Alcova
Over the past six years, Alcova has become one of the unmissable events of Milan Design Week, partly due to its nomadic format, which sees the show open up to give the public access to previously inaccessible (or rarely accessed) venues. For its seventh edition, the event welcomed over 70 exhibitors to two historical spaces in Veredo, a town approximately an hour from Milan – the spectacular Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi.
As Joseph Grima, a co-founder of Alcova alongside Valentina Ciuffi, said in our video interview in 2022, 'Alcova represents designers working in the future', the panorama of Alcova 2024 was equally varied, ranging from explorations into material technologies and collectible design objects to architectural speculation like HEAD - Genève’s comment on the climate emergency. There were public art installations by Objects of Common Interest in the large park of Villa Bagatti Valsecchi and the ad-hoc intervention by Japanese architect Junya Ishigami for the Maniera gallery in the former ice-house, hidden in the greenery of the park. Over at Villa Borsanie, furnishings by Atelier de Troupe were on display on the iconic entrance staircase, with a curious installation by Sema Topaloglu Studio in one of the bathrooms, and Fabian Freytag’s installation which sat in conversation the extraordinary bar designed by Osvaldo Borsani. Photos © Pierigiorgio Sorgetti.
Villa Bagatti Valsecchi
‘Printed Nature’ by Harry Thaler Stuio x econitWood™
It looked like sand dunes, but the texture and smell didn’t quite add up. So what was it? Harry Thaler’s ‘Printed Nature’, in collaboration with 3D materials brand econitWood™, was a symbiosis between technology and the natural environment. The grains were indeed wood dust, presenting a natural, futuristic landscape that speaks to the possibilities of waste materials.
Harry Thaler’s playful attitude comes to the fore through unexpected and daring furniture pieces, and lights in organic shapes made from 3D-printed wood particles. For me, this collection, and the tall floor lamps in particular, were one of the standouts of the entire week.
Kaleidoscope-o-rama by Bethan Laura Wood and cc-tapis
Originally designed to complement the rotating bookcase that Bethan Laura Wood designed for her MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission at the 2023 NGV Triennial in Melbourne, the English designer took on the 18th-century craze for ‘graining’ (the decorative technique of imitating rare wood grains and ‘fancy’ woods) to create a rug based on arrays of tessellated pages from her custom veneer book blocks produced by Alpi.
Kaleidoscope-o-rama, designed in collaboration with cc-tapis, nods to the power of textiles within ‘women’s work’ and references the desire for highly decorative oriental carpets during the Regency period.
The Vale and Column Series by A-N-D
Through manual grinding, textiles are reduced into synthetic and organic fibres, becoming raw materials with two potential uses – technosoil or building material. Technosoil can be used as a substrate and fertiliser to encourage plant growth. When combined with clay scraps sourced from the local river Sile, Technosoil becomes a circular building material for architectural applications.
2084: A diorama of the future by Youri Kravtchenko and HEAD MAIA with StMAIA Master of Arts in Interior Architecture students of HEAD – Geneva
Based on a fable telling the story of climate refugees in the year 2084 and faced with the ecological dilemma of our world, the students of the Master of Arts in Interior Architecture at HEAD – Geneva, spent almost a year designing, imagining, making and staging an encampment representing a not-so-distant future.
Bordering on the bizarre yet not so far-fetched, the performance installation invited the public to plunge into their vision of the future and interact with the various elements of the camp. The students became active inhabitants of a changing world, confronted with the challenges of the post-Anthropocene era. This live staging gave a vivid insight into the issues we face while sparking thought and discussion about possible solutions.
Telare la materia by Davide Balda, Fabrica x Benetton
Benetton Group’s Sustainability Department supported Telare la Materia, a project by Davide Balda and Fabrica that investigates possible future applications for clothing discarded due to production defects. The designer looks to intervene at the source of waste generation to prevent its transportation and transformation into a polluting material.
Through manual grinding, textiles are reduced into synthetic and organic fibres, becoming raw materials with two potential uses – technosoil or building material. Technosoil can be used as a substrate and fertiliser to encourage plant growth. When combined with clay scraps sourced from the local river Sile, Technosoil becomes a circular building material for architectural applications.
