Milano's Palazzo dell'Ufficio Elettorale reopens after 20 years for Salone del Mobile

The Palazzo dell'Ufficio Elettorale in Milan, closed for over 20 years, reopened during the 2018 Salone del Mobile to host an installation by New York-based studio Snarkitecture. The building, built between 1863 and 1867 in an eclectic neoclassical style, originally housed the University of Milan's rectorate and first faculties (Law, Literature and Philosophy) in 1924. After the university moved, it became municipal offices for elections and traffic fines. The city put it up for sale in 2015 with a base price of €40-45 million, but high renovation costs left it unsold, with plans to convert it into a luxury hotel stalled. For Fuorisalone, Snarkitecture, in collaboration with Caesarstone, created "Altered States," transforming quartz surfaces into four islands inspired by water's states: Ice, Water, Steam, and Play. The installation featured a circular island in White Attica with stations demonstrating water's transformations, alongside new Caesarstone products Cloudburst Concrete, Airy Concrete, and Rugged Concrete.