Following the apartment tours from this year’s Milan Design Week, ADR highlights the top exhibitions we visited during this year’s event.

The Factory of Light presented by Aesop

For its third appearance at Milan Design Week, Aesop presented The Factory of Light, a multisensory installation at Milan’s Santa Maria Del Carmine. Designed by Australian architect Rodney Eggleston, the experience explored the intersection of craftsmanship and luminosity, showcasing the brand’s first lighting collection, Aposē. Visitors journeyed through four rooms, Hear, See, Touch and Smell, that highlighted the artisanal processes behind the lamps, including Italian glass-blowing and German brass-casting.

In keeping with Aesop’s commitment to sustainable design, the installation featured translucent walls made from salvaged restoration tarpaulins and a striking ‘amber wave’ constructed from 10,826 repurposed fragrance bottles. 

Jusoor Design Collections

The Saudi Architecture and Design Commission debuted the Jusoor Design Collections at Milan Design Week 2026 to showcase emerging Saudi creative talent on an international stage. Hosted at the historic Palazzo Brera, the exhibition featured a collaborative program where five Saudi designers partnered with global design brands from India, Nepal, and Spain to explore material, identity and cultural exchange.

Curated by creative director Samer Yamani, the collection included four primary works: Thanoon, a desert-inspired sculptural lamp; Takween, a series of table lamps blending raw and industrial materials; the Cora Collection, which transforms handwoven carpets into stools inspired by marine biodiversity; and the Tah Bookshelf, a spiral metal sculpture reflecting non-linear perceptions of knowledge. By emphasising immersive workshops and shared expertise, the initiative positioned Saudi design as a globally engaged discipline rooted in deep cultural storytelling.

Aqua Sanctuary presented by GROHE SPA

Following the final curtain at Piccolo Teatro Studio Melato, GROHE SPA transformed the venue into the immersive Aqua Sanctuary during Milan Design Week, presenting a vision of ‘Wellbeing through Water’.

The installation explored how water, architecture and design intersect to create spaces that enhance human vitality, reframing the bathroom as an intentional, sensory environment rather than a purely functional one. Through curated materials, colours and collaborations, the project invited architects to craft emotionally engaging interiors.

As noted by Paul Flowers of LIXIL, the concept emphasised water’s restorative and transformative qualities. The experience unfolded across three sanctums: the first showcased biomimicry and advanced manufacturing through the AquaTree shower, blending water, light and organic form.

The second presented a cohesive, design-led bathroom ecosystem featuring the Atrio Private Collection and a collaboration with Buster + Punch, integrating wellness elements like steam and aromatherapy,

And the third distilled water into rituals of preparation, relaxation and rejuvenation through modular, customisable systems. Innovative materials, including recycled aluminium and circular surfaces, reinforced a commitment to sustainability, demonstrating how luxury design can harmonise with environmental responsibility while elevating everyday wellbeing.

No Space For Waste 

At Isola Design Festival during Milan Design Week 2026, Edward Linacre and Maxwell Carr presented the latest evolution of PolyOnyx, a project redefining recycled plastic as a material of enduring value.

Through architecturally scaled lighting, the work mimicked the depth and luminosity of natural stone, challenging perceptions of waste. Using a handcrafted marbling process, reclaimed plastics were shaped into richly textured, illuminated surfaces that evoke marble and onyx.

By revealing unexpected beauty and translucency, PolyOnyx reframed plastic not as disposable, but as a desirable, sustainable material contributing to a more circular design future.