Each year, Mathieson Architects travels to Milan Design Week to connect with the global design community, broaden our creative horizons, and experience first-hand the ideas shaping the future of architecture and interiors. Milan remains an essential pilgrimage — a place where innovation, craft, and culture converge, offering inspiration that informs and elevates our own work.

 

This year’s highlights reflect a continued refinement of materiality, atmosphere, and storytelling across multiple disciplines.

Hermès Home

 

At the Museo della Permanente, Hermès presented a collection grounded in craftsmanship and material exploration. Textural depth, exquisite fabrication, and quiet opulence characterised a series of objects and furniture that felt both contemporary and timeless.

Flexform Outdoor

 

Flexform's new outdoor collection, displayed in the cloistered setting of a historic convent, struck a perfect balance between architectural restraint and domestic ease — a reminder of how landscape, furniture, and architecture can merge seamlessly.

Davide Groppi

 

One of our long-standing favourites, Davide Groppi's installation at the Design Fair captured the emotive power of light. Sculptural, atmospheric, and deeply considered, it reinforced light’s role as a fundamental architectural material.

Viabizzuno

 

Viabizzuno’s latest offerings demonstrated extraordinary refinement in feature and task lighting — with a focus on subtle expression and technical mastery that resonates deeply with our design philosophy.

Alcova – Ranieri Installation

 

Set in an abandoned abattoir, Alcova once again provided a raw, compelling backdrop. The Ranieri installation, "Under the Volcano," explored elemental textures and primitive forms in an evocative, cinematic way.

Meals and Gatherings

 

Milan is as much about conversation and camaraderie as it is about design. Sharing meals with friends and collaborators is integral to the experience — often where the most memorable ideas are exchanged. The following are our top dining and drinking moments from the week — places that stood out for their atmosphere, design sensibility, and exceptional hospitality.

- Da Giacomo
A Milanese institution. The elegant interiors, impeccable seafood, and old-world service remind us why certain classics endure.

 

- Paper Moon Giardino
Tucked away in a hidden courtyard, Paper Moon Giardino offered a more contemporary yet equally refined dining experience — a true urban oasis.

 

- Bamboo Bar, Armani Hotel
Evenings ended with aperitivos at the Bamboo Bar, a soaring and sophisticated space offering views across Milan’s skyline.

 

- 10 Corso Como Café
As iconic as ever, the 10 Corso Como Café remains a vibrant meeting point for design and culture, with its lush interiors and eclectic crowd.

 

- Yapa
A Milan-based restaurant blending Japanese, Peruvian, and Italian influences — offered a menu as refined and unexpected as the setting itself.