Building materials

Convey Building: A Vertical Design Showcase at Milan Design Week 2026

During Milan Design Week 2026, Convey, a prominent platform for emerging design enterprises, is expanding its presence with "Convey Building," a complete spatial transformation. Now in its fourth iteration, this initiative is taking over an entire building constructed in 1958, located at Via San Senatore 10, in close proximity to the notable Torre Velasca. For a full week, this historic structure will be reimagined as a dynamic vertical exhibition, spanning four floors and extending to a rooftop terrace, where the movement of visitors becomes an integral part of the overall experience.

The exhibition deviates from a singular curatorial approach, instead allowing each room to tell its own story. Instead of conventional booths, individual brands will curate dedicated spaces, resulting in a series of distinct environments. The showcase will feature an eclectic mix of furniture, textiles, lighting, and material innovations from established designers like Patricia Urquiola, Stefan Diez, BIG-GAME, Panter & Tourron, and Zaven, alongside contributions from up-and-coming studios and independent creatives. The journey through the building is meticulously designed to be a fluid progression. Corridors will alternately narrow and expand, leading visitors through diverse settings, from densely packed installations to more intimate, home-like displays. The absence of a prescribed path empowers attendees to forge their own route, fostering an experience akin to visiting multiple design studios rather than a conventional trade fair.

The entire event culminates on a panoramic rooftop terrace, offering sweeping views of the city. This elevated space serves as the central social hub for Convey, hosting informal gatherings and various activations, thereby extending the exhibition into an interactive, open-ended environment. Conceived by the international creative agency Simple Flair, Convey consistently refines its format within the larger design week context. The shift to a single-building model provides a more deeply engaging alternative to the decentralized Fuorisalone, consolidating brands, audiences, and events into a cohesive, vertically integrated destination.

Convey Building at Milan Design Week 2026 exemplifies innovative approaches to showcasing design, moving beyond traditional exhibition formats to create a truly immersive and dynamic experience. By transforming a historic building into a multi-layered platform, it not only highlights contemporary design but also celebrates architectural heritage and fosters a sense of community among designers and enthusiasts. This forward-thinking approach encourages creativity, collaboration, and a deeper appreciation for the art of design, inspiring future endeavors in the global design landscape.

Sculptural Illumination: Richard Yasmine's Sensory Lighting Art

Richard Yasmine's latest collection, 'Vessels of the Intangible,' transcends traditional design boundaries, manifesting as a captivating exploration of human perception and sensory experience through sculptural lighting. Each piece in this collection is a profound artistic statement, transforming abstract sensory concepts into tangible forms that challenge and engage the viewer's understanding of light, form, and emotion.

Experience the Unseen: Light Sculptures That Awaken the Senses

Embodying the Elusive: Sensory Organs as Artistic Inspiration

The collection, named 'Vessels of the Intangible,' delves into the intricate relationship between sensation and cognition. It posits that our understanding of the world is shaped by the subtle emotional and sensory cues that precede intellectual interpretation. Unveiled at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2026 as part of 5VIE, this project stands as a testament to the power of design to evoke profound experiences.

From Anatomy to Abstraction: The Transformation of Sensory Forms

Each individual artwork in the series draws inspiration from a specific sensory organ – the eye, ear, nose, lips, or finger. Rather than literal anatomical representations, these pieces offer abstract interpretations, re-envisioning familiar bodily elements as independent, sculptural light objects. This transformative process redefines sensory functions: sight becomes an echoing afterimage, sound translates into resonant vibrations, scent manifests as a lingering trace, touch leaves an indelible imprint, and taste evolves into pure anticipation.

A Rich Tapestry of Materials: Crafting Tactile Narratives

The creation of this collection involves an eclectic mix of materials and sophisticated techniques. Elements like metal, leather, foam, and wood are combined with intricate inlays, delicate embroidery, hand-blown glass, natural rattan, and lustrous enamel. This diverse material palette contributes to a layered aesthetic, where each surface is meticulously shaped, assembled, and detailed to accentuate texture and tactile qualities. The resulting objects appear as finely crafted artifacts, detached from their biological origins yet maintaining a compelling physical presence.

