The Top Five Installations of Salone del Mobile 2016

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With the 2016 Salone del Mobile now behind us, Romanian photographer Laurian Ghinitoiu has shared his photos from Milan Design Week, along with his ranking of the top five architectural installations. Read on to see his exceptional collection of images accompanied by short descriptions of each project.

5. BIG, “Alphabet of Light” with Artemide

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BIG’s collaboration with Artemide is an installation of wall-mounted, light-up letters based a typeface designed by the firm. Each letter is constructed with a group of simple elements that are joined together by electromagnetic joints that become invisible when illuminated. The system allows for any shape to be created, either a letter or not.

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4. Francis Kéré, “Courtyard Village” at Palazzo Litta

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Francis Kéré’s installation “Courtyard Village” at the Palazzo Litta is meant to evoke a traditional African village with an elevated central pavilion and high grasses on the perimeter. A bamboo and wild grass canopy shelters three semicircular, slatted stone enclosures, which are used as an exhibition space.

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3. MAD, “Invisible Borders” for Interni

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MAD’s “Invisible Borders” installation for Italian magazine Interni is a canopy of ETFE ribbons in gradient colors situated in the Cortile d’Onore courtyard of Università degli Studi di Milano. According to the architects, “The installation reflects the hues of the sky during the day, leaving glimpses of the columns and loggias. In the evening it becomes a luminous surface that brings the courtyard to live with new colors.”

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2. Nendo, “50 Manga Chairs” for Friedman Benda

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Nendo’s 50 Manga Chairs for New York based design gallery Friedman Benda, located in the courtyard of the Facoltà Teologica dell'Italia Settentrionale, is a grid of stainless steel chairs inspired by the linework of manga. In the Japanese comics, flat or abstract lines are used to animate gestures such as ‘sweat’, ‘tears’, or ‘speech bubbles’, which the chair designs seek to emulate.

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1. Sou Fujimoto, “Forest of Light” for COS

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Sou Fujimoto’s “Forest of Light” for COS is a room of ceiling mounted spotlights creating cones of white light in a darkened space. As visitors pass through the venue, the lights pulse and darken making for an experience of perpetual flux.

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