Urban Deterioration Transformed into Aesthetic Attraction Advocated by Alcova 2025 during Milan Design Week
Alcova Transforms Milan Design Week 2025 with Innovative Designs and Unique Locations
During Milan Design Week 2025, Alcova took centre stage, showcasing cutting-edge designs in various historic locations across the city. The heart of the event was the transformative Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, which served as a cultural and spatial landmark for the week [2][3].
At Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, visitors found themselves immersed in a world of refined domesticity and poetic design. Notable exhibitions included Studio Shaw's nearly illusory metal lamps, inspired by Étienne-Louis Boullée's unrealised cenotaph for Newton [4]. Inderjeet Sandhu reimagined the bathroom space with irreverent handcrafted marble artworks and glass vases [1].
The Shakti Design Residency at Villa Bagatti Valsecchi presented the results of young, talented designers who collaborated with India's leading collectible design studios [7]. 'Sun Catcher' by Rive Roshan and SOL-R&D was an installation that captured solar energy, while 'Soft Horizons', a dreamy reinterpretation of Greek marble, was showcased by Greek Marble x Objects of Common Interest [8].
In a nod to the villa's historical context, Eleftheria Tseliou's The Library Project was on display, a continuation of her 2017 gallery exhibition of artist books [1]. The 'Habitare Materials & Objects' exhibition brought a hands-on approach to sustainable design, offering interactive spaces for foraging, distilling local gin, cultivating mushrooms, crafting tinctures, and creating zero-waste garments from geometric fabric pieces [9].
Villa Borsani was another significant location for Alcova 2025. The focus here was on design as something refined and poetic, with a variety of exhibitions, antique statues, frescoed halls, and a vast park [10]. Japanese ceramics brand Noritake debuted a new tableware collection at Villa Borsani, presented by British designer Faye Toogood [2].
The former SNIA factory was another location for Alcova, where the focus was on design's industrial side. Under the Volcano, a new lava stone furniture collection by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces, was displayed [5]. Decibel Made demonstrated large-scale 3D printing live at the factory [3].
Avau Parfum, in collaboration with DWA Design Studio, introduced conical metal sheets that unfolded into fragrant, sculptural olfactory architecture at Alcova [3]. Terraformæ offered an expressive terracotta trilogy born out of the historic Fornace Sant'Anselmo [6].
VOCLA, an immersive nighttime experience founded by Alcova, combined curated design exhibitions with social meeting spaces, representing a distinctive blend of exhibition and interaction [3]. Marcin Rusak Studio presented 'Ghost Orchids', biodegradable sculptures, at the Pasino Glasshouses, where the experimental leaned toward the artistic design [11].
VOIDS is a project by Objects of Common Interest, created exclusively for The Breeder gallery, at Villa Borsani [4]. Michael Anastassiades' collection 'imi' for Monstruosus reinterprets the Grecian urn into ethereal ceramic planters [8].
The full Milan Design Week 2025 guide is available on alcova.com. Alcova is a nomadic design platform that takes place during Milan Design Week 2025 [12]. Salone del Mobile 2025 took place from 8-13 April [13]. Alcova will be held in various locations, including Villa Borsani, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, the former SNIA factory, and the Pasino Glasshouses, until 13 April 2025 [1].
- At Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, where Alcova held exhibitions during Milan Design Week 2025, visitors found a unique blend of home-and-garden designs and refined domesticity.
- After experiencing the industrial side of design at the former SNIA factory during Alcova 2025, one cannot help but appreciate how home-and-garden aesthetics can also play a significant role in transforming our lifestyle.
