This year’s Milan Design Week brought together designers, architects, producers and key figures from the design world. The event was divided into the Salone del Mobile of the Rho His Fiera, a trade fair attended by over 1950 exhibitors, and the Furi Salone, which features various events throughout Milan. With numerous installations across the city and a wide range of events, conferences and debates, Milan Design Week is one of the most important design-focused events in the world. For architects, this is an opportunity not only to exchange ideas but also to actively contribute through cross-disciplinary collaboration and exploration.
This year, many internationally renowned architects are collaborating with furniture and lighting design companies to explore the intersection of design and architecture. Despite variations in scale, many of these products reflect the recognizable architectural language of their designers and provide insight into the principles that guide their practice. In addition to aesthetic exploration, many of the selected products explore interesting and important themes, from the need to develop more sustainable materials with reduced carbon emissions to the potential impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. We are working on this.
Discover the selection of architect-designed products presented during Milan Design Week 2024.
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Aerosion Collection / Zaha Hadid Architects for Neutra
Internationally recognized for the sinuous lines and flowing shapes that define a unique architectural language, architect Zaha Hadid transfers this sculptural character into her furniture designs. The result is the Erosion collection, launched with his Neutra during Milan Design His Week 2024. His Mindera table, carved from a single block of Carrara marble, shows a complex interplay between materiality and form, and Blanch’s console carefully balances lightness and solidity.
Alley sofa / Snøhetta MDF for Italy
Array is a modular sofa system that reimagines the traditional sofa to provide optimal flexibility without compromising comfort or aesthetics. Designed and developed by his multidisciplinary practice Snøhetta for MDF Italia, the system includes slim interconnection modules that can be easily assembled and adapted to different situations. They are also modular, making them easier to repair, minor replacements and recycling, extending their lifespan and minimizing material usage.
Furniture set / Junya Ishigami for MANIERA gallery
japanese architect Junya Ishigami It has become internationally known for its understated and delicate architectural design, characterized by deceptively simple shapes that hide structural complexity. The furniture collection developed for Maniera reflects the same principles, favoring light, almost translucent textures and organic shapes. Presented at Alcova during Salone del Mobile, the series includes a dining chair and rocking chair, an atelier, a dining table, a glass table, two partitions, and seven lamps, all made of stainless steel, leather, rattan, Made of glass and wood. Some of the works were originally designed for the cave-like house and restaurant on Ishigami, while others were designed for Junya’s mother’s house, which is currently under construction.
Osuu Chair / Foster + Partners Industrial Design by Walter Knoll
A collaboration between Foster + Partners Industrial Design and Walter Knoll, the Osuu chair combines traditional and modern technology to create a unique piece suitable for both home and office environments. The lightweight yet sturdy design is constructed primarily from molded plywood and steam-bent dowels, and has undergone rigorous ergonomic testing for optimal comfort. Interchangeable seat pads offer customization options with saddle leather or wool felt.
Inside / Magis Heatherwick Studio
Using rotational molding production, the collection showcases a unique blend of post-consumer and industrial post-consumer recycled polyethylene in multi-colored flakes. This distinctive material and manufacturing method combine to reveal an unexpected inner world, making each piece unique in shape and color. The collection includes armchairs, sofas and low tables designed for durability outdoors, with a focus on sustainability and ergonomic comfort.
Uncompromising Elephant Footprint Seat / Boonserm Premthada
NOT COMPROMISED commissioned Thai architect Boonserm Premthada to create an innovative collection that uses rare yet available materials. Made from the dung of a single elephant, each seat is a unique piece of work recorded on your ID card. The project challenges contemporary design trends with humor and a commitment to sustainability, highlighting experimentation as the true protagonist. This collection, which includes prototypes and videos showcasing the artistic process, demonstrates a dedication to increasing both creativity and environmental awareness in furniture design.
AI Family / Philippe Starck for Kartell
Kartell’s AI family focuses on using recycled materials while exploring new technologies. It represents the first design work generated by artificial intelligence, fusing Philippe Starck’s creativity with generative algorithms to create a unique, comfortable and sustainable product. This approach speeds up the production process while reducing waste. The collection includes chairs, stools and consoles, all designed in a variety of color options.
EARTHIC Surfaces Collection / Cosentino’s Formafantsuma
The Earthic Surfaces collection was born out of Cosentino’s research project in collaboration with Formafantasma, which explored the properties of materials and their sustainability potential. Surfaces containing up to 10% silica use minerals, recycled glass, PET, post-consumer bioresin, and Dekton fragments, reducing the need to extract raw materials and limiting soil erosion and his CO2 emissions. Masu. Formafantasma also developed Earthic Lab, a large-scale installation in Milan’s historic Teatro Gerolamo to highlight the responsibility and potential for change built into the designer’s role.
Grounded / Snøhetta and Cristina Celestino, Fornas Brioni
Fornace Brioni presents new wall and floor coverings designed by Snøhetta and Cristina Celestino, recalling the world of sculptural elements. The exhibition, held at her 5ie during Milan Design Week 2024, was created by Cristina Celestino Studio and takes a museum-like approach, fusing three-dimensional geometry and wall volumes with unexpected material juxtapositions. I’m letting you do it.
Z Desk / Foster + Partners Industrial Design and UniFor
During Milan Design Week 2024, UniFor completed the XYZ office system in collaboration with Foster + Partners Industrial Design and launched the Z desk. Designed to facilitate the ability to sit and stand without the use of electronic actuators, the Z desk features intuitive adjustments. The unique design gives users the freedom to customize their workspace by combining and organizing desks according to their personal needs. The launch follows the introduction of the X shelf unit and Y table, completing a collection designed to foster a flexible working environment.
Andromeda Collection / LSM for UniFor
Designed by architecture and design studio LSM Studio, the UniFor Andromeda collection reflects the studio’s collaborative approach. Using polished aluminum as its core material, complemented by glass, travertine and polished leather, Andromeda embodies modern sophistication. It integrates seamlessly into a variety of environments, including the workplace, leading venues, and homes. The collection was filmed at his Andromeda, an open-air theater in Sicily designed by Lorenzo Reina and combining art, architecture and pastoralism. Additionally, UniFor’s director of art Studio Klass has curated an installation in Milan that invites visitors to think about the harmony between earth and sky.
Bolton / Herzog & de Meuron “Artemide”
Designed by the internationally recognized firm of Herzog & de Meuron, Bolton’s lamps combine handcrafted glass and optical design. The body is molded using a unique technique of inserting air bubbles into the glass, creating a poetic and emotional form by varying the thickness. This transparency emphasizes the thickness of the material, and the bottom lens directs the light upwards, precisely controlled to be reflected by the adjustable disc. The interaction of light and glass creates reflections without compromising the efficiency of the optical system.
Check out ArchDaily’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2024.