Milan’s famous Salone del Mobile has once again filled the Italian city with color, inspiration and innovative design, following a series of false starts and postponements due to COVID-19. Curated by the architect Stefano Boeri and a team of international designers, this year’s Supersalone event took place from the September 5 to 10, boasting a total of 1,900 projects on show.
The event brought together the very best research projects and innovative product designs created by an entire design sector over the last 18 months. Looking toward the future, common themes among the designers were innovation, style, sustainability, and safety. The collections also combined a strong focus on restarting, recycling, and embracing new circular beginnings.
“A major theme underpinning ‘Supersalone’ is the concept of sustainability and the issue of reuse, recycling and circularity,” says the Salone del Mobile 2021 press team. “This approach is crucial in terms of returning not just to the same level of economic development as before the recent crisis, but also to striving for better and more responsible development.”
As part of the eco-design strategy for the Supersalone, all the materials and components of the installations have been designed to be dismantled and subsequently reused. Where possible most installation fixtures have been made from chipboard panels made from 100 percent recycled wood, which will later be repurposed back into the production cycle. In addition, all bricks used to create display sets will be ploughed back into the construction cycle.
Finally, as per tradition, the Fuorisalone design collective ventured out into the streets of Milan, with multiple exhibits and events scattered throughout the city. In true Italian spirit and style, the city was brimming with new ideas, culture, creativity and a renewed lust for life.
Highlights from the event included a design lab with Lamborghini’s Centro Stile designers; presentation of the 2022 Porsche Taycan electric vehicle; and launch of the retro-futuristic Microlino compact electric city car. Make sure you head to our gallery to take a look at some of this year’s top designs and our special picks from Milan Design Week 2021.
Source: Salone del Mobile 2021