Maniera 32: Junya Ishigami
Hidden in the greenery of a former ice-house, Maniera Gallery presented a new furniture series by Junya Ishigami, a designer who favours lightness to mass and fragility to gravity. Comprising chairs, tables, partitions and lamps in stainless steel, leather, rattan, glass, and wood, part of the collection was initially designed for Ishigamli’s cave-like Ube House & Restaurant. The rest were conceived for Junya’s mother’s home, which is currently under construction.
Antechamber by StudioDanielK
Polish-born Daniel Kolodziejczak of Milan-based StudioDanielK presented Antechamber, an inaugural collection of collectible furniture. The refined pieces opened up a dialogue between classical tendencies in Italian architecture and the radical approach found in Brazilian modernist architecture, with a nod to Polish artists Alicia Kwade and Magdalena Abakanowicz, who question beauty found in rigid and sober materials.
Hulu Home by MMR Studio
Led by Zhongyu Zhang, Chinese studio MMR references Greek mythology, and life and death – you know, they are keeping things light. While the hardcore depths of their project statement suggest the collection is 'inspired by archaeology based on everyday objects… through a layered accumulation of contextual transliteration, it offers a palimpsest of living traces, which becomes ambiguous, and thus gets renascence.' Huh? I know, nobody knows what that means, but I do know that the Huly Home Upright – an object ready to receive your lights, plants or whatever – is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
Torsi by Objects Of CommonInterest and Bitossi Ceramiche
A dialogue between Greek and Italian cultures, Torsi, by Objects of Common Interest with Bitossi Ceramiche draws inspiration from the pervasive ceramic culture that forms a staple of Mediterranean life. The collection reshapes the narrative of the garden planter. Elements can be used individually or stacked in spine-like columns inspired by Bitossi’s historic totem pieces.
Dinner’s Ready by Ylaria Pavone
Ylaria Pavone’s Dinner’s Ready is a unique object that stands at the centre of the table. It was born from the idea of taking the concept of sharing and the collective consumption of food to the extreme, so extreme that it becomes impossible. The clear glass object is designed to have the necessary products for a dinner with six guests: six food cups, six goblets, and a pitcher. The project contrasts dramatically with the seriousness of the design, which, in this case, wants to be judged for its uselessness.
Villa Borsani
Testa dei Marmi by Bèrènice Curt Architecture
Anonymous and androgynous, Testa dei Marmi is a series of sculptures by Bèrènice Curt depicting slightly overscaled human faces that welcomed visitors to the garden of Villa Borsani. Crafted by Tuscan artisans from 13 types of stone, the heads reclaim marble waste collected over the past three years on construction sites and Italian quarries.
Transatlantique by Atelier de Troupe
An ode to movement and ocean travel, Anthony Guerrée’s Transatlantique collection for Atelier de Troupe refers to the French Ocean Liners of the early 20th century and the golden age of the Streamline Moderne movement, popularised by the Transatlantic company that linked France to New York. Every interior carried the style of the French Decorative Arts, laying the groundwork for Art Deco Design.
La Cocina by Natalia Criado
Colombian designer Natalia Criado showcased 'La Cocina' in Villa Borsani's kitchen. This collection transforms everyday objects into works of art, blending functionality with decoration. There were salt and pepper containers, cutlery, ice buckets, and floral and fruit vases, each speaking to Criado’s previous life as a jewellery designer.
Sema’s World, Non Conformist Garden by Sema Topaloglu
Inside Villa Borsani’s ensuite, Sema Topaloglu envisions a dreamlike scene with glass and reflective lighting, offering a fresh perspective on nature. Her unique glass and brass fixtures emit and reflect light, creating man-made bioluminescence akin to plants. Topaloglu’s handmade lights showcase her mastery of a nature-craft hybrid developed over two decades, proposing a new synthesis of art and design.
Vespertine Journey by Supaform
Supaform’s Vespertine Journey was an installation and furniture collection that presented the office as a design lab and a sacred retreat. The installation gave insight into Maxim Shcherbakov, the studio’s creative director’s outlook on the office as a sanctuary for creativity. 'It’s where ideas flourish, culminating in unique furniture pieces born from animated sketches,' says Shcherbakov.
