Some people travel to Milan from around the world for its grand fashion weeks. Others visit the city to go sightseeing or to try the delicious food. And then there are those of us who come to this famous city for its design.
Milano Design Week, which takes place this year from April 16 to 21, is a transformative time of the year for the city. While the main event Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 is held at Rho Fiera and showcases hundreds of pieces of furniture and interiors, something magical happens throughout the entire city.
Fuorisalone 2024. © EX. (Andrea Cassi and Michele Versaci) and Giorgio Ferrero (MYBOSSWAS) / NContemporary. Courtesy of Fuorisalone
With 1,326 events taking place from Brera to Crescenzago – a 10.5% increase compared to last year according to Il Sole 24 Ore – almost every corner in town becomes a design hub to discover.
While most people familiar with Fuorisalone already know the top places to go (Superstudio, Brera Design District, Università Statale, and more), what about other hidden gems in the city?
This is your unofficial guide to discovering not just what’s popular but also the best-kept secrets around the city.
1. Alcova
Alcova serves as a platform for designers, companies, institutions, and researchers delving into the future of design. It brings together visionaries shaping contemporary design culture through ground-breaking work in living environments, products, systems, materials, and technological innovation.
Alcova, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. Ph. Piergiorgio Sorgetti. Courtesy of Fuorisalone
Emerging as one of the premier destinations to explore unconventional design, Alcova continues to gain popularity. Last year, visitors could explore a variety of installations and design objects within the premises of an abandoned meat factory. They could even enjoy freshly made cookies from one of the booths.
Alcova, Villa Borsani. Ph. Piergiorgio Sorgetti. Courtesy of Fuorisalone
This year, Alcova will take place in two stunning villas in the Milan metropolitan area: Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi.
Alcova, Villa Borsani. Ph. Piergiorgio Sorgetti. Courtesy of Fuorisalone
If you’re interested in forward-thinking design, you can read more here.
2. The Vogue Closet
If you still have a bit of fashion on your mind, you’re in luck – we are in Milan, after all. Vogue is opening its physical spaces at the office of Vogue Italia, located in a historic building at Piazzale Cadorna 5, for the second edition of The Vogue Closet. This event, taking place during Fuorisalone, will be open from April 17 to 19. Here, visitors can explore five of Vogue’s editorial rooms, creatively reimagined by the (AB)NORMAL studio (@abnormal_story studio), resembling both the magazine’s layout and the doors of a closet. These spaces will showcase clothes and stories that narrate the evolution of fashion language, both within and outside the magazine. Additionally, Vogue will host nine talks and a new workshop. To register, click here.
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The installation will be open from April 15 to 19, from 10 am to 7 pm, on Via Tertulliano, 68/70.
4. The Pattern of Dreams
“The Pattern of Dreams” represents the 5th instalment in Porsche’s travelling art and design series, “The Art of Dreams.” This global initiative connects audiences with creative communities by commissioning artworks that draw inspiration from the theme of dreams.
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The new installation at Palazzo Clerici explores the concept of rhythm and repetition, inspired by the pepita motif. This immersive artwork, brought to life by Numen/For Use, consists of a light structure of metal modules forming a network of black and white nets. Visitors can climb onto the installation to explore the sculpture, transforming it into a sort of giant hammock. The installation is open from April 16 to 21, from 10 am to 6 pm or 8 pm, depending on the day. For more information, click here.
5. Making Sense of Color
As part of the Porta Venezia Design District 2024, Google unveils “Making Sense of Color.”
Google will unveil “Making Sense of Color.” Courtesy of Fuorisalone
This immersive journey delves into the vital role of colour perception in our world, shedding light on its significance within Google’s latest hardware project.
Google will unveil “Making Sense of Color.” Courtesy of Fuorisalone
The installation, curated by Ivy Ross, Vice President of Hardware Design at Google, and her team, in collaboration with the arts+research laboratory Chromasonic, will be open to the public from April 16 to April 21, 2024, from 10 am to 5:30 pm at Garage 21, located on Via Archimede, 26, Milan.
6. Wallcome
Outpump, an independent Italian media and zine, is participating in Fuorisalone with Wallcome, a sizable installation in Porta Venezia. The installation is a collaboration with the main design institutes of the city, including Istituto Marangoni. It will feature a series of posters expressing the concept “EverythinK is design,” which reimagines a famous quote by Paul Rand.
The showcase will focus on current affairs and upcycling. You can visit the showcase from April 16 to April 21 at Piazzale Lavater.
7. Ceci n’est pas une Salle à Manger
Blurring the lines between decoration and object, reality and illusion, two-dimensionality and three-dimensionality, the “Ceci n’est pas une Salle à Manger” installation by Fornasetti invites visitors to engage in a surreal interplay between container and content.
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Fornasetti aims to investigate the contrasts of different levels of reality.
A Fornasetti chair. Courtesy of Fuorisalone
You can visit the installation from April 15 to April 21 at the Fornasetti Store on Corso Venezia 21/A.
8. Dropcity
DJ sets, talks, exhibitions, and more await visitors during Dropcity’s return to the tunnels beneath the tracks of the central station from April 12 to 21. This year, the event unveils “In Progress,” the upcoming architecture and design hub conceptualised and curated by architect Andrea Caputo.
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Scheduled to open next autumn, Dropcity aims to become a haven for intellectual and creative freedom. It will feature galleries, production labs, woodworking facilities, robotics, advanced prototyping labs, material libraries, and a specialised public library in architecture and design.
During Design Week, Dropcity 2024 will host innovative companies like Wasp3DPrinting, collectives such as Tblisi’s SOCII, and the fifth edition of F/A FakeAuthentic. Additionally, 22 emerging designers and artists selected by the AMArchitectrue studio, led by Stefania Agosti and Luca Mostarda, will participate. As night falls, the venue will transform into a club featuring a sound project curated by Simone Trabucchi.
Opening: April 12 at 6pm; April 13 - 21, from 11am to 7pm. Read more about Dropcity.
9. Crystal Beat II
In the historically vibrant Tortona district, operating since 2001, the Tortona Rocks circuit is gearing up for a comeback. Among the line-up of events, Preciosa Lighting, an innovative Czech light design company, will showcase its dynamic installation, Crystal Beat II. This captivating journey through lights and rhythm combines music and light to transport visitors to another dimension, fully immersing them in a world of sensations.
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Tortona Rocks also offers many other installations to explore. You can learn more here.
10. Born in Oasi Zegna
Zegna is preparing to celebrate the release of its latest book, “Born in Oasi Zegna,” with a series of events during Milan Design Week.
Zegna's latest book, "Born in Oasi Zegna." Courtesy of Fuorisalone
The fashion house will take the spotlight at Fuorisalone to showcase a volume that chronicles over a century of history through images and anecdotes.
The book delves into the journey of founder Ermenegildo Zegna, illustrating how he transformed his ideas into reality by crafting fabrics that gained global renown while simultaneously establishing Oasi Zegna. “Born in Oasi Zegna” will be showcased throughout Milan during Design Week, culminating in an immersive experience at Zegna’s headquarters on Via Savona.
Oasi Zegna. Courtesy of Fuorisalone
Open to the public from April 16 to 21, the exhibit will bring the pages of the book to life, offering visitors a chance to explore lush landscapes and engage with compelling stories and imagery, effectively bringing the essence of Oasi Zegna to Milan. For more information, click here.
Constanza Coscia
Editor and alumna, Milan