Day five - 21 April

We arrived early this morning to beat the crowds. It was a good chance to take in the product and quickly move through nine halls to see as much as possible before taking the train back to the Brera District before lunchtime.

Rho Fairgrounds 

Magis

The Magis collection follows the trends by other manufacturers this year: bringing fantastic new colour ranges into their existing collections. For Magis, this included burgundy red powdercoat and polyprop options.

The industrial theme from last year’s collection comes through this year and also includes a selection of very cool storage units reimagined from a traditional industrial version into one that can comfortably sit in a modern home environment. Magis also launches several new chairs from star designers Jasper Morrison and Marcel Wanders, along with some really cool owl lamps.

MDF Italia

This year MDF Italia have jumped on the colour wagon as well and released the popular Flow Slim Chair as Flow Slim Colour. As the name suggests, the range of chairs is now available with coloured shells and frames which reflect this year’s design trends.

Of particular note, though, was the Axy Table which comes up to four metres long, has a super thin profile and comes with an optional electrified profile should you wish to use it as a boardroom table or even a desk. The Axy is made entirely of aluminium, is lightweight, comes in three brushed aluminium colours and is only a mere 12mm thick. It is suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

Sancal

As well as several new ranges, Sancal introduces its ‘Jungla’ collection this year, (the forest is another recurring theme we’ve seen this year in Milan). The Sancal stand is particularly wild this year with vivid, highly patterned fabrics covering signature pieces and accessories.

According to organisers: “Leafy and dark, but with sparkling notes of colour, the Jungla Collection reinterprets nature with the sense of humour that characterizes the firm.” And there is no denying it, this stand certainly puts a smile on your face and entices you to sit and take it all in.

Vitra Bathroom

Vitra launches Plural, the new range by Terri Pecora. Plural is a collection of bathroom fittings that are more akin to pieces of furniture than traditional sanitary items. Compact and with beautiful warm finishes, this range is ideal for apartment living.

Brera District

Bvlgari – Reinventing Design Rules

This installation consists of four different rooms. First, you enter into a surreal labyrinth of black and white patterned fabric which covers every surface, occasionally you catch a glimpse of some spectacular jewellery displayed within the barriers.

You are then led through to a series of light installations, which appear to carry on forever in pink, orange and green. After that, you step downstairs into a dark hall with a small door – reminiscent, perhaps, of Alice in Wonderland.

You open the door to enter the most elegant hall of mirrors you have ever seen, beautiful panels of enamelled metals trimmed in brass are layered over the entire curved ceiling and walls.

When you exit the room you enter the final part of the maze, a black room with curtains of polished metal tubes and LED lighting which, rather like Len Lye’s kinetic art, chime as people interact with the room. A truly unexpected treat!

Missoni

The high end Italian fashion house, Missoni, also has an installation in a large hall. It consists of five towers of steel wire covered in multi-coloured plastic film which sway gently.

The space is also full of projectors switching on an off at different times according to the movement of the people exploring the room. The shadows and the play of light inspire a strangely calming and playful mood.

Inhabits

Located outside Castello Sforzesco, Inhabits is a village composed of art installations and tiny houses. Being Human: Designing with Empathy is this year’s theme in Brera, and this is explored here by interpreting the global need for cost-effective, efficient housing.

I spoke with a representative of Scaff System, a European manufacturer of kitset steel structures that are assembled rather like a large scale Meccano model (although one designed to satisfy Italy’s tough seismic requirements). This system, which costs roughly €60 (NZ$120) per m², is manufactured to your design, can be assembled onsite in just five days, and allows you to add your chosen cladding.

Read the previous day’s reports here: day one, day two, day three, day four.