Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives

Oshinowo draws on her experience of architectural practice in Africa, alongside curatorial work on innovation under conditions of scarcity, to redefine architecture and urbanism from a global perspective and to design beyond abundance. By critically engaging with the architecture and urbanism of the continent, her lecture challenges conventional design paradigms, advocating for an approach that is attentive to the cultural and climatic imperatives of the twenty-first century.Tosin Oshinowo, Tosin Oshinowo in conversation with Amanda FerberModerated by Amanda Ferber, Founder, CEO & Publisher | Architecture HunterFollowed by a Book Signing with Tosin Oshinowo at Corraini Mobile Bookshop The Beauty of Impermanence, Park Books, 2025 Field Notes on Scarcity, Park Books, 2023Architects registered with CNAPPC (the Italian National Council of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects and Conservators) are entitled to 2 CPD credits: please complete the form to register and initiate the accreditation process. Training credits will be awarded exclusively to participants who have signed the attendance register on site.Ph. Spark Creative

Introduction by Abdulrahman al Muftah, Designer, Program Coordinator Design Doha This conversation introduces Arab Design Now, one of the most relevant publications dedicated to contemporary design across the MENASA region, offering an in-depth survey of more than 70 designers working across architecture, products, and craft, and presenting a rich landscape spanning the Levant, the Gulf, and North Africa. A second edition of the book will be presented in 2026, curated by Noura Al Sayeh-Holtrop, and will be announced on this occasion. A fundamental, ongoing editorial project reflecting the richness and diversity of the Arab world, developed with the support of Design Doha, the long-term platform strengthening networks of makers and thinkers, supporting knowledge transmission, and positioning design in MENASA as a vital force. Fahad Al Obaidly, Director Design Doha  Noura Al Sayeh, Curator Arab Design Now 2026  Said Berkane, Senior Cultural Project Specialist, Qatar Museums   Followed by a Book Signing with Fahad Al Obaidly and Noura Al Sayeh at Corraini Mobile BookshopArab Design Now, Volume I, SilvanaEditoriale, 2024

Welcome by Maria Porro, President Salone del Mobile.MilanoPresentation Made in Italy Furniture Industry: challenges and opportunities in a changing marketCurated by Stefania Trenti, Responsible Industry and Local Economies Research Intesa SanpaoloRound Table The value of Italian Design and the strength of supply chains facing new economic and geopolitical challengesThe round table explores the challenges and opportunities that the international context presents to the furniture sector and its supply chains, with particular focus on the role of finance in supporting the global competitiveness of Italian manufacturing. At the heart of the discussion: investment strategies, pathways toward sustainability, and innovation as a driver of growth. Analysis from Intesa Sanpaolo's Research Department will be complemented by first-hand accounts from companies across the sector and by a reflection on the value of intellectual property as a strategic safeguard of Italian design's identity and excellence on the world stage - offering an integrated perspective that brings together macroeconomic data and entrepreneurial visions on the new trajectories of global markets.Inge Buffolo, Director Business Development Department EUIPO Daniele Lago, President and Head of Design Lago Anna Roscio, Executive Director Sales & Marketing Imprese Intesa Sanpaolo Andrea Tagliabue, CEO TABU Modera Federica Galli, Journalist TRCCurated by Intesa Sanpaolo

The talk Two Speeds of Design looks at authorial design and at a product in wide circulation as two forces that shape contemporary practice and related market. Serial design brings large reach, continuity, and broad application. Authorial design ─ unique pieces, limited editions, outsider creations ─ is a platform for freedom: a space where imagination, exploration, and risk can operate without constraint. Moving between these two worlds is, for the most forward-thinking figures in the field, a conscious choice and a source of strength. Limited editions and bespoke commissions function as sites of research ─ material, conceptual, and formal ─ while serial production translates and extends that research into form and distribution, subject to the disciplines of scale, numbers, and cost. The relationship between the two is dynamic rather than hierarchical, and their coexistence reflects a mature design ecosystem - one capable of addressing both cultural ambition and industrial reality.Job Smeets, Founder Studio JobClément Rougelot, Co-Founder 13DessertsGiovanni Lacerenza, Director Brun Fine ArtRoberto Palomba, Architect and Designer, Co-Founder Palomba Serafini AssociatiModerated by Maria Cristina Didero, Independent design curator and Author 

