Alongside the larger-scale exhibitions at Superstudio Maxi, the Playground Village offers a more intimate, discovery-driven experience during Milan Design Week 2026. Open to both B2B and B2C audiences, it brings together emerging designers, experimental projects, and collectible design in a setting that feels closer to a creative lab than a traditional fair.
This is where conversations take shape—where designers are present, narratives are personal, and ideas are still in progress.
Design for focus: Office Cocoon by Chris Ruhe
One of the most striking pieces in the village is Office Cocoon by Chris Ruhe — a compact workspace designed for undisturbed focus in an increasingly distracted world.
With its doors closed, the piece transforms into a sculptural object defined by soft, flowing lines. It doesn’t feel like conventional office furniture; instead, it sits somewhere between functional design and art. The tactile surface and organic form invite interaction, while the interior offers a quiet, almost meditative environment.
Sculptural narratives: Scarlet Collection by Ahmad Hamad
The Scarlet Collection by Ahmad Hamad introduces a more expressive and opulent design language—where sculptural form meets a sense of refined luxury.
Defined by rich tones, bold presence, and carefully crafted details, the collection reflects a vision of elegance that resonates strongly with a Middle Eastern aesthetic sensibility—where design often carries both cultural depth and visual intensity.
Rather than focusing on excess, the pieces articulate a more nuanced idea of luxury: one rooted in atmosphere, identity, and emotional resonance. There is a sense of richness, but it is controlled—expressed through materiality, color, and form rather than ornament alone.
Designed for those who value privacy, presence, and distinction, the collection suggests interiors as personal statements—spaces that feel both intimate and elevated.
It’s a vision of luxury that is not only seen, but experienced—where elegance becomes spatial, and design becomes a reflection of lifestyle and cultural narrative.
A different rhythm within Milan Design Week
While Milan Design Week is filled with large-scale brand activations and polished presentations, the Superstudio Playground Village offers something different.
It’s not about perfection — it’s about process, experimentation, and emerging voices.
What makes the village stand out is:
- direct interaction with designers
- strong conceptual narratives behind each project
- a balance between art, design, and material research
- accessibility across both industry (B2B) and public audiences (B2C)
Eternal Poppies by Monai Giannini
A more poetic moment within the village comes from Eternal Poppies by Monai Giannini — an installation of sustainable textile sculptures exploring growth, transformation, and permanence.
Eternal Poppies by Monai Giannini explores transformation through the use of recycled shirts, which are deconstructed, dyed, and reshaped into textile flowers.
Once part of everyday life, these garments are given a second existence—shifted from functional objects into carriers of memory. The choice of the poppy, a flower known for its short lifespan, reinforces this contrast between fragility and permanence.
The installation unfolds as a soft, immersive field, inviting a quieter, more reflective experience. Here, material, time, and memory intersect—turning what was once temporary into something that endures.
Here, design moves closer to a human scale — less observed, more experienced. You don’t just observe it — you engage with it, question it, and sometimes even feel part of it.
This is the first of a series of reflections from the Playground Village — I’ll be sharing more conversations, designer insights, and behind-the-work perspectives over the coming days.
