Milan Design Week is one of the most prestigious and significant design events in the world. This year, held from April 20-26 in Milan, the two major events are Salone Del Mobile and Fuorisalone. The week-long design event features commercial trade fairs, exhibitions, immersive installations, and workshops by established brands, designers, and architects from across the world.
Beyond highlighting vital issues like sustainability and inclusion, the event gives a spotlight to emerging young talent. To help you navigate it all, we’ve rounded up the best and must-see immersive exhibitions and installations at Milan Design Week 2026.
Best Exhibitions at Milan Design Week 2026
Salone Raritas
The brand-new exhibition curated by Annalisa Rosso and Formafantasma debuted at the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile. The design concept imagines the trade fair space as an architectural lantern to highlight the rare, designer collectibles placed within modular structures. The Salone Raritas exhibition also features Plume, a site-specific installation by Sabine Marcelis. You’ll also get a chance to witness the high-end craftsmanship and unique designer products that will leave you thoroughly impressed.
Alcova
Considered one of the most highly anticipated exhibitions of Fuorisalone, Alcova built exhibition spaces in two extraordinary mid-20th century architectural sites. The first site, Baggio Military Hospital, located in the Primaticcio neighborhood, is currently hosting more than 130 exhibitors. The second site features the legendary Villa Pestarini, built by Franco Albini, which has opened to the public for the first time. It includes Luisa armchair designed by Albini, installation by Patricia Urquiola in collaboration with Haworth and Cassina, and more installations.
Design is an Act of Love
Hosted by Samsung, the human-centric exhibition curated for Fuorisalone invites people to explore 12 different immersive zones. Samsung will demonstrate how a design can respond to the evolving human needs and behavior. The Design is an Act of Love exhibition will display more than 120 products across 36 different categories, including prototypes, design concepts, and its human-centered approach to AI. “Design should reflect the diversity of humanity — embracing different lifestyles, values, and ways people live,” said Mauro Porcini, President and Chief Design Officer (CDO) of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics.
Best Installments at Milan Design Week 2026
Renaissance of the Real
USM Modular Furniture and Snøhetta collaborated with the Swiss artist and designer Annabelle Schneider to launch a multisensory installation at Milan Design Week 2026. The Renaissance of the Real installation encourages people to detox from a hyper-connected world and get in touch with the calmness of the present moment through touch, vision, and sound. The textile cocoon will greet the visitors with an interplay between soothing scent, diffused light, and tactile surfaces. In Annabelle Schneider words, the installation feels like a breathing environment where we connect with our bodies and each other.
Aurea, an Architectural Fiction
The theatrical installation created by Maison Numéro 2.0 guides visitors through its extremely immersive, dreamy spaces that feel like a surreal movie set. Designed as a spatial narrative for the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile, each visitor moves like a traveler inside a suspended hospitality enveloped with a dynamic, imaginative environment. Oscar Lucien Ono incorporates the manifesto of sustainability into the Aurea installation through the use of circular materials, lights, and fabrics. He collaborated with Nagami Design, which transforms plastic recovered from the ocean into new-generation furnishings.
Metamorphosis in Motion
The bright pink labyrinth by Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh weaves contemporary narrative into the historic heritage of the 17th century Palazzo Litta. The Metamorphosis in Motion installation feels like a living stage where every movement metamorphoses the historic courtyard into a communal ecosystem. The 18 curved modules built from reusable wooden planks create an interactive ecosystem where you walk through a vivid maze while appreciating the colonnades of the Baroque palace. The cypress and cedar notes diffuse the air with a calming, woody scent, offering a multi-sensory experience.
Flamingo Estate Bathhouse
Kohler partnered with Flamingo Estate to display the Bathhouse in the courtyard of the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea in Milan. The famous brand is displaying a massive 247-square-foot brutalist bathhouse structure, the Reverie freestanding enameled bath crafted with a cast iron core, and four sculptural Pollinator Baths. Through the Flamingo Estate Bathhouse’s luxurious installation, it aims to create a harmony between nature and artistry that flourishes humans and pollinators alike.
