conscious and responsible projects [Via Giulio Cesare Procaccini 4, Map]. At night, Fabbrica del Vapore hosts an open-air electronic music festival curated by DJ and producer Lele Sacchi with Eric Galliani.
Arlecchino train – Courtesy of Prada.
Titled In Transit, the Prada Frames symposium, curated by Formafantasma, explores infrastructure as a dynamic and multifaceted system impacting the movement of people, goods, data, or power. Discussions will take place at Milan’s Central Station aboard the recently restored Arlecchino train, which Gio Ponti and Giulio Minoletti originally designed in the 1950s. Other talks occur at Padiglione Reale, the historic structure once reserved as a waiting area for Italian royalty and heads of state [April 6-8, upon registration at prada.com from March 31 at the Sala Reale of Stazione Centrale, Map].
Prison Times, DropCity 2025 – Photo by @piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio.
DropCity presents two research projects, installations, conferences, workshops and music under the vaults of Milan Central Station’s tunnels [Via Sammartini 54, Map]. The exhibition PrisonTimes: Spatial Dynamics of Penal Environments unveils an investigation into time and space in prisons. The bruther.fbx showcase brings together the work of Bruther, a Paris-based architecture and research studio.
Mohd, a prominent design platform, presents The Modernist, a dialogue between eras and influences. Diverse forms and styles converge in a carefully curated selection of iconic pieces by Vitra, Ligne Roset, Gubi, Ferm Living, and more [Via Mauro Macchi 82, Map].
Fantastic creatures by Luca Nichetto and JoAnn Tan x Bolon – Courtesy of Luca Nichetto.
Design is an act of devotion, believes Paolo Casicci, who set up Magnificat, an exhibition dedicated to independent design at Spazio Vito Nesta [Via Ferrante Aporti 16, Map]. It features works by Atelier Nuanda, Egoundesign, Simone Fanciullacci, Debonademeo, Incalmi, Orografie with Martinelli Venezia, and more. Luca Nichetto and JoAnn Tan bring Bolon’s sustainable woven flooring to life through a fantastical ecosystem of mysterious anthropomorphic creatures that appear to be in the process of evolution [Viale Lombardia 86, Map].
Photo by Piergiorgio Sorgetti, ©Alcova.
Alcova, the curatorial project by Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima, returns to Villa Borsani, Villa Bagatti, SNIA and Serre del Pasino in Varedo, in the Milan metropolitan area. Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces create a monumental installation for Ranieri, a furniture company working with volcanic stone at the feet of the infamous Mount Vesuvius. Laura Bohinc drew inspiration from the delicate beauty of birds for her Betsy collection of leather furniture. Faye Toogood experiments with ceramic for Noritake Design Collection. Michael Anastassiades presents vessels inspired by Grecian urns. Objects of Common Interest reimagines Greek marble through light, transparency, and human interaction. Due to limited capacity, a 25€ ticket with an assigned timeslot is required to visit Villa Borsani. This ticket also grants priority access to Alcova’s other locations.
GOOD SELECTION – Photo by Maximilian Beck.
Also in Varedo, the GOOD SELECTION group exhibition – Free Entrance, not part of Alcova – features the work of 60 international designers in a former furniture factory [Via Santa Cecilia 12B, Map]. “an increasingly dominated sector by complex commercial mechanisms, GOOD SELECTION is an accessible and non-profit alternative that frees artists from intermediaries,” explain Lucas Zito and Marika Caputo.