Depth of a Line by WKND Lab
Depth of a Line encapsulates WKND Lab’s profound dedication to Korean cultural heritage, elevating local craft beyond traditional representation. Designers Jungkeun Park and Taesung Yoon worked with 3rd generation enamel artisans on beautiful lights featuring shades made with traditional Chilbo technique. In addition to showcasing their signature knots, the designers also worked with a 77 year old Ottchil and Mother-of-Pearls master, connecting the dots of enduring aspects of various crafts.
Selene by Kiki Goti
New York City-based Greek Architect Kiki Goti attempts to respond to the shifting perception of foyers in domestic spaces, ranging from intimate arrival spaces to grandiose public entrances. Her collection Selene, comprising a bench, a mirror, an accent chair and a table lamp, offers a new persona, one that is both introverted and extroverted, transitional and welcoming.
Sekka by Agglomerati x Tino Seubert
Evolving from Tino Seubert’s table series Hana (flower in Japanese), this collection for Agglomerati emerges as a continuation of the same theme. Sekka (snow flower) sits in dialogue between material and concept, with progression of technique captured and immortalised in marble; the designer’s signature detail delicately frozen in noble stone.
Dropcity ‘In-progress’
The new centre for progressive thinking in architecture and design, Dropcity hosted diverse exhibitions, talks, experiments, high-energy DJ sets and sound explorations, and live architectural and design interventions. Envisioned as a ‘cultural apparatus’, the tunnels behind Milan Central Station encouraged dialogue around imagining better worlds, cultivating the emergence of boundary-breaking ideas while simultaneously facilitating their materialisation.
Founded by architect Andrea Caputo, Dropcity aims to create tribes and collaborate with other creatives through experimentation and innovation. Across some 10,000 square metres previously abandoned for decades, the tunnels were constructed in real time, showing visitors how Dropcity is built, using new technologies and materials and putting their vision into action.
Throughout the rest of the year, Dropcity will develop into a communal space where various partners participate in an energetic cluster of synergies between spaces, technology, and knowledge, spanning a variety of enterprises, including robotics and advanced prototyping laboratories, production workshops, galleries, a new office model, and spaces to develop deep investigative practices with access to a civic architecture library and a growing materials database.
Courtesy of XL EXTRALIGHT
Industream by XL EXTRALIGHT
Industream attempted to dissect the complex process behind the transformation of XL EXTRALIGHT, an ingredient technology that has revolutionised the footwear and design industry since the 1990s.
The exhibition highlighted the industrial and technical processes that make XL EXTRALIGHT capable of giving form and substance to ultra-lightweight objects. The installation charted the industrial process, from compounding to injection moulding, making an ingredient brand the object of the museum-like exhibition. It is as if to remind us that behind every product we wear or use, there is a mysterious world of science, technology, design and unmistakable human intelligence. Who would’ve thought? ;-)
Photo © Piercarlo Quecchia/ DSL Studio, courtesy of XL EXTRALIGHT.
Float by 6:AM Glassworks
6:AM Glassworks unveiled Float, a collection of furniture and glass coverings regenerated from a material recovery process that transformed glass destined for a tip. Float begins with recovering the windows from Palazzo Missori, a 1930s building designed by architect Marcello Piacentini, currently undergoing renovation by Park Associati.
The show highlighted how recovered glass can be reused in a chain similar to the existing recycling network. The goal was to reduce processing times while producing valuable design objects with a strong connection to their past – elevating the value of discarded material. Float is the first step towards 6:AM’s long-term goal of collaborating with Dropcity to permanently activate a glass recycling facility.
First slide © Piercarlo Quecchia/ DSL Studio. Second slide, courtesy of 6AM glass.
Elements by Adam Štěch
Adam Štěch, aka Okolo Architecture, captured nearly 3,000 architecture and design details in Elements: Unique Details of the 20th Century Architecture and Interiors. The architecture historian and researcher selected thousands of his photographs, presenting them as an atlas of details by architects and designers forming part of the overall artistic concepts of building designs.
Photo © Piercarlo Quecchia/ DSL Studio.
