Finally arriving at the most eagerly awaited Milanese week of the year, we are all set to repopulate the districts of the Fuorisalone events, from Brera to Tortona, in a selection of urban areas where all the main events of Design Week will be concentrated among crowds of designers and curious visitors. But for those arriving from other cities and other countries for the exhibitions, it is useful to remember how much more there is to visit and experience in the Lombard capital, far from the nocturnal buzz of the Bar Basso and the endless queues.
8 designers recommend what to see in Milan on top of Design Week
To get momentarily away from the busy districts, we asked the creatives participating in Design Week for a favourite place in the city to visit, from the iconic Villa Necchi to the public fountains scattered around the streets.
Via Cappuccio 5, Milan
Via Cappuccio 5, Milano
Via Spallanzani 16, Milan
Via dell'Orso 20, Milan
L.go Isarco 2, Milan
Photo Bas Princen
L.go Isarco 2, Milan
Photo Bas Princen
Via Morozzo della Rocca 5, Milan
Via Morozzo della Rocca 5, Milan
Ripa di Porta Ticinese, Milan
Photo Cristina Gottardi, via Unsplash
Ripa di Porta Ticinese, Milan
Photo Szymon Fischer, via Unsplash
Piazza Santo Stefano, Milan
Piazza Santo Stefano, Milan
Via Mozart 14, Milan
Via Mozart 14, Milan
View Article details
- Romina Totaro
- 08 June 2022
We therefore asked eight international designers to recommend a favourite place in the city to visit during the week, away from the spotlight of the packed calendar of events. There are those who return to the ever-popular Fondazione Prada or the iconic Villa Necchi, others like Adam Nathaniel Furman are looking forward to visiting the important archive of Fondazione Portaluppi. There are also those who, like New Zealander Sabine Marcelis, prefer to wander in search of the Fontane Vedovelle, the drinking water dispensers scattered around the city.
Marco Lavit “A city monastery with a ‘secret garden’, founded during the 12th century by devout nonreligious people and built in the ancient Roman Circus area. The beautiful and simple 15th century cloister with double porch is perfectly preserved and on the back side of the building there are gardens with amazing century-old trees, once part of the monastic vegetable gardens that dominated the area”.
Marco Lavit
Sabine Marcelis
“I like to wander the city and spot all the vedovelle fountains. It's kind of like a game for me. There are over 400 spread around the city”.
Sabine Marcelis
Masquespacio “For us, going to Milan during the Milan Design week is much more than going to visit the exhibition. It’s walking around on the street in and outside of Brera and discovering the architecture, but specially the building entrances of the Milanese buildings which with their contrast of materials create an authentic sense and showcases the Italian refinement. At the same time the Milan Design week gives you the unique opportunity of visiting the beautiful courtyards inside the buildings which is another huge source of inspiration for us. When we are in Milan of course our favorite spots are the Bun Burgers we designed in Brera”.
Masquespacio
Photo Bas Princen
Adarsh Nellore “I would really like to visit Fondazione Prada as I'm working as a creative strategist on an exhibition taking place there later this year and really want to visit after seeing renders and images of the inside spaces”.
Photo Bas Princen
Adarsh Nellore
Adam Nathaniel Furman “Because his body of work is one of the most brilliant of that era, and it’s very difficult to come across his drawings and designs in English”.
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Photo Cristina Gottardi, via Unsplash
Fabian Bolliger “Everytime when I am in Milan I have to go. Its a very nice vibe there and always feels like holiday to me”.
Photo Szymon Fischer, via Unsplash
Fabian Bolliger
Mathieu Lehanneur “A church decorated from floor to ceiling with skulls and bones. It is a large scale ‘vanitas’, a ’to be or not to be’ architecture”.
Mathieu Lehanneur
Studio Swine “We always enjoy come back to Villa Necchi. The street smells of wall flowering jasmine on the way in and we are transported. Foundation Prada is also a go to for us"
Studio Swine