ArchDaily’s Top Picks: 15 Must-See Installations and Exhibitions from Milan Design Week 2026

Milan Design Week 2026 wrapped up with a vibrant showcase of creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship, reaffirming the city’s position as a global design capital. The 64th Salone del Mobile.Milano attracted an impressive crowd of over 316,000 visitors from 167 countries, featuring nearly 2,000 brands that transformed the city into a dynamic hub of ideas and exchange. This year’s programming, spanning April 20 to 26, fused tradition with experimentation, highlighting the design community’s response to sustainability, technology, and cultural narratives amid an ever-evolving market landscape.

Fuorisalone 2026 embraced the theme “Be the Project,” pushing boundaries with process-driven installations that invited audiences to explore new modes of making and thinking. From material innovation to interactive storytelling, the exhibitions offered a rich tapestry of experiences that went beyond aesthetics to engage with deeper questions about the future of design. Here, we present ArchDaily’s curated selection of 15 standout projects that captured the spirit of Milan Design Week, each one reflecting a unique vision and contribution to contemporary design discourse.

Modern U-Form Ribbed Vase

3D printed ribbed vase with matte finish, dual openings.

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Ooooh, that’s EpiQ! by Ricardo Orts Ulises

Ricardo Orts Ulises transformed the historic courtyard of Palazzo del Senato into a playful, ever-changing spatial experience with “Ooooh, that’s EpiQ!” Created for Škoda Auto, the installation took inspiration from the concept of modeling dough to introduce soft, organic volumes that contrasted with the rigid geometry of the surrounding architecture. These pliable forms reshaped the space, inviting visitors to engage with a landscape that seemed to breathe and evolve. At the heart of the installation, a digital dome provided interactive, real-time visualizations, blending physical presence with virtual immersion. This innovative dialogue between permanence and transformation earned the project the top prize at the Fuorisalone Award 2026, celebrating its success in turning a visual identity into an architectural narrative.

Metamorphosis in Motion by Lina Ghotmeh

Lina Ghotmeh’s “Metamorphosis in Motion” reimagined the Baroque courtyard of Palazzo Litta as a vibrant maze of color and movement. As her first large-scale outdoor intervention in Italy, the installation embraced her “Archaeology of the Future” philosophy, layering modular elements that interacted with the courtyard’s historic geometry. The resulting environment invited visitors to slow down and explore, offering seating areas and paths punctuated by subtle sensory cues like scent that enriched the immersive experience. This installation reactivated the space’s traditional social function while proposing a contemporary setting for dialogue and reflection—a fusion of past and future that speaks to the power of place-making.

Cordless Mini Drum Lamp

Cordless lamp with structured surface, USB-C rechargeable.

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When Apricots Blossom by Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation / Kulapat Yantrasast

At Palazzo Citterio, “When Apricots Blossom” offered a poignant dialogue between craft, memory, and environmental change in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan region. Curated by Kulapat Yantrasast, this exhibition brought together international designers and local artisans to explore themes of textiles, food, and shelter. The installations ranged from contemporary interpretations of traditional bread-making rituals to the deconstruction of a yurt, weaving a narrative about resilience and cultural continuity amid ecological challenges. The exhibition underscored the vital role that material traditions play in carrying collective knowledge and identity across generations, inviting visitors to reflect on the intersection of heritage and the environment.

Città delle Idee by Mario Cucinella Architects

Mario Cucinella Architects presented “Città delle Idee” at Solferino 28, a visionary exploration of urban construction through the lens of 3D printing technology. Collaborating with Heidelberg Materials and Erretics, the installation featured a modular cityscape made from cementitious composites, wood, and transparent plastic—materials familiar to the contemporary urban fabric. By employing advanced additive manufacturing, the project proposed a system of parts that could be assembled and disassembled, promoting a flexible, reversible approach to building. This installation extended Cucinella’s ongoing research into sustainable urbanism and digital fabrication, imagining cities as adaptable ecosystems shaped by continuous interaction and innovation.

OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER by 6:AM

Set within the historic Centro Balneare Romano, “OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER” by 6:AM transformed the iconic 1929 swimming pool into a spatial symphony of repetition and material dialogue. Drawing from a range of glass-based objects and modular fragments, the installation echoed the principles of iteration and variation, creating an environment where elements continuously referenced one another. Situated among architectural landmarks by Gio Ponti and Vittoriano Viganò, the project translated craftsmanship into a spatial language, highlighting how repetition and imperfection can generate complexity and depth within design.

Tehran Lumbar Pillow Cover

Handmade Kilim lumbar pillow cover with geometric pattern.

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NikeAir_Lab by Nike and Dropcity

At Dropcity, the NikeAir_Lab offered a glimpse into the future of sportswear design through an experimental research space dedicated to Nike Air technologies. This temporary installation brought together archival materials, prototype collections, and hands-on workshops where visitors could explore air as a design medium—shaping, compressing, and visualizing it with advanced tools. The project, recognized with a Special Mention for Technology & Innovation at the Fuorisalone Award, exemplified Nike’s commitment to iterative design and performance-driven innovation. It also aligned with Dropcity’s vision of creating a long-term platform in Milan that fosters design experimentation and production.

Renaissance of the Real by Annabelle Schneider and Snøhetta

Presented at Fondazione Luigi Rovati, “Renaissance of the Real” invited visitors into a multisensory environment crafted by Annabelle Schneider in collaboration with Snøhetta and USM Modular Furniture. This installation reinterpreted the USM Haller modular system as a delicate architectural framework draped with a responsive textile membrane, creating a cocoon-like space where light, sound, scent, and texture intertwined. The project sought to slow down perception in an age dominated by digital saturation, encouraging a renewed connection to the physical world through a carefully curated sensory experience. It offered a gentle counterpoint to the overstimulation of contemporary life, emphasizing presence and tactility.

Il Sonno by SolidNature and OMA/AMO

In a poetic twist on retail design, “Il Sonno Supermarket” by OMA/AMO and SolidNature transformed the familiar supermarket layout into a geological tableau. Displayed at ME Milan Il Duca as part of designboom’s “Room for Dreams” series, everyday products were replaced by sculpted stone and mineral artifacts, from marble bottles to onyx food items. This shift from consumer goods to contemplative objects invited visitors to reconsider the act of consumption, slowing the pace and heightening awareness of materiality. The space was carefully orchestrated with mirrored surfaces and controlled lighting to create a meditative atmosphere, blending the commercial vernacular with natural permanence.

INSIEME by Sabato De Sarno

At Piscina Cozzi, “INSIEME,” curated by Sabato De Sarno and presented by Vanity Fair Italia, spotlighted the human element behind design. The group exhibition united a dozen Italian brands across diverse materials—glass, ceramics, metal, stone, wood, and textiles—highlighting the often invisible labor, craftsmanship, and decision-making processes that shape objects. Rejecting the cult of the finished product, the installation mapped a layered narrative of tradition and experimentation, emphasizing the importance of human judgment in contemporary production. A central work by JR reinforced this focus, underscoring the presence and stories embedded in every creation.

Continuous Present: The Philosophy of Andrea Branzi by Toyo Ito

On view at Triennale Milano through October 4, 2026, “Continuous Present” is a major monographic exhibition dedicated to the legacy of Andrea Branzi. Designed by Toyo Ito in collaboration with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, the show offers an in-depth exploration of Branzi’s philosophy and contributions to architecture and design. It serves as a thoughtful reflection on his enduring influence and the ongoing dialogue between past, present, and future in the creative process, inviting visitors to engage with the complex layers of contemporary design thought.