The ultimate selection of lighting, seating, tables, doors, handles, windows, floors, walls and other decorative or functional elements celebrated the modernist idea of the total work of art, the so-called Gesamtkunstwerk, and told stories about the versatile skills of modernist architects from Art Nouveau to Modernism and beyond. This project aims to create the most extensive database of one-of-a-kind designs from specific buildings and interiors captured by a single person and survey a never-before-seen chapter in the history of applied art.
The show's concept was born with the first exhibition at Brompton Design District in London in 2017, commissioned by curator Jane Withers. Only 400 photographs of architecture and design details were presented there. Since then, Štěch intensified his research and travelled to more than 40 countries worldwide to capture modernist houses by famous and little-known architects. The exhibition features exceptional designs by seminal figures like Gio Ponti, Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, and Adolf Loos and examples by hundreds of forgotten masters.
Photo © Piercarlo Quecchia/ DSL Studio
Photos © Vojtěch Veškrna
Karl Kohn, Casa Kohn in Quito, Ecuador, built in 1951 'Originally from Prague, German-speaking architect Karl Kohn went to Ecuador with his large family, including his brother Otto, with whom he ran a thriving architectural office in pre-war Prague. Kohn and his wife Vera settled in the Mariscal district in Quito, where he designed his own house, Casa Kohn. The house was inaugurated in 1951 in the presence of the former President of Ecuador, Gala Plaza. Karl and Vera's new residence was labelled as the country's most modern building and won several prestigious awards. The built-in furniture creates surprising spaces, including this rounded desk inside of a bedroom where I was able to stay for a whole week when I documented the house in 2021.' – Adam Štěch
Photos © Adam Štěch/ Okolo
Erik Gunnar Asplund, City Hall Extension in Gothenburg, Sweden, built 1934-1936 'The interior of the City Hall Extension in the city of Gothenburg is a celebration of democracy, transparency and freedom. As one of his last works, it was designed in the style of Scandinavian modernism by the father of modern Swedish architecture, Erik Gunnar Asplund. There are so many one-off bespoke details which Asplund designed in poetic organic manner. The clock in the main hall is the highlight of his refined Scandinavian aesthetic.' – Adam Štěch
Karel Filsak, Vladimír Toms, Vladimír Štulc and Jan Vrana; Embassy of Czech Republic in Cairo, Egypt, built 1977-1980 'Last year, I visited [the] Czech embassy in Cairo. It was completed in the 1980s by prolific Czech architect Karel Filsak and his team who also designed Czech embassies in Delhi or Brasília. All these representative buildings were designed to the last detail. Only unique one-off elements, including these robust armchairs furnished the interior. Czech embassies from the 1960s and 1970s are true Gesamtkunstwerks of modernism. Actually it was a topic [on] which I wrote my diploma project about.' – Adam Štěch
N. Barillà, V. Gentile, F. Mellia, G. Sambito and Luigi Piccinato; Mediterranean Theater in Naples, Italy, built 1940/1952 'One of the most important rationalist buildings in Naples is beautifully preserved in its interior. The most interesting feature of it is this handrail decorated by colorful glass balls.' – Adam Štěch
Photos © Adam Štěch/ Okolo
Maurice Blanc and Pierre Székely; Church of Saint John in Grenoble, France, built 1963-1965 'I absolutely adore [the] work of French sculptor, designer and architect Pierre Székely. He designed these doors for a church in Grenoble, designed by architect Maurice Blanc.' – Adam Štěch
WonderPowder
‘From minerals, paints were born, and wheat transformed into bread’ was the concept statement for one of my favourite shows in Milan this year.'
WonderPowder’, a research project by Shimadzu Corporation and the design studio we+.
The show referenced that, throughout history, humanity has expanded the possibilities of materials by crushing solids into powder. Powdering is one of the most primitive processing methods; turning materials into manageable and versatile versions allows us to encounter expressions and behaviours that were never visible in their solid state.
Driven by this infinite potential of powder, this project’s dual approach of sensory and logical exploration seeks to understand the beauty of powder, attempting to capture ‘beauty’ from a new perspective while highlighting the omnipresence of materials and matter in our world.
Photos © Courtesy of Shimadzu
