Be the project, the theme of Milan Design Week 2026

At Milan Design Week 2026, we will continue to interpret design as a dynamic and responsible process, in which human beings drive change and redefine their relationship with the world they inhabit. This is the vision at the heart of “Be the project”, the theme chosen for Milan Design Week 2026, which continues a journey initiated with “Future Laboratory” (2023), “Matter Nature” (2024), and “Connected Worlds” (2025).

“Be the project” holds two deeply connected meanings: on one hand, the human being as an active force of transformation, driven by vision, desire, and responsibility; on the other, design as an evolving process – one that continually reshapes relationships between people, objects, and the environment. It is both a way of being and a way of acting: a conscious commitment that unfolds through stories, hands, materials, and experiences, shaping how we relate to the world.

In 2023, with Ecosophìa, Valcucine initiated a profound reflection on the integration of sustainability and design knowledge. “Eco” from sustainability and “Sophìa” from knowledge: a creative laboratory that gave rise to kitchens set in forward-thinking architectural contexts—not as unreachable utopias, but as real scenarios inspired by today's environmental and social challenges. “Ecosophìa” also fostered dialogue with design schools such as Domus Academy and ISIA, generating a generational and creative exchange between industry, research, and craftsmanship. In this context, Valcucine also presented its LEED credit mapping, demonstrating how its kitchens can significantly contribute to achieving the highest international environmental certifications. A further step towards conscious, measurable design that combines aesthetics with environmental performance.

In 2024, with the group exhibition “Architectural Scenarios”, Valcucine explored the design versatility of its kitchen programme in dialogue with contemporary architecture. Collaborating with three internationally renowned studios—ARRCC, i29, and Neri&Hu—the exhibition illustrated a new way of conceiving the integration between kitchen and space. The exhibition was a great success with both the public and clients, confirming Valcucine's ability to anticipate design needs and deliver solutions that are inspired, practical, and aligned with evolving lifestyles. A celebration of design as a cultural, technical, and poetic act, capable of translating shared values into aesthetic, functional, and sustainable experiences.

In 2025, with “Connected Scenarios”, Valcucine transformed its showroom in the Brera Design District into a hub of creative connections and interdisciplinary dialogue. The kitchen was brought into conversation with emerging disciplines, smart technologies, and cross-cultural perspectives.

Among the speakers, color designer Judith van Vliet, founder of The Color Authority, shared her insights from years of experience in global color strategy. Alessandro Mininno, founder of Flatmates and author of the newsletter Click This Week, contributed reflections on digital innovation and new housing models.

The panel was enriched by Eszter Radnóczy, architect and founder of este'r partners, and Maurizio Vianello, CEO of Valcucine, who shared the brand's strategic vision and its evolution toward more connected and responsible design. From the world of product design, Philipp Mainzer, creative director and CEO of e15, and Farah Ebrahimi, the brand's creative director, discussed the relationship between material, form, and function. Prompt designer and photographer Silvia Badalotti offered a fresh take on the integration of AI, visual storytelling, and creative languages.

Other notable contributors included Lyndon Neri, co-founder of Neri&Hu, a leading voice in the fusion of architecture and culture; Juan Pablo Boz, Marketing Director at Nice, expert in global strategy and digital transformation; and Vaisakh Varkey Mathunny, founder of Two Plus Design Collective, who champions the intersection of architecture and digital technologies.

Also featured were Nicola Ricciardi, Director of miart; Luca Molinari, architect, critic, and international curator; Martins Hermansons, chief designer at Latvian studio FortyFour; Dutch design studio Truly Truly, founded by Joel and Kate Booy; Beka Pkhakadze, founder of Stipfold (Georgia); and Stefano Schiavo, innovation and strategic marketing expert, founder of Sharazad. Finally, Daniel Treacy, Design Director of Rakumba, presented the poetic and technical approach behind the Australian lighting brand.

In this ever-evolving journey, “Being Project” emerges as a natural continuation: an invitation to recognize ourselves within the becoming of the project. Not a final form, but a process that shapes us over time. Not only what we design, but what designs us—through new intelligences, artificial, distributed, and non-linear, that challenge and amplify us.

Milan Design Week 2026 thus invites us to “rediscover design as a deep and responsible experience. A return to design thinking and action to promote design as a form of knowledge—capable of telling stories of minds, cultures, and materials, and of imagining a more sustainable, inclusive, and conscious future.”

Valcucine, with its pioneering vision, will continue at Milan Design Week 2026 to promote a design approach that builds deep connections, giving meaning and a sense of future to every design gesture. By combining beauty, technology, craftsmanship, and responsibility, we will continue to rediscover design as an architectural, human, and ethical experience.