Design

Alcova 2025: where design meets history and experimentation

The innovative design platform Alcova makes its highly anticipated return to Varedo from April 7 to 13, 2025, unveiling an expanded showcase across four distinctive locations.

Por: Alejandro Carrillo March 26, 2025

Alcova 2025 will be hosted across four locations in Varedo: Villa Borsani, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, the former SNIA factory, and the Pasino Glasshouses / Photo via Alcova

This year, Alcova builds upon its presence at the historic Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi by introducing two additional venues: the former SNIA factory and the Pasino Glasshouses. The four sites collectively form a rich tapestry of design exploration, where history, materiality, and nature converge in unexpected ways.

Each venue offers a unique ambiance, guiding visitors through contrasting narratives shaped by decay, transformation, and light. Alcova’s ninth edition highlights a diverse array of established and emerging designers, whose installations engage directly with their surroundings, infusing the event with a renewed creative energy ahead of Milan Design Week.

At the Pasino Glasshouses, a site once renowned for orchid cultivation, Marcin Rusak Studio presents “Ghost Orchids,” a sculptural series crafted from biodegradable materials in collaboration with the Łukasiewicz Institute.

Playground for radical design

This project pays homage to the greenhouse’s botanical past while intertwining elements of Rusak’s personal history. Nearby, “Soft Horizons” by Objects of Common Interest and Greek Marble repurposes stone fragments, suspending them in midair as floating sculptural compositions.

The former SNIA factory, once a hub of industrial activity, has gradually been reclaimed by nature, creating a compelling dialogue between past and present. This interplay sets the stage for “Under the Volcano,” an immersive installation by Ranieri that introduces a striking lava stone collection designed by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces.

Finland’s Habitare platform also takes residence in the space, spotlighting the future of material innovation, while Decibel Made, a U.S.-based collective, demonstrates large-scale 3D-printed object production in real-time. Adding another dimension to the setting, French designers Warm Weekend, Mathias Palazzi, and Robinson Guillermet inflate “18 Drops of Sweat,” a hammam-inspired structure that explores breath and presence.

Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, renowned for its ornate interiors and atmospheric grottoes, becomes a stage for bold new voices in design. The American collective ANANASANANAS collaborates with Parasite 2.0 on a thought-provoking project that examines the intersection of food systems and soil degradation.

Rive Roshan transforms the Villa’s fountain into a luminous installation, while Soleille Gallery from Ibiza presents works by Andrea Mancuso, Marius Ritiu, Kym Ellery, and Manuel Bañó. The India-based Shakti Design Residency curates a cross-cultural dialogue, inviting international talents such as Duyi Han to reinterpret traditional craftsmanship from Jaipur and New Delhi.

Innovation converge

Within the Villa’s former icehouse, Studio Noké unveils two interconnected projects: “Drifting Cloud,” a series of six sculptures inspired by wave physics, and “Shape of Water,” featuring ceramic works by co-founder Moon Seop Seo. Both projects explore the intricate relationship between material form, environmental forces, and fluidity.

Meanwhile, the exhibition “Design Signals,” curated by Martina Muzi, delves into the impact of design on contemporary production systems and urban evolution, initiating its exploration with an analysis of Timisoara’s industrial landscape.

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Villa Borsani, known for its architectural significance, remains a focal point for projects that directly engage with its unique design language. Noritake Design Collection debuts a new ceramics series by Faye Toogood, while Athens-based THE BREEDER presents a light installation by Objects of Common Interest.

Alcova 2025 reaffirms its role as a boundary-pushing platform, where experimental approaches to design engage with historical contexts, industrial transformations, and the natural world. With its expansion into new spaces, Alcova continues to shape the future of design discourse, offering visitors an immersive experience that challenges conventions and redefines creative possibilities.

Key information

Where will Alcova 2025 take place? Alcova 2025 will be hosted across four locations in Varedo: Villa Borsani, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, the former SNIA factory, and the Pasino Glasshouses.
What is the theme of Alcova’s ninth edition? The event explores contrasting narratives of nature, decay, experimentation, and light, showcasing innovative material research and site-specific installations.
Which designers are featured in Alcova 2025? Participants include Marcin Rusak Studio, Ranieri, Objects of Common Interest, Rive Roshan, and Maxim Shcherbakov, among many others.
How does Alcova 2025 connect with historical and industrial spaces? The event activates historic villas and industrial sites, allowing designers to interact with the unique architectural and environmental characteristics of each location.

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