An inside guide by curator and critic Milovan Varonato

This article is part of the FT Globetrotter's Milan guide

Rome may be the capital of Italy, but Milan is definitely the capital of design. Since the early 20th century, Italy's commercial and financial center has been at the forefront of innovative design, an inspiring place for the likes of the innovative furniture designer Osvaldo Borsani and the architect Gio Ponti, one of the predecessors of the skyscraper.

Although the city flaunts its style year-round, each spring this creative spirit surfaces more actively: Milan Design Week returns this week, along with the popular furniture fair Salone del Mobile Milano (both running until April 21 ). With over 1,300 events to choose from spread across the city, I've shared some of my highlights, from neighborhood design hubs to places where you can catch the latest trends.

My top picks

In the heart of the city at Stazione Milano Centrale, the famous French street artist JR with his new installation “La Nascita” (The Birth) transforms the facade of the railway station and the adjacent Piazza Duca d'Aosta into a rocky landscape. This massive optical illusion (until May 1) blurs the boundaries of time and space, forming a surreal architectural fantasy that links the grandeur of the station today with its history.

Moncler is transforming the interior of the station into one of the largest showrooms open to the public, with an immersive exhibition called “Invitation to Dream” (until April 21). Comprised of film and photography by Jack Davison, the project features influential contemporary artists and creatives such as singer Rina Sawayama, Ruth Rogers of London's River Café, and artist and director Julianneks, among others, and aims to inspire travelers to dream big in their lives. Trips.

A stone's throw away, on Via Gasparotto, there is a show I curated at Zazá Gallery dedicated to two contemporary artists from Naples, SAGG Napoli and Betty Bee. The exhibition brings together their irreverent and provocative visual statements that respond to and complement each other, exploring questions about contemporary feminism.

Main areas to visit

Just a few hundred meters from the Duomo, you'll find the medieval cloisters of the University of Milan (known as Statale), which are home to seven days of installations from Italian design magazine Interni, an ideal place to start exploring. More than 40 exhibitions and installations by designers representing dozens of nationalities are spread throughout Statali and other locations around the city centre, including the Brera Botanical Garden. Look out for “Sun Rice: Recipe for Happiness,” designed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati Studio and the late Italian architect Italo Rota, a fascinating exploration of how rice waste can become a raw material for new, sustainable architecture.

Brera and Dorini are two design districts where you can't help but join the curious crowds streaming through countless delightful courtyards and galleries for the occasion. Between the Via Durini, the Via Burgundy and the Largo Augusto, between the Via Palermo and the Corso Garibaldi, intrusion is both a duty and a privilege.

I also recommend a trip to the Tortona area (M2 Porta Genova metro station) to see the Design Walk, which takes visitors through the neighborhood's historic design landmarks, from Via Tortona to Via Savona and Via Pergognone. BASE, a hybrid cultural centre, is another must-see: this year, the installations reflect the most innovative practices in coexistence today, including a bed suspended between floor and ceiling. In the evening, BASE offers an exciting program of live DJ sets featuring international artists such as Skee Mask + Hiroko Hacci and Dekmantel Soundsystem + Fabio Monesi.

Design week trends

The temporary transformation of former industrial buildings and abandoned spaces into exhibition sites remains a popular trend. This year, Design Variations (Via Gorizia 14), a MoscaPartners collective project, transforms a 1940s garage designed by modernist architect Marco Zanuso, with a vibrant, site-specific work by artist and designer Nathalie de Pasquier, made of panels Decorative geometric designs. And bright color contrasts. Urban industrial design can also be seen at Lambo Milano (via Valtellina 5), ​​a recent redevelopment project within Scalo Farini, a historic railway yard in the trendy Isola neighborhood, which is worth a visit for its independent art galleries, craft shops and nightclubs.

Even secret courtyards and historic buildings are reimagined through the invigorating power of contemporary design, including some places not normally accessible to the public. Palazzo Litta (Corso Magenta 24) opens its doors to the public this year, becoming home to several magnificent installations including Sarah Ricciardi's “Under the Willow Tree,” an immersive work composed of curved willow branches that resonate with acoustics to guide visitors with their gentle movements.

Not far away, be sure to visit “L'Uomo Stanco” (The Tired Man) by the late architect Gaetano Bessi, a monumental installation in Piazza Pio XI, near , that explores fatigue and modern masculinity. Inside the Museo Ambrosiana, famous for housing Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus, you can also find 30 modern art pieces by Pesce as part of Nice to See You, a posthumous tribute to the recently deceased artist's luminous vision.

The future of design

In Porta Venezia, a vibrant neighborhood that is part of the Centro Storico, the theme of diversity is explored in Everything Is Design, as young talents amplify inclusion at the heart of their projects. Among them, “Nook” by Mara Bragagnolo, in the Porta Venezia Library, presents innovative furniture to ensure that neurodiverse children are able to express themselves freely through multifunctional and adaptable pieces that reflect their individual ways.

Then there is the neighborhood that becomes a project in itself, with an emphasis on the culture of collaboration and integration that is already part of its DNA. Milan's Chinatown (via Paolo Sarpi), active during Design Week at the Chinese Cultural Center, the ADI Design Museum, and the Fabbrica del Vapore Cultural Center, presents different exhibitions dedicated to design, architecture and digital art.

Speaking of Fabbrica del Vappore, this creative hub housed in a former industrial park will also host a music festival this year, created by Milanese DJ and producer Lele Sacchi, with guest artists including Palestinian techno DJ Samaa Abdel Hadi.

Salon del mobile

Salone del Mobile, one of the world's most important fairs dedicated to design, is open to the general public on April 20 and 21. It is an engine of growth and experimentation for the wider Milan ecosystem, from universities and research institutions, to local companies and civic institutions. Community organizations.

The 2024 edition, which also hosts the biennial EuroCucina fair showcasing kitchen products, will bring together more than 1,900 exhibitors, including 600 young talents under 35 and 22 design schools. It also includes an increasingly impressive cultural program (again revolving around centers such as the plaza and library by designers Formafantasma), with the participation of 2022 Pritzker Prize winner Francis Kerry and an installation by film director David Lynch.

Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile runs now until April 21st

Milovan Faronato is an independent critic and curator and one of YesMilano's Design Week ambassadors

Are there any tips for visitors to Milan during Design Week? Post them in the next comment. And follow the FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter

Cities with FT

FT Globetrotter, our insider guides to some of the world's greatest cities, offers expert advice on eating and drinking, exercise, art and culture – and much more.

Find us in Milan, London, Tokyo, New York, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt, Singapore, Hong Kong, Miami, Toronto, Madrid, Melbourne, Copenhagen, Zurich and Vancouver.