Material Trends: Day 4 Highlights from Milan Design Week 2024

 

The unparalleled creativity and ingenuity of Milan Design Week 2024 reaches new heights as we venture into Day 4. Today, the focus shifts towards groundbreaking material trends, innovative designs, new collection launches and mesmerising installations that redefine the boundaries of what's possible in the world of design. Here's a closer look at the highlights from the day.

A ceramic marble top featuring a captivating finish that beautifully blends classic elegance and contemporary innovation.

Simply Sofas team in the company of the legendary Mr Pasquale Natuzzi, Antonisa Perrone, and Karim Rashid at Natuzzi Italia's Flagship Store.

Introducing the latest offerings from Natuzzi: the Snail Sofa featuring an electric sliding backrest and unique ribbed fabric, alongside a space-efficient armchair, and the Colle a sofa designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group).

A captivating new fabric design from Fama drawing inspiration from the depths of the jungle.

Calligaris' exquisite new collection seamlessly blends functional elegance with visionary craftsmanship - the ingeniously crafted glass Twins table, the ergonomic brilliance of the Anima chair, the minimalist sophistication of the Carv bookcase, and the ethereal beauty of the Sipario mirror.

Tonin Casa’s ultra-large dining table epitomises opulent grandeur. Crowned with a glass top showcasing a mesmerising marbled print, this colossal piece sits atop a fascinating wooden base, exuding an unmistakable air of refined elegance and bold statement-making design.

Set in a traditional Italian courtyard, Audi's exhibition, 'Reflaction,' a clever portmanteau of 'reflection' and 'action,' features two intersecting mirrored walls, creating a kaleidoscopic effect and dividing the space into quadrants. From a bird's eye view, the installation transforms into a giant plus sign, symbolising not just addition but the convergence of community, knowledge, performance, and technology – all central tenets of Audi's vision.

Glimpses from the extraordinary Triennale Design Museum, featuring an installation by Philippe Starck that pays poignant tribute to the legendary Alessandro Mendini, an ingenious representation illustrating the imprint left by your chair, and the Architettura trumeau - a masterpiece seamlessly fusing the functionalities of a sideboard, drinks cabinet, and escritoire originally conceived by Gio Ponti in the early 1950s.

Snapshots from Salone Satellite, the vibrant playground for young designers.

‘Making Sense of Color’ is a sensorial installation by Google where synchronised sound frequencies transform the visual experience, thus creating a captivating interplay between sight and sound. This innovative approach aims to evoke synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon where one sense triggers another. A must-see for those intrigued by design innovation and the profound influence of colour on our sensory experiences.

Porsche returns to Milan Design Week with ‘The Pattern of Dreams’. Set at Palazzo Clerici, the installation explores rhythm and repetition, drawing inspiration from the iconic ‘Pepita’ motif, first seen on the Porsche 356 and later in the Porsche 911. Like a floating landscape, the installation encourages visitors to climb into it and explore this socially immersive sculpture like a ‘social hammock’ and a location of escape, transition, fantasy and freedom.