Milan's Design Archives Open for One Night During 2026 Design Week
Mark your calendar for April 24, 2026, because Milan is hosting Common Archive – La Notte Bianca del Progetto, a project spearheaded by Susanna Legrenzi and the Politecnico di Milano School of Design. Attendees can enjoy over 50 free activities, including guided tours and talks, across more than 50 different sites, connecting various archives, both public and private. Some highlighted locations are the Cittadella degli Archivi, the AIAP documentation center, and Castello Sforzesco, with major organizations like Triennale Milano and ADI Design Museum involved. The event will also feature house-museums dedicated to notable 20th-century Italian figures, such as Achille Castiglioni and Gio Ponti. Supported by Regione Lombardia and Comune di Milano, it seeks to leverage archives for future insights during Milan Design Week 2026, with research contributions from Massimo Bianchini, Stefano Maffei, and Francesco Zurlo.
Key facts
- Event occurs on April 24, 2026
- Over 50 free events including guided visits and talks
- Curated by Susanna Legrenzi with Politecnico di Milano School of Design
- Includes archives of Achille Castiglioni, Franco Albini, Vico Magistretti, Gae Aulenti, Gio Ponti
- Initiated by Salone del Mobile.Milano through its Observatory
- Supported by Regione Lombardia and Comune di Milano
- Part of Milan Design Week 2026
- Research leads: Massimo Bianchini, Stefano Maffei, Francesco Zurlo
Entities
Artists
- Achille Castiglioni
- Franco Albini
- Vico Magistretti
- Gae Aulenti
- Gio Ponti
- Piero Bottoni
- Salvatore Licitra
- Gianni Nigro
- Toni Nicolini
- Manuela Cirino
- Ilaria Falciola
- De Pas
- D'Urbino
- Lomazzi
- Jacqueline Vodoz
- Bruno Danese
- Maria Porro
- Susanna Legrenzi
- Giampiero Bosoni
Institutions
- Salone del Mobile.Milano
- Politecnico di Milano School of Design
- ADI Design Museum
- Triennale Milano
- CASVA – Centro Alti Studi sulle Arti Visive
- Cittadella degli Archivi
- AIAP Documentation Centre
- Castello Sforzesco Bertarelli Print Collection
- Achille Castiglioni Foundation
- Franco Albini Foundation
- Vico Magistretti Studio Museum
- Gae Aulenti Archive
- Gio Ponti Archives
- Regione Lombardia
- Comune di Milano
- designboom
- Salone del Mobile.Milano Observatory
- Fondazione Jacqueline Vodoz e Bruno Danese
- Fondazione Studio Museo Vico Magistretti
- Archivi Storici del Politecnico di Milano
- Glocal Design Magazine
- Salone Observatory
- Región de Lombardía
- Ayuntamiento de Milán
- Politecnico di Milano
- CASVA
- Fondazione Fiera Milano
- Fondazione Vico Magistretti
- Fabbrica del Vapore
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Milán
- Lombardía