8 Milan Design Week Installations to Add to Your Itinerary

1. “Library of Light” by Es Devlin

Drawing inspiration from the life and work of Maria Gaetana Agnesi, an 18th-century mathematician, philosopher, and linguist who made major but overlooked contributions to the study of light, Salone del Mobile tapped Es Devlin to create a giant 59-foot-wide circular structure that acts as a lustrous beacon of knowledge. Set within the glowing monument are 2,000 illuminated books arranged in a continuous ring, functioning physically and metaphorically as a sundial that responds to the natural cycle of daylight. “[She] dedicated her life to bridging the gaps between mathematics, philosophy, and human curiosity,” says Devlin. “In many ways, she embodied the essence of a library: a space where knowledge is never static but constantly evolving.” 

Pinacoteca di Brera—Cortile d’Onore
Via Brera, 28
April 7–21

2. “Futurespective: Connected Worlds” by Range Rover

Range Rover’s eagerly anticipated Milan Design Week debut travels back in time to a retro 1970s dealership—and as the “futurespective” title suggests, takes visitors on a journey forward to the automotive brand’s contemporary identity as one of the most stylish purveyors of luxury SUVs out there. To bring the experience to life, the brand tapped California experiential studio Nuova, which most recently designed a similar time-traveling installation into a ‘70s-era living room at Design Miami in December. Expect bespoke scents, custom furniture, and hosts flaunting era-appropriate attire. It “captures the essence of Range Rover’s profound cultural influence—a 55-year ongoing story with design at its heart,”chief creative officer Gerry McGovern said in a statement, nodding to the brand’s inclusion in the Louvre and prevalence in cinema. 

Palazzo Belgioioso 2
April 7–11

3. “Emilio Ferro: Direction To” for Visionnaire

This year’s edition of Euroluce is already beckoning important conversations about how lighting impacts both space and wellbeing. Opting for a more poetic approach, the Italian furniture brand Visionnaire is shrouding its Milan showroom in a dreamy light installation by artist Emilio Ferro evocative of the seminal Light and Space Movement. Supported by Umberto Benappi Gallery and Simone Becchio, “Direction To” is meant to plumb emotional depths to evoke memories and aspirations—a journey that will surely be kickstarted by the audio, which Ferro created by recording the exhibited works’ magnetic fields and translating them into a soundtrack that makes the imperceptible audible. The showroom will also be set abuzz every night thanks to experimental musical performances curated by Fluids Diffusion.

Beyond the installation, creative director Eleonore Cavalli recently renovated the showroom—a history-laden space originally conceived in 1962 as the Cavour cinema designed by Vittoriano Viganò—to reinforce Visionnaire’s Italian roots and mark a stylistic evolution. Inspired by the mythical journey to the utopian realm of Agarthi, the three-level space is awash in calming sky blue and emerald green hues that provide a cinematic backdrop for new lighting and furnishings to shine. Among the highlights are the Siona bar unit by Matteo Cibic, the Parade suspension lighting system by Studiopepe, and Lego low tables in both concrete and marble by Draga & Aurel. Visitors can also indulge in the showroom’s new Bistrot, a culinary hotspot whose mocha mousse hues contrast beautifully with swooping surfaces such as the bar’s curved lunar-finished handcrafted glass.  

Piazza Cavour 3
April 8–12

4. Casa Cork by Rockwell Group

Showcasing cork’s versatility as one of the world’s most sustainable natural materials, Casa Cork aims to promote circularity in design by presenting products, hosting panel discussions, and providing cork recycling education. It all takes place in an immersive setting underneath a lifelike replica of a monumental tree made entirely of reclaimed virgin cork bark envisioned by Rockwell Group, Cork Collective, and Corticeira Amorim. “Our hope is that by sparking the design community’s curiosity about this wonderful, 100 percent renewable and recyclable material,” says Rockwell Group founder David Rockwell, “we’ll be able to foster a deeper level of study and hands-on learning.”

Via Solferino 31
April 8–12

5. The Balvenie and Samuel Ross: “Transposition”

Also making its Milan Design Week debut is The Balvenie, whose range of single malt scotch whiskies is renowned for their individual tastes underpinned by a distinctively honeyed character. The Scottish label joined forces with prolific designer Samuel Ross to devise an installation incorporating towering copper forms and vertical rivers that evoke the distillation process. Anchored by a sculptural copper bar serving The Balvenie’s rare expressions, the installation coincides with the launch of The Balvenie Fifty Collection, a trio of limited-edition whiskies spanning five decades. 

Via Genova Thaon di Revel, 21
April 8–11

6. “No More Private” by Bernhardt & Vella

On the second floor of a charming 20th-century building in the heart of Milan’s creative hub of NoLo, Ellen Bernhardt and Paola Vella are fully realizing the design philosophy behind their studio Bernhardt & Vella, which often draws inspiration from classic architecture and made-in-Italy heritage brands for their range of elegant furnishings. “We wanted to shape a project in which we could completely recognize ourselves,” the duo says. “No compromises.” They check that box with “No More Private,” the studio’s first self-initiated furniture collection, which the founders carefully layered among like-minded vintage objects in the 1,600-square-foot home-studio. Its three pieces—a travertine and steel cocktail table and two generously proportioned armchairs distilled to pure geometric forms—speak to their ideals of designing tailored spaces imbued with personal stories that seamlessly gel with everyday life.

Via Popoli Uniti 1, 2nd floor
April 8–13

7. “Mission Aldebaran” by Marc-Antoine Barrois and Antoine Bouillot

Parisian perfumer and couturier Marc-Antoine Barrois will debut his latest fragrance, Aldebaran, through a sensorial journey designed in collaboration with Antoine Bouillot at Salone dei Tessuti, a historic landmark once central to Milan’s bustling fabric trade. Mirroring the fragrance’s underlying message of hope, the experience whisks visitors from darkness into light through a mirrored cube, a rope-filled passage, and a clearing of Aldebaran-infused paper tuberose flowers. It also introduces Barrois’ first furniture collection, featuring sculptural wooden stools and benches inspired by pebbles from the beaches of Belle-Île. After the installation, the furniture will be available at Marc-Antoine Barrois flagships in Paris and London, as well as through StudioTwentySeven in New York City and Miami. 

Salone dei Tessuti
Via Gregorio 29
April 8–13

8. “Villa Héritage” by Pierre-Yves Rochon

With more than four decades of designing lavish interiors for the likes of Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton under his belt, Pierre-Yves Rochon is one of the most accomplished luxury hospitality designers in his field. The French luminary is now bringing his seasoned eye to the fairgrounds of Salone del Mobile, where he’s unveiling a retreat that recreates the resplendence of a French villa within the event’s bustling halls. Each room in Villa Héritage reflects a different artistic and cultural influence—from Italian opera and classical music to literary classics—in a serene yet cinematic setting that employs vibrant palettes and rational geometry. “Heritage is not a constraint; it’s a source of freedom,” Rochon says. “Understanding and mastering the legacy of our craft gives us the tools to reinvent and push the boundaries of design. Villa Héritage celebrates this dynamic relation between history and contemporary creativity.”

Salone del Mobile
April 8–13