Designers at Milan Design Week 2026 Discuss Temporary Dreamscapes as Prototypes for the Future
At Milan Design Week 2026, designboom hosted a conversation titled 'Temporary Dreamscapes: Immersive Realities as Prototypes for Alternate Futures' within the ROOM FOR DREAMS activation. Panelists Samir Bantal (architect and director of AMO/OMA), David Mahyari (founder of SolidNature), Christopher Dessus (founder of Paf atelier), and Paul Kelly (Global Marketing Director at La Marzocco) explored how temporary installations serve as experimental spaces for testing emotional and social values before they become permanent. Bantal argued that design challenges automatic thinking, citing Il Sonno's stone supermarket where a travertine milk carton provokes wonder. Mahyari emphasized changing perspectives on materials like stone to build a durable future, stating 'the future belongs to dreamers.' Dessus described his Cinema of Dreams as creating human connections through intangible forces rather than visual effects. Kelly highlighted communal rituals like coffee drinking as empathetic anchors, calling Milan Design Week a 'window of hope.' The talk took place on 20 April 2026.
Key facts
- Milan Design Week 2026 featured a talk titled 'Temporary Dreamscapes: Immersive Realities as Prototypes for Alternate Futures'.
- The conversation was hosted by designboom within the ROOM FOR DREAMS activation.
- Panelists included Samir Bantal (AMO/OMA), David Mahyari (SolidNature), Christopher Dessus (Paf atelier), and Paul Kelly (La Marzocco).
- Samir Bantal discussed how design challenges automatic thinking, citing Il Sonno's stone supermarket with a travertine milk carton.
- David Mahyari stated 'the future belongs to dreamers' and advocated for changing perspectives on materials like stone.
- Christopher Dessus described his Cinema of Dreams as creating human connections through intangible forces.
- Paul Kelly emphasized communal rituals like coffee drinking as empathetic anchors for connection.
- The talk took place on 20 April 2026.
- Milan Design Week 2026 is described as a 'window of hope' and an investment in the future.
- The event explored how temporary installations act as rehearsals for alternative futures.
Entities
Artists
- Samir Bantal
- David Mahyari
- Christopher Dessus
- Paul Kelly
Institutions
- AMO/OMA
- SolidNature
- Paf atelier
- La Marzocco
- designboom
- Il Sonno
Locations
- Milan
- Italy