Internal Radiance: Light as an Evocative Force

In this installation, light is not merely a functional element but an intrinsic component that emanates from within the sculptural forms. It serves to emphasize the volumetric properties of each piece, highlighting their unique surfaces and intricate contours. Instead of broadly illuminating the surrounding space, the light specifically enhances the objects themselves, creating a distinctive atmosphere and influencing the viewer's perception of the installation.

Neo-Baroque Echoes in a Modern Context: Formal Language and Emotional Resonance

Formally, the collection subtly reinterprets neo-baroque aesthetics, filtering them through a more introspective and psychological lens. The pieces are characterized by an emphasis on graceful curves, inherent tension, and precise surface articulation, culminating in a sense of controlled yet intense expression. Their presence invites close observation, yet a degree of abstraction maintains an intriguing distance.

Interconnected Experiences: Object, Perception, and Environment

Exhibited at 5VIE Milano, the 'Vessels of the Intangible' installation by Richard Yasmine creates an environment where the connection between objects and perception is paramount. The focus extends beyond the individual piece to the dynamic interactions it fosters, prioritizing a holistic sensory and spatial experience over straightforward representation. The entire installation, with its evocative forms and internal light, encourages viewers to engage with their senses in a new and profound way.

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SolidNature and OMA/AMO Create 'Il Sonno Supermarket' in Milan

SolidNature and OMA/AMO unveiled the 'Il Sonno Supermarket' at Milan Design Week 2026, an installation that ingeniously redefines the conventional shopping experience. Housed within ME Milan Il Duca, the project transforms an ordinary market setting into a profound study of SolidNature's exquisite stone. The structure, characterized by its translucent polycarbonate and metal truss framework, immediately evokes a supermarket, yet every element—from shelves to individual products—is crafted from durable stone, embedding a sense of permanence into items typically associated with transience. This innovative approach encourages visitors to slow down and appreciate the intricate details of each stone-carved item, fostering a deeper connection with the materials and their inherent value.

The conceptual core of 'Il Sonno Supermarket' lies in its ability to challenge the ephemeral nature of modern consumption. Items like bottles, eggs, and packaged foods, meticulously sculpted from onyx, marble, and other natural stones, are instantly recognizable but reveal their true, immutable form upon closer inspection. This deliberate choice of material by SolidNature and OMA/AMO shifts the perceived value of these objects, emphasizing sustainability, longevity, and authenticity over the rapid cycles of mass production and consumption. David Mahyari of SolidNature highlights this reevaluation, stating that natural stone introduces a value rooted in enduring qualities, thus contrasting with systems driven by speed and disposability. The reflective surfaces along the installation's perimeter further enhance this contemplative atmosphere, drawing visitors into the display and creating a dialogue between movement and stillness.

The installation's title, 'Il Sonno Supermarket' (The Sleep Supermarket), alludes to a dream-like state, where familiar actions are suspended and transformed. Samir Bantal of AMO notes that shopping often involves an unthinking, reflexive behavior. Here, this reflex is deliberately arrested, turning products into fixed, sculptural gestures that prompt observation rather than mere acquisition. The ambient lighting and subtle sound design, mimicking a typical retail environment, further ground this surreal experience in a recognizable reality, while the stone medium pulls it into an entirely different dimension. This interplay between the mundane and the eternal offers a unique opportunity for introspection, allowing visitors to recognize objects and then realize their solidified, timeless nature, ultimately creating an impactful, thought-provoking experience at Milan Design Week.

This innovative exhibition showcases how art and design can intersect with everyday life, inviting us to reconsider our relationship with the objects around us. By elevating common goods to timeless sculptures, the installation inspires a deeper appreciation for craftsmanship, sustainability, and the enduring beauty of natural materials, fostering a more mindful approach to consumption and existence.

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