The 62nd edition of the Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera brought together designers, architects, producers, and prominent figures from the design realm. With more than 1950 exhibitors, the six-day event, running from April 16 to 21, 2024, emphasized conviviality, well-being, and sustainability. Designed with a human-centric approach, incorporating neuroscience principles to enrich visitor interaction, Salone del Mobile is revolutionizing the future of fairs.
On-site during the event, ArchDaily had the opportunity to speak with Cristian Catania, Senior Architect and Project Director for Reinventing Fairs at Lombardini22, responsible for revamping Salone, about the primary changes in the fair’s layout and the implementation of neuroscience approaches in conceptualizing the exhibition spaces.
Read on to discover excerpts from the conversation.
First Experimentation: Euroluce 2023
In a conversation with Cristian Catania, the architect explained to ArchDaily that the collaboration with Salone del Mobile started last year with Euroluce 2023. “It was deemed necessary to review the layouts of the fair to change the paradigm potentially. The focus shifted towards a people-centric design, where not only the product but also the people are at the center”, he adds. For that, the design team listened to the needs of the major stakeholders, namely the visitors and exhibitors: exhibitors primarily sought visibility and a return on their investment, while visitors desired a more seamless experience.
To create an urban street fair, the number of streets was decreased, and the grid was altered. Key connections were introduced between major and minor lanes, simplifying navigation inside the pavilion and reducing confusion. Additionally, efforts were made to ensure equal exposure for all stands, mitigating the risk of visitors passing by the same stand multiple times. Moreover, museum fatigue was also addressed, providing spaces for visitors to respite and recharge such as art exhibitions. Implemented collaboratively with colleagues, particularly from the field of neuroscience, the first alterations in 2023 sought to create an environment where visitors could engage more deeply with the offerings.
Reimagining Eurocucina and Salone Internazionale del Bagno: Urbanism and Flexibility
The focus shifted towards enhancing the experience for people, facilitating trade transfers, and emphasizing the importance of evident presence.
In 2024, Lombardini22 was selected to reimage Eurocucina and Salone Internazionale del Bagno, following the same human-centric principles of the previous year. Eurocucina in pavilions 2 and 4 embodied a new urbanism layout, while pavilions 6 and 10, centered around Salone Internazionale del Bagno, presented a different logic, considering its entirely distinct nature of products. “With kitchens, the focus was on large furniture for the domestic ambient, characterized by square spaces. The brands were predominantly larger, resulting in big booths lined up,” explains Catania.
Aligning with the year's theme, opportunities for Salone were envisioned in two years, allowing for the reuse of resources such as booths, thereby ensuring sustainability and maximizing the return on investment for participants.
Engaging Installations and Pavilion Designs at Salone del Mobile 2024
Taking on an acupuncture-like approach, installations and pavilions at Salone del Mobile 2024 were strategically aligned to enhance the visitor experience and promote engagement. In the heart of Eurocucina, an installation features daily an international food magazine that delves into food design, a theme that resonates with the space. Light played a significant role, introducing more flexibility to organize the layout. Food designers collaborate to orchestrate performances, manipulating the space, light, and curtains to their liking and the specific needs of their culinary creations. Moreover, the layout's curvature fosters a more intimate relationship between visitors and performers, enhancing engagement.
Similar installations can be found in other pavilions, including Pavilion 5 and 7, where David Lynch's collaboration is showcased. Together with set builders at Milan's Piccolo Teatro, Lynch conceptualized the installation, dictating its layout and positioning it within the pavilion. In Pavilions 6 and 10, the exposition “Under the Surface” by Accurat explores the theme of water beneath the surface with a layout designed to optimize visitor flow. The arena in Pavilion 14 serves as a hub for talks and conferences, complemented by a bookshop and training library, designed by Formafantasma. Created last year, the arena was reused this year and was positioned differently, reflecting a dynamic approach to layout and sustainability.
Optimizing Layouts for Enhanced Engagement with Neuroscience-Informed Design
Going back to the process of design, Catania states that “listening is deemed crucial as it informs the project, layout, and all endeavors undertaken for the stakeholders. This entails engaging with major stakeholders, gathering their needs, as well as consulting with architects, retailers, and others. The process commences with these discussions, delving even deeper into unconscious needs thanks to insights from neuroscience.” Neuroscience or the study of the human brain, aims to understand how the nervous system works to produce and regulate emotion and behaviors, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Lombardini22 is one the first design companies with an in-house neuroscientific laboratory, investigating how neuroscience can shape architecture and create spaces that cater to people's needs.
During Salone del Mobile 2024, observations were made on how people move within the pavilions, to understand human behavior and make design decisions. The team analyzed the differences in movements using neuroscience techniques, both in physical and virtual settings, between pavilions that follow traditional layouts and newly redesigned spaces. Virtual reality experiments were conducted, replicating grid and new layouts while monitoring brain activity via electroencephalogram (EEG) helmets.
“Laboratory results indicated promising outcomes, with participants exhibiting 40% better brand recall in the new layout compared to the traditional one. Additionally, there was an increase in alpha wave activity associated with relaxation. The goal was not merely to induce relaxation but to minimize cognitive effort during navigation. By reducing the number of streets, cognitive load decreased, allowing for better reception of product information,” explains Catania to ArchDaily.
In conclusion, while the grid layout offers functionality, the cognitive effort required for navigation is significantly higher compared to the newly implemented system. Simplifying orientation enhances the overall experience by freeing up mental space for processing product-related details.
