During Milan Design Week 2026, the ME Milan Il Duca—a landmark of rationalist architecture designed by Aldo Rossi—has been repurposed into a "temporary ecosystem." The project, titled *Room for Dreams*, moves away from the traditional trade-show format of object display, instead treating the hotel’s physical structure as a sequence of psychological states. By activating every corner of the building, from the open-air garden to the basement, the exhibition explores the act of dreaming as a functional tool for cultural and social transformation.
The takeover is structured as a progression rather than a static gallery. Visitors circulate through spaces that correspond to different phases of the subconscious, transitioning from broad, collective speculation to deeply introspective encounters. This layered environment is anchored by a collaboration between SolidNature and AMO/OMA, led by Samir Bantal, alongside a "Cinema of Dreams" designed by Paf atelier. The programming, which includes live talks with figures like Philippe Starck, suggests that the future of design lies less in the form of the furniture and more in the staging of atmosphere and experience.
By reprogramming the hotel’s daily rituals and spatial flow, the project challenges the notion of architecture as a fixed entity. Instead, the building becomes a site for "potential futures," where the boundaries between the built environment and the interior life of the visitor are intentionally blurred. In this context, the dream state is presented not as an escape from reality, but as a rigorous method for reimagining it.
With reporting from Designboom.
Source · Designboom