Alcova returned to Milan for its 11th edition, unfolding across two distinct sites that capture the city’s layered identity: the Baggio Military Hospital in the Primaticcio district and Villa Pestarini by Franco Albini. First established in 2018 by Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima, Alcova has become a cornerstone during Milan Design Week, bringing together emerging designers, established names, and experimental brands within unconventional, historically rich environments.
Baggio Military Hospital
Photo by Luigi Fiano and Ardesia Coco. Courtesy of Alcova.
The Baggio Military Hospital—previously activated by Alcova in 2021 and 2022—expands this year with newly opened spaces, including a church, its former rectory, and a historic archive. The sprawling complex reads as a “city within a city,” where architecture and nature intertwine into an evolving ecosystem that blurs the boundary between built and organic.
Here, large-scale, site-specific installations unfold across hangars and corridors. In the Chiesa, “Devices for Connection” by Leo Lague and Versa reimagines spirituality through a layered environment of sound, light, and material, an immersive response to a collective need for presence.
Inside one of the hangars, Threshold by Objects of Common Interest for Dooor explores how minimal gestures can define space. Using textile dividers, the installation creates subtle boundaries without enclosure, forming a suspended, almost meditative environment detached from its industrial surroundings.
VOCLA. Photo by Luigi Fiano. Courtesy of Alcova.
Nearby, “Seat in Touch” by Supaform reflects on the shared nature of public space, translating the language of utilitarian environments—transport systems, waiting areas—into a modular sofa system that fosters new forms of coexistence. The installation incorporates Mutina’s three-dimensional Bloc bricks, grounding the work in material experimentation.
The second hangar shifts into a more social dimension with VOCLA / Design by Night, a hybrid installation and gathering space developed with HENGE. Here, design, nightlife, and cultural exchange merge through a site-specific environment by Ugo Cacciatori, alongside a cocktail bar and curated programming that extends into talks and performances.
Villa Pestarini
University of the Arts Bremen. Courtesy of Alcova.
OOG Objects. Courtesy of Alcova.
In contrast, Villa Pestarini opens to the public for the first time. Designed by Franco Albini, the residence stands as a rare example of Italian rationalist architecture, defined by a restrained geometry, glass-block façades, and a seamless dialogue between interior and garden.
Meticulously preserved, the villa balances discipline and poetry, offering a quiet yet powerful framework for contemporary interventions. Across its ground floor, upper levels, basement, and outdoor spaces, designers engage directly with Albini’s legacy, creating a dialogue between past and present.
Elitta. Courtesy of Alcova.
Elisa Uberti. Courtesy of Alcova.
A quieter, more material-driven dialogue unfolds across the rooms. Alicja Hajkowicz-Rudzka presents “Layers,” a series of hand-blown glass works where undulating, overlapping forms build density at the center before dissolving into translucency. Nearby, Elisa Uberti—after fifteen years in fashion—turns to stoneware, creating organic, architectural pieces rooted in the idea of dwelling as refuge. Installed within a bathroom setting, her ceramic vessels for bathing rituals are accompanied by smaller sculptural forms wrapped in edible paste, inviting tactile discovery. Spain-based Worn Studio, founded by Natalia Ortega, brings a slower, rural approach to making, working across clay, wood, stone, leather, and glass. “The Picnic” draws from Japanese hanami traditions, translating shared rituals into a thoughtful composition of memory and gathering.
Among the highlights, Patricia Urquiola’s projects for Haworth and Cassina bring Albini’s iconic designs—reissued by Cassina—into conversation with contemporary pieces, while Boccamonte presents a collection honoring architect Luisa Castiglioni, one of Albini’s protégés.
A Dialogue Between Preservation and Experimentation at Alcova
Le Labo On Wheels. Alcova 2026 in Milan.
Haworth and Cassina By Patricia Urquiola. Courtesy of Alcova.
Across its two Milan sites—and now with an eye toward Mexico City for 2027—Alcova continues to construct a shifting geography of design. The contrast between the raw, expansive hospital complex and the refined intimacy of Villa Pestarini underscores its core ethos: that space is never neutral, but an active participant in shaping how design is experienced.
With 131 exhibitors spanning disciplines, geographies, and generations, this year’s edition moves fluidly between research and material culture, preservation and reinvention, cementing Alcova as one of the most vital platforms in contemporary design today.
