Research as diversion
Six specialized interior architecture studios, both Italian and international, were invited by Arpa to reinterpret its laminates and materials from the Broadview Materials group – FENIX, Formica, Homapal, and Getacore – and thus showcase their possibilities for three-dimensional application. Six domestic micro-architectures were born, protagonists of the ArchiThoughts-ArchiTouch installation, the third episode of the exhibition project curated by Federica Sala and hosted in the FENIX Scenario spaces during Milan Design Week. Among these is Open Volume designed by RedDuo Studio: When closed, it appears as a monolith, compact and precise, defined by rigorous proportions. With a gesture, the structure opens: the doors transform into speaker panels and the volume becomes rhythm, while a hidden bar compartment invites sharing and conversation. The surfaces define a pure volume, clad in Arpa® Cioccolato in Lucida finishes, with an elegant and shiny appearance, and Kèr, with expressive tactility, and embellished with Homapal® Alu Plain Polished Tuet Natural and Homapal® Stainless Steel Brushed metallic laminates.
MDW26: Foro Buonaparte 66
Beyond decoration
Fornasetti‘s dreamlike and imaginative universe meets cc-tapis’s experimental approach, which explores the rug as an expressive surface: the result is a collection of rugs balancing imagination and functionality. A series of archival Fornasetti motifs merge with refined textures, handcrafted using natural fibers like Himalayan wool, Merino wool, and silk. The collection spans from large formats to small tapestries, transcending the rug’s function to become collector’s pieces.
MDW26: Piazza Santo Stefano 10
Investigations into matter
Draga & Aurel’s work has always been linked to exploring the potential of materials. First resin, now glass. The creative duo collaborated with Salviati’s master glassmakers, studying their furnace techniques. The result takes shape in the Crisalide lamp collection. The glass sheets that compose them, treated with a fusion technique, bear the traces of fire and transformation on their surface. With the same spontaneity, they float in space, creating a captivating interaction between light, color, and matter.
Salone del Mobile: Salone Raritas
Pure geometries
Mo.du.lo is a limited edition collection designed by Etereo exclusively for the American art gallery Studio TwentySeven. Inspired by the aesthetic of 1970s architectural glass, the collection comprises five elements: a dining table, a console, a coffee table, a fumoir, and a floor lamp in three heights, each formed by modular blocks: pure volumes and reflective surfaces give life to sculptural elements designed to interact with light and transform in space.
Salone del Mobile: Salone Raritas
Sculpture, today
Don’t call them mere furniture elements. They are art and interior sculptures that bring the ancient tradition of marble processing into contemporary times. NEUTRA has combined these two dimensions, past and present, by juxtaposing the most authentic craftsmanship with precision engineering. The result is design works that integrate into spaces with marked expressive force and profound sensoriality. Each piece is unique by its very nature, as it is shaped by natural stone. Like the Strobilo lamp, designed by Migliore+Servetto, which captures the force of natural elements in a lighting object: it consists of two circular elements that seem sculpted by the wind, the cylindrical glass body and the marble crowning. This element recalls the vortex of water that shapes rock over time, with light gently emerging from the base to refract in the upper disk. Neutra presents this vision in a dedicated exhibition, “Monochrome Affinity. Chapter 2,” at Palazzo Visconti, while at Salone Raritas, it will be featured with the Erosion Collection by Zaha Hadid Architects.
Salone del Mobile: Salone Raritas
MDW26: Palazzo Visconti | Via Cino del Duca 8
Digital art
Poltrona Frau’s iconic Archibald once again lends itself to an experimentation halfway between design and art. Following collaborations with artist Felipe Pantone, fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, and Fornasetti, it is now the turn of Shepard Fairey, one of the most influential voices in contemporary street art and founder of the global creative platform OBEY. He draws inspiration from some of his most significant works celebrating the beauty of Mother Nature and translates them into a motif then digitally printed on Pelle Frau ® ColorSphere Impact Less leather with 3D embossing. The Archibald Delicate Balance Limited Edition, Shepard Fairey, is available in only 200 numbered pieces.
Archibald Delicate Balance Limited Edition, Shepard Fairey
MDW26: Via Manzoni 30
Narrative surfaces
High craftsmanship becomes a cultural act in the new The Deeper Capsule Collection, born from the collaboration between Sahrai Milano and Lorena D’Ilio. Three rugs created by the artist become a narrative canvas through which to reflect on the violated sanctity of nature and call for a shared responsibility to preserve the planet. Each work was first conceived by the artist as a collage of reclaimed fabrics and photographs, then translated into a handmade textile artifact.
MDW26: Via Manzoni 45
Classic, with a new look
Tacchini introduces a new lacquered finish in a wide chromatic range for the iconic Pigreco chair, the first product designed by Maestro Tobia Scarpa in 1959 and included by Tacchini among its re-editions. The unprecedented finishes further emphasize the design and modernity of the project: the “triangle” at the base supporting the soft seat, the two close-set legs, the balance between solids and voids, and between straight and curved lines.
MDW26: Largo Treves 5
