French architect Jean Nouvel with Claudio Luti, President of Cosmit

Milan venue of ‘iSaloni’ Press Conference. The new Unicredit Tower with Solar Tree by Artemide

From 9 to 14 April 2013 Milan will be the meeting point for new visions of the way we are going to live and work in the near future. The city will host its world’s leading event Salone del Mobile, unveiling an array of home furnishing, lighting and office solutions, along with the biennial Euroluce (International Lighting Exhibition), SaloneUfficio (International Workspace Exhibition) and SaloneSatellite. As usual, a rich programme of events linked to the world of design, art and culture is scheduled to take place both at the Rho- FieraMilano fairgrounds and downtown.

I SALONI 2013: INNOVATION IS THE KEYWORD

“Milan: interiors of tomorrow” is the banner heading the 52nd edition of iSaloni. Speaking at the international Press Conference of the 2013 event with the participation of designers Piero Lissoni, Patricia Urquiola and Antonio Citterio, Cosmit’s President, Claudio Luti, said: “The key to our success is ensuring that the Salone is the hub of innovation. Presenting new products is not just exciting for the public; it also helps motivate sales teams”. According to Luti, while innovation has always been a true vocation for Italian entrepreneurs of the furniture industry, nowadays they will have to put the same energy to strengthen their retail networks and communication strategies, as it is the case of the fashion sector. While staying in Milan next April, foreign visitors will be focusing on both fashion and design, as two main driving sectors of Italian creativity.
The key role of ‘iSaloni’ is expressed by its figures: over 300,000 visitors from 160 different countries are expected to attend. Over 2,500 exhibitors will be showcasing, with some historical brands, which are back.
• Salone Internazionale del Mobile with 1,400 exhibitors on 151,000 sq. m.
• Euroluce (Halls 9-11 and 13-15) with 450 exhibitors on 38,000 sq. m.
• SaloneUfficio (Halls 22-24) with 100 exhibitors on 12,500 sq. m.
• SaloneSatellite, in Halls 22-24, will be focusing on the theme: “Craftsmanship & Design: Together for Industry”. 700 designers including students from 17 international design schools will attend.
Specially conceived for the Saloni 2013 is Pritzker Prize 2008 winner, Jean Nouvel with his “Project: Office for Living”. The French architect will explore contemporary building concepts in a dedicated area of SaloneUfficio. The exhibit will be illustrating several different scenarios that give full rein to the main strands of his vision of the workspace: mobility, conviviality, pleasure, fun, with offices opening onto both inside and outside of the building, a refusal of the cloned spaces, enclosed spaces and the serial repetitiveness offices, suggesting new cohesive formulas. According to Jean Nouvel: “We spend a lot more time inhabiting our workplaces than we do at home, eating or sleeping. Offices are therefore living spaces that should be seen not just as the same old method actors playing a functional and effectual role, but as individuals pleased to be there.”

GOOD NEWS

Entry to Milan’s public museums will be free of charge during the week of ‘iSaloni’, thanks to a joint initiative set up between the city’s Culture, Fashion and Design Department and Cosmit, designed to make the most of Milan’s many cultural attractions. People will have a chance to visit and get to know the city’s museums with their important art, science and natural history collections. Salone visitors and Milan’s citizens will have free entry to: Museum of the 20th Century (Museo del Novecento), Archaeological Museum, Natural History Museum, Sforzesco Castle Museum, Palazzo Morando Museum, City Acquarium, Gallery of Modern Art and The Risorgimento Museum.
Thanks to an agreement between Cosmit, Fiera Milano and ATM (Milan Transport Company), a new all-inclusive ticket, valid for public transport on Milan’s urban network and for entry to the trade fair, will be available this year.