After a year of absence in light of the pandemic, Milan Design Week, one of the most anticipated design events to take place in Italy, will finally open its doors to visitors. From the 5th to the 10th of September, more than 350,000 architects, designers, artists, and craftsmen from all around the world will have the chance to explore new design innovations and exchange ideas about the interior design, furniture, and lighting. During the week-long event, Salone del Mobile, the awaited furniture and interior design event of the year, will be hosting local and international exhibitors at the Fiera Milano, Rho, along with interventions by world-renowned architects across the city.
ArchDaily will be attending the Salone del Mobile so stay tuned for exclusive interviews and collaborations, and read on to discover what to expect during the week-long exhibition and how architects are taking part of the event.
This year's Salone del Mobile is curated by Italian architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri, with the help of international collaborators Andrea Caputo, Maria Cristina Didero, Anniina Koivu, Lukas Wegwerth, Marco Ferrari, Elisa Pasqual of Studio Folder, and Giorgio Donà, co-founder and director of Stefano Boeri Interiors. Unlike previous editions of the event, this year will see a new, expanded format to mark the 60th anniversary of Salone del Mobile, which takes place in its 2022 edition, titled "SuperSalone". The SuperSalone is set to be a grand, dynamic display that will allow visitors to circulate inside a large design archive of long presentation walls, instead of the traditional living room-like booths that were used in previous editions. The display will be organized by themed areas and itineraries, showcasing new products developed by the companies over the past 18 months. The new layout focuses on "circularity and sustainability", using material that will be dismantled and reused in the future.
Since 2015, the Salone has dedicated a section of the exhibition to the workplace and the innovations related to it. The Workplace 3.0 highlights innovations in the design and technology of workspace planning, exploring new approaches and solutions to the "workplace of the future". Workplaces and the traditional concept of work have been evolving rapidly over the past years. The pandemic, however, accelerated this evolution and introduced new and entirely different workspace solution. This year's Workplace3.0 is dedicated to design and technology, responding to the shift of work culture and its market demand.
The Salone is also dedicating a section of the exhibition to upcoming designers. The SaloneSatellite is an exhibition dedicated solely on young emerging designers under the age of 35, whose ideas are yet to be shared with designers, clients, and talent scouts. Several prototypes that were presented in previous editions of SaloneSatellite have gone into production, turning their young designers into big names in the design scene.
Along with the exhibitions displayed at the Salone del Mobile, many installations and projects by international architects will be unveiled across the city. Some of these installations include works by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, who has collaborated with energy company Eni to create Natural Capital, an installation at Brera’s botanical gardens which is claimed to be one of the largest data visualization pieces ever produced that showcases how plants take part in oxygen and carbon dioxide production. Carlo Ratti is also collaborating with luxury car brand Lamborghini to present an interactive installation of technology, innovation, and timeless design. Ben van Berkel / UNStudio will be showcasing two new versatile product designs created by their in-house user experience think tank UNSx. Peter Pichler Architecture will exhibit its Vertical Chalet Installations at the Fluorisalone opening exhibition. Swiss university ECAL is collaborating with Japanese home retail company MUJI to create COMPACT LIFE, a collection of furniture and home accessories that aid in organizing day-to-day tasks produced by the students of the Industrial Design Bachelor of the university. Four notable Aldo Rossi furniture pieces will also be on display in an installation by ARCHIVIOUNIFOR, and Andreu World will be presenting the Nuez Lounge BIO®, a 100% circular, sustainable, and biodegradable armchair by Patricia Urquiola and the Adela Rex, a family of seats made of 100% wood by Philippe Starck, who will both be present at the event.
In addition to the installations and interventions, visitors will have the chance to see how architects diversified and immersed themselves in the worlds of interior, furniture, and lighting design, creating unique pieces in collaboration with international design brands. These collaborations include pieces by Zaha Hadid, David Adjaye, Atelier Jean Nouvel, and Snøhetta, among others.
Open Talks, an event organized by Maria Cristina Didero allows creatives, innovators, entrepreneurs, architects, artists and politicians from all around the world to share their invaluable ideas of how we can create and build a better future. The talks will take place at the SuperSalone, and will focus on great challenges happening in our day-to-day life in the fields of design, architecture, education, gender, economy, and the environment. Visitors will have the chance to meet and discuss with big names in the field such as Bjarke Ingels, Alejandro Aravena, Philippe Malouin, and Formafantasma, to name a few.
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In addition to the SuperSalone, Workplace 3.0, and SaloneSatellite, the event will exhibit Euroluce, an all-inclusive lighting exhibition displaying indoor, outdoor, residential, commercial, and decorative lighting systems; International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, with almost 200 exhibitors of decorative and innovative home furnishing systems; S.Project, a multidimensional platform which intersects all of the previously-mentioned exhibitions, by providing a “360-degree perspective on interior architecture”; EuroCucina, a response to the huge interest in the sector of built-in domestic kitchen appliances; and International Bathroom Exhibition, which highlights the evolution of the domestic bathroom from a "formerly strictly functional space into a dedicated sanctuary for relaxation and wellness".
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's comprehensive coverage of the Salone Del Mobile 2021, featuring exclusive editorial pieces and interviews with architects and curators of the event.
_0523.jpg?1630488747 "Architectural Interventions Taking Place at the 2021 Salone del Mobile")
