Fun at the Fuori Salone - Part two, Brera District

Fuori Salone Part two, Via Durini, Brera District

After visiting San Babila we walked to via Durini where the stores of historic Italian Furnire manifacturers are based.
Here are my highlights from Via Durini:

1. Meritalia presenting the new sofa Minah, by Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas

The shop window of Meritalia

Minah in red and orange

Minah as chaise longue, sofa and armchair, in black and grey

2. Cassina celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The shop window had a display using the iconic pieces of furniture to recreate the atmosphere of a fun fair, with chairs spinning round and a ferris wheel made with the chaise longue by LeCorbusier, LC4.

Fun at the Fuori Salone, Part one: Flowers and Swings

Fuori Salone part one: Palazzo Serbelloni, San Babila

Here is the account of the first part of my trip to Milan to see the Design Week and the Furniture Fair. This year I was only able to be in Milan for one day, so I spent the morning at the Fuori Salone and the afternoon at the fair grounds. It wasn't really enough, ideally you need at least a day at the Fuori Salone and a couple of days at the Fair (or the other way around depending on what you're interested in) but I still managed to see lots of nice things and had a great time!
I spent the morning near San Babila and visiting via Durini, where lots of the most well known furniture stores are based. My Milanese friends took me to a couple of interesting places, Palazzo Serbelloni and the Università Statale.

Our tour started at the Duomo, Milan's Cathedral

From the Duomo underground station we walked along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, where all the different flags of all the countries taking part in the Expo 2015 are diplayed.

We arrived in front of San Babila Church where we were meeting our friends. Here I noticed the front of Zara Home which had an interesting floral display to attract visitors. Unfortunaley the shop was shut (they opened at ten!) so I only got to peer through the window. All nice stuff for the home... Still I like the display (although I was hoping it was made of real flowers, but I suppose it would have been a very high maintanance display!)

New designers from the Salone Satellite

bergian designers

ateliers J6J
pierre-emmanuel vandeputte
radproduct.wix.com

Top places to visit at the Salone del Mobile

If you are planning on visiting the Salone del Mobile in Milan this week, you should probably be warned that there will be lots of walking envolved!

First of all there is the Salone del Mobile in Rho: here you will find Euroluce, Eurocucina, Workplace3.0, the Salone Satellite (a special exhibition for designers under 35) and many other installations.

If you manage to spend two or three days in Milan, once you've been to the Fiera in Rho, you'll want to visit the Fuori Salone, the part of the Salone that happens all over the city, in many different venues.

There are six main quartieri (districts) to visit:

Brera district

Tortona

Ventura Lambrate

San Babila design quater

5 Vie

Sant'Ambrogio

If  you only have two days, you could go to the Salone first, especially if you've never been before, then spend a day visiting two or three of the areas of the Fuori Salone. Use a map and keep your eyes open wide!

If you are returning to Milan after several visits to the Salone, you may want to concentrate on the Fuori Salone. In which case, pick a handful of events, plan an itinerary and have fun!

Unfotunately I don't think it's possible to see everything at the Salone or at the Fuori Salone, so I'm going to have to pick my route now and make sure I savour the places I do visit! Although a part of me would like to see it all!

My personal favourites so far are:

The Salone Satellite (full of suprises and fresh ideas)
Superstudio Più in Tortona

But I must admit, at heart I am a traveller, so I like to meander around and see where streets take me. I like to allow time and space for suprises... So hopefully my canon and I will see unexpected things...


I'll keep you posted and look forward to reading other poeple's accounts too.
Ciao!

the Fiera di Milano in Rho

A scene from the Fuori Salone

What to wear to the Salone del Mobile

Aspettando il Salone del Mobile

Or..

7 reasons to visit the Salone.

These are some pictures I took last year at the fair. I have been wanting to share them for some time and now, with the fair starting in just over a week, seems like a good moment!

This is the building where the main part of the fair takes place, where designers and producers exhibit their work.

The 'Fiera di Milano', in the town of Rho in the outskirts of Milan, was designed by Italian Architect Massimiliano Fuksas and his team, in 2004. 

Here is what it looked like on a beautiful sunny day last April. 

the pavillions are joined together by a long open air sheltered street.

spot the supermum with the baby in the sling!

some pavillions are two stories high. there are restaurants and cafés

Visit the Eurocucina pavillion if you love designer kitchens

Water and light are the main elements in this building

I hope you enjoyed this selection of photos. Have a wonderful Easter day!

If you would like to read about my first visit to the Salone del Mobile here is the link to my posts:

My visit to the Salone del Mobile

Ciao!