24 hours in Milan

The ever-evolving capital of design

by Giulia Guzzini

Milan has an understated charm. It is not a city that hits you right from the start. It doesn’t have the majestic beauty of Rome, nor is it an open-air theatre like Venice, it doesn’t have the dizzying skyscrapers of New York or the elegant boulevards of Paris. Its beauty lies hidden in the courtyards of the palazzi in the city centre, in cobbled streets that lead to unexpected openings. Able to connect old and new, tradition and innovation, it is a city that is continually evolving and once again this year confirms its role as the international capital of design. The history of design, the roots of which lie in the manufacturing fabric of the ever-industrious Brianza, continues to be the protagonist in a narrative that finds space in museums of design with tales of the future and of innovation: from ADI to the Triennale, along with Foundations associated with the great maestri such as Studio Museo Achille Castiglioni, Fondazione Franco Albini and the Fondazione Studio Museo Vico Magistretti. Then we have the artisan workshops and the studios of design and architecture that open up to the public during Design Week to share thoughts and projects. Milan looks a bit different at this edition of Design Week with lots of new spaces that have been opened in the name of design and a completely renewed district: Milano Design District. What we knew as the Milano Durini District has in fact been renamed the Milano Design District to represent a category – that of design excellence – rather than a geographical district. The association, which aims to cross the 50-member mark by the end of the year, is in fact extending beyond the quadrilateral around Via Durini and the neighbouring streets and embraces some of the most prestigious spaces in the centre of Milan, extending towards Piazza Fontana, Corso Monforte and Foro Buonaparte. Milano Design Distric presents a series of evocative installations entitled Urban Metamorphosis, an evocative title with which the association aims to strengthen the link with the city administration to underline its commitment to urban regeneration. In the photo above: an immersive installation by the Turkish studio Nohlab realised for MEET Digital Culture Center, the International Centre for Digital Art and Culture.

1 | CAPPELLINI via Santa Cecilia 4

Cappellini makes its outdoor debut with the Lido collection, product families signed by the Italian design duo BrogliatoTraverso and Swedish designer Jangir Maddadi.

2 | SAINT-LOUIS piazza del Carmine

Saint-Louis showcases a series of installations revealing the innovative aspects of the first crystal manufacture in continental Europe, founded in 1586.

3 | JCP UNIVERSE via Cesare Correnti 11

At the Arsenale Theatre, JCP Universe brings Meta-Physical, an installation involving the construction of its first proprietary metaverse and the creation of furniture products in the form of NFT.

4 | CONTARDI corso Monforte 20

In the light district, Contardi opens its first flagship store: a 5-metre height space that allows scenographic installations and where light is the protagonist.

5 | DOLCE&GABBANA CASA via Broggi 23

The Gen D - Generazione Designer project stems from a desire to support emerging designers, just as the company has done over the years with young fashion talents.

6 | GROHE via Brera 28

For the launch of its premium sub-brand, the company celebrates its passion for water with an immersive installation reflecting the architecture of the Pinacoteca di Brera.

1 | GIOPATO&COOMBES via San Maurilio 19

Known for their poetic handicraft collections, the designer duo presents 18 Pockets, an immersive exhibition on how precious objects are timeless emotional activators.

2 | FENIX® via Quintino Sella 1

On the occasion of the company’s 10th anniversary, the Milan showroom is transformed into an open-air stage that will host an installation by Zanellato/Bortotto.

3 | HERMÈS via Palermo 10

Also this year at the Pelota, Hermès creations for the home will be presented, drawing their aesthetics from a form of archaism, natural vigour and purity.

4 | INGO MAURER piazzale Principessa Clotilde

The German brand presents itself in Milan with an exciting open-air light installation at the Caselli di Porta Nuova, while the new products will be presented inside the space.

5 | GIORGETTI via della Spiga 31

In the famous fashion district, Giorgetti inaugurates ‘The Place’, a container of wonders where each floor is a discovery between iconic products and new furnishing proposals.

6 | PORRO via Visconti di Modrone 29

Porro changes house and moves into a brick building in, where he displays an immersive three-colour installation and a story that travels through time and space.

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The group exhibition Abrakadabra, realised with the artistic advice of Jean Blanchaert, once again brings the magic of glass to the 19th-century halls of the Isituto dei Ciechi.

The historic Brianza-based company specialising in solid wood processing has found a home in Milan with its first flagship store in the city centre.

The Giussano-based company renovates its Milanese outpost in the heart of Brera. Enlarged and renovated, the exhibition space houses the brand’s first outdoor collection.

Signature Kitchen Suite hosts True to Food Lab, an experiential journey through the innovations in digital agriculture that are rewriting the future of the food supply chain.

Giorgio Armani opens for the first time to the public the doors of Palazzo Orsini, the company’s historic headquarters, to present the novelties of the Armani/ Casa collection.

Moscova 33

Argentinian artist and designer Cristián Mohaded will create a monumental installation in the Cortile della Seta (Silk Courtyard) at the LoroPiana headquarters in Brera.