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MetalMorphosis at Milan Design Week: A Quiet Call for Lighter Architecture

architecture-design · 2026-05-06

During Milan Design Week, the installation MetalMorphosis by Ottagono and AMDL CIRCLE, the studio of Michele De Lucchi, offered a contemplative counterpoint to the week's spectacle. Located in Piazza San Babila, the structure used light steel frame to embody a philosophy of building lighter, living lighter, and thinking lighter. The project was driven by the idea that the weight of built structures has begun to surpass that of nature, proposing a cultural rather than purely technological response. MetalMorphosis was not a finished object but an open architecture designed to adapt over time, reconciling structure with nature, industry with sensitivity. The installation left a lasting question: whether the future of architecture lies not in building more, but in building better.

Key facts

  • MetalMorphosis was installed at Piazza San Babila during Milan Design Week.
  • The project was created by Ottagono and AMDL CIRCLE, the studio of Michele De Lucchi.
  • The structure was built with light steel frame, emphasizing recyclability and adaptability.
  • The installation proposed a cultural shift towards lighter, more conscious architecture.
  • It was described as a house that breathes, open to time and change.
  • The work was featured in Glocal Design Magazine's 88th edition on sustainability.
  • Michele De Lucchi is a central figure in contemporary architectural thought.
  • The installation aimed to reconcile structure and nature, industry and sensitivity.

Entities

Artists

  • Michele De Lucchi

Institutions

  • Ottagono
  • AMDL CIRCLE
  • Glocal Design Magazine

Locations

  • Piazza San Babila
  • Milan
  • Italy

Sources