The talk explores an architectural approach rooted in local reality and territory, proposing a design centred on the sustainability of life and cultural identity. The discussion focuses on experimenting with materials, vernacular knowledge, and the matter that anchors us to the site, seeking alternatives to steel and concrete that cause a loss of identity. It will highlight the value of constructive knowledge transmitted through oral tradition and artisanal craftsmanship. Architecture is presented as matter, context, and collective action. David Barragán of Al Borde studio will share case studies from Ecuador and abroad, demonstrating how project diversity can foster local development and social innovation. This approach involves adapting design to local conditions using materials like earth, bamboo, and wood, while reclaiming ancestral knowledge to face environmental crises.David Barragán, Co-Founder Al BordeModerated by Marcela Fibbiani, Design Journalist, 90+10Followed by a Book Signing with David Barragán at Corraini Mobile Bookshop Al Borde: Less Is All, Arquine, 2020Architects registered with CNAPPC (the Italian National Council of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects and Conservators) are entitled to 2 CPD credits: please complete the form to register and initiate the accreditation process. Training credits will be awarded exclusively to participants who have signed the attendance register on site.Ph. JAG Studio

This moment of exchange explores the implications of the growth and value of Italian savoir faire — from cuisine to design to furnishings — opening new opportunities for evolution among Made in Italy companies. The discussion will address how past, present and future can enter into dialogue to express identity, culture and lifestyle. Intangible heritage thus becomes a driver of industrial development, marketing and design. The question is: how can businesses transform cultural recognition into economic value?Silvia Sassoni, Strategic communications and public relations professionalCarlo Cracco, ChefEdi Snaidero, Designated Advisor, Kitchens Division – Assarredo, FederlegnoArredoConducted by Maddalena Fossati, Editor-in-Chief of La Cucina Italiana and President of the Steering Committee for the candidacy of Italian Cuisine for UNESCO Heritage status 

With the introduction of Salone Raritas, contemporary craft, special-edition design and antiques enter Salone del Mobile not as peripheral categories, but as central pillars within a wider ecosystem. As architects, interior designers, developers and hospitality brands increasingly look to rare and characterful pieces to give distinction to residential, retail and public interiors, how are these disciplines being positioned within a fair historically defined by industrial production? What does it mean to present unique and limited-edition works at a trade event, and what new opportunities does this create for designers and gallerists working across collectible design, high craftsmanship and antiques? Featuring exhibitors working across collectible design, high craftsmanship and antiques, this panel will explore the growing appeal of collectible objects among professional audiences and consider how Salone Raritas aligns with Salone del Mobile’s wider role as an international platform for design culture and business.Draga Obradovic, Co-Founder Draga & Aurel Luca Marullo Viola, Co-Founder Parasite 2.0 Stephan Hamel, International Design ConsultantFrancesco Faccin, Founder Studio Francesco Faccin Moderated by TF Chan, Director Collect Art Fair

What does the ideal home look like? It is a concept that changes over time, but not too much. For millennia, a house has been a house. And yet its form and functions adapt to the outside world. They open up, when the time is right, or close to protect like a shelter from the world outside, when that is the better choice. A monologue by Matteo Caccia will explore the evolution of the concept of home throughout human history and the history of design. Dimensions, function, divisions. A sentimental journey through the most Performance by Matteo Caccia, Author and Storyteller Introduction by Davide Coppo, Head of Special Projects Rivista Studio and Valentina Ardia, Editor in Chief Rivista StudioCurated by Rivista Studio 

Sunday, April 26, marks the appointment with La Pina. A passionate design lover and daughter of the unforgettable architect Andrea Branzi. The iconic Radio Deejay host will explore the Salone del Mobile stands with her sharp and curious eye. This lively walkthrough will culminate at the Drafting Futures Arena, where La Pina, in dialogue with the President of Salone, Maria Porro, will share her personal experience with the audience, leading to a vibrant debate on the world of design and its impact on our daily lives.