Milano Design Week 2024. 5 places you can see only now

It is the most monumental swimming pool in Milan and one of the few 50-meter pools in the city. The pool exudes opulence with its vibrant array of colored marbles and delicate details, such as the stained glass windows of the former cafeteria. Beneath its expansive barrel vault, originally open and transparent but now sadly obscured by curtains, it stands with a sense of grandeur despite signs of wear and tear. For Fuorisalone 2024, select rooms of the underground public restrooms will be open to visitors for the first time in decades. This space, once a basic necessity in a Milan where running water was a luxury, is remarkable for its meticulous material and formal attention. An ad hoc installation occupies the underground entrance hall, accessible from the side of the main building, enhancing the splendid mosaics decorated with nautical motifs.

Over the past three decades, many cinemas in Milan have disappeared, reflecting a trend that has affected other Italian and, to some extent, European cities. Some closures have sparked controversy and widespread discontent, such as the troubled fate of the immense Manzoni, which is still awaiting a solution and investment for its marvelous single-screen, organically wrapped cinema. Casoretto Cinema, on the other hand, embodies a different narrative – a relic of small neighborhood theaters, often affiliated with parishes, that served as vital landmarks and gathering places for local communities. Despite some signs of wear and tear, Cinema Casoretto remains standing, awaiting a possible future, perhaps mirroring the enormous success of the nearby and similar Beltrade. In the meantime, it will open its doors to the public for Fuorisalone 2024, courtesy of Artesanos, a company active in Peru and South America since the 1970s. Artesanos will present its collections, curated by Davide Fabio Colaci and Luisa Bertoldo.

Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) was a prominent figure in Milanese modernism and played a key role in the city’s reconstruction after the Second World War. Built in 1949, the residential building with attached garage on Viale Gorizia attracted the attention of leading magazines of the time, particularly for the elegant polychrome decoration that adorned its street-facing facades. For Fuorisalone 2024, Design Variations, a collaborative project of Moscapartners, unveils the garage, the most hidden area of the building. This fascinating double-height hangar features structural solutions that recall the refined Italian school of engineering of the time, in particular the experiments of Pier Luigi Nervi. Curated by Park Associati, the exhibition includes a site-specific installation by Nathalie Du Pasquier.

Recent developments in the vast former manufacturing district on Via Mecenate in eastern Milan have seen many old warehouses and hangars transformed into office and event spaces. Among the standout transformations is the renovation of the former Caproni factory, now home to the Gucci Hub, skillfully executed by Piuarch. For Fuorisalone 2024, Baranzate Atelier will occupy a recently built hangar with a Spartan aesthetic and a surface area of approximately 7,300 square meters, characterized by the monomateriality and repetitive nature of its concrete structures.

The home and the factory: these were the two living spaces of the productive design district of Brianza, where artisan furniture workshops evolved into small industries during the boom years that coincided with the rise of Italian design. Even during the war, Osvaldo Borsani built a large and opulent villa for his parents, adjacent to the family factory, which was later occupied by his brother Fulgenzio. The Borsani villa represents a refined modernity, not strictly rationalist, but imbued with numerous nods to tradition, evident both in the spatial composition and in the decorative elements. The focal point of the house is undoubtedly the fireplace designed by Lucio Fontana, one of several site-specific works of art that adorn the residence. Villa Borsani will open its doors to the public for Fuorisalone 2024, thanks, of course, to Alcova, which confirms its ability to find compelling venues and, on occasion, pioneer new trends in site typologies.