Among the slew of activities that will surround the 2017 edition of Salone del Mobile design and furniture fair in Milan, only a few will be worth the hype. Here, we’ve narrowed down the extensive list of pop-up installations and covetable venues to a more manageable selection.
EXHIBITIONS TO SEE
Euroluce
Now in its 29th edition, Euroluce provides a home for lighting under the larger Salone umbrella. This year, the fair will feature more than 450 exhibitors, about half of which hail from abroad. Look out for one-off fixtures and a new crystal collection from Swarovski, as well as gemlike chandeliers from Tom Dixon.
COS x Studio Swine
Inside the historic, Mario Cereghini-designed Cinema Arti building, design aficionados will find a multisensory “blossoming sculpture,” the result of a collaboration between fashion label COS and designers Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, of British firm Studio Swine. The installation promises to be a spectacle, as well as a space for contemplation.
Spazio Rossana Orlandi The legendary gallerist Rossana Orlandi—our April 2017 issue cover star—will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the opening of her eponymous exhibition space. Well known for showcasing emerging talents, the gallery remains a must-visit. This year, works by the likes of Fernando Mastrangelo, Nacho Carbonell, and Piet Hein Eek will be on display alongside presentations from brands and institutions such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Scarlet Splendour, and Slamp.
Work by Chungjae Kim, which will be on view at Ventura Lambrate. (Photo: Courtesy Ventura Lambrate)…
Ventura Lambrate Ventura Projects is known for staging large-scale exhibitions to complement separate major design events. Its Milan Design Week incarnation takes the form of Ventura Lambrate, which this year promises to explore themes of social design and cultural heritage. Among the works on view will be structures made from designer Woojai Lee’s recycled “paper bricks,” and Chromatic Nature, a pared-down tableware collection by Erin Turkoglu.
“Stone Age Folk” by Jaime Hayon for Caesarstone
In the latest iteration of his ongoing collaboration with quartz manufacturer Caesarstone, Spanish designer Jaime Hayon will create a circus-inspired installation for Milan’s Palazzo Serbelloni. The presentation will consist of tables, cabinets, and other pieces that, decorated in various colors of quartz, suggest masks both flamboyant and mysterious.
Lexus Design Award
The theme of the fifth edition of the Lexus Design Awards is “yet”—think “this yet also that” as a way of indicating simultaneous conditions. Lexus, as always, will host an exhibition of chosen finalists. Of the 12 that made the cut, four were selected to work with mentors, including Max Lamb and Snarkitecture, to bring their proposed prototypes to life.
Inside Bar Luce. (Photo: Courtesy Bar Luce)…
WHAT TO DO
Shop
Fans of designers in the vein of Raf Simons, Rick Owens, and Demna Gvasalia will find what they’re looking for at Antonioli. The space’s interiors, which mimic a German Expressionist stage set, are nearly as dramatic as the clothes on view.
10 Corso Como takes a holistic approach to retail, housing a bookshop, design boutique, gallery, restaurant and more, under one roof.
Rug junkies should swing by the new flagship of Golran. Designed by Milanese architects Storage Associati, the store is as drool-worthy as the pieces on display. During Salone, the fourth-generation company will present a new Piero Lissoni-designed collection.
Drink With its refined, black-and-white design, Mandarin Bar and Bistrot is the spot for a low-key aperitivo.
Ceresio7, a multifaceted club from the founders of Dsquared2, ups the ante with two rooftop pools, two restaurants, and world-class cocktails. Before diving in—or after—head to the new gym and spa downstairs for some self-care.
Eat The striking result of a partnership between a Michelin-grade chef and an art director, Carlo e Camilla promises a rotating menu of ingredient-focused cuisine, as well as an unabashedly contemporary set-up: crystal chandeliers and fine china inside a sparse, defunct sawmill.
Coffee Shop The world of Wes Anderson comes alive at Bar Luce, the lounge inside Fondazione Prada designed by the eccentric filmmaker himself. Expect vintage arcade games, pastel diner décor, and a coterie of film and art buffs.
Stay Hotel Viu may be the new kid on the block, but it’s quickly made a name for itself with a polished, neutral-hued look, a restaurant led by the award-winning Seregno chef Giancarlo Morelli, and a sleek rooftop pool, the only one in the city.
Milan-based architect and designer Patricia Urquiola infused the 85-room Room Mate Giulia with a mix of old and new, high and low, classic and hyper-modern. The result is an unstuffy home away from home, with a small café and portable WiFi hotspot devices available to take on the go.
Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, the cofounders of Dimore Studio. (Photo: Courtesy Dimore Studio)…
LOCALS’ TAKE
The designers behind Dimore Studio have imbued their colorful, period-blending style into projects ranging from boutiques for Hermès and Bottega Veneta to the Casa Fayette hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico, developing a loyal following along the way. Here, we turn to the Milan locals for their take on what to do during Salone.
Shop “Wait and See is a unique store, principally carrying womenswear sourced exclusively from all over the world. Thank founder Uberta Zambeletti for the top-notch selection—he studied at the Royal College of Art in London, and has served as fashion designer, stylist, and art director for several renowned labels. During Salone, the storefront will host ‘Uncaged Expectations,’ an exhibition of glass-blown works by Gala Fernandez Montero.”
Bar “Fioraio Bianchi for a glass of red wine. Very good for the heart.”
Restaurant “We order the spaghetti alla carbonara and the battuta di carne alla senape when we go to Santa Lucia or La Torre di Pisa. It’s unbelievably good.”
Coffee shop “The mosaics and zinc counter inside Zucca in the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery are stunning. There’s also Pasticceria Marchesi, which has been around since 1824 and is well worth a visit.”
Gallery “Founded by Irene Crocco two years ago, Viasaterna’s exhibition program is the result of a partnership with the curatorial collective and photographer Benedetta Pomini. The gallery focuses on photography, but also explores every other form of contemporary art. It’s currently showing ‘La città narcisista–Milano e altre storie,’ the first Italian show by Japanese photographer Takashi Homma [on view through May 26].”
Inside Pasticceria Marchesi at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. (Photo: Courtesy Pasticceria Marchesi)…
