
Every year more than 300.000 visitors come to the biggest design exhibition in Milan knowed as the “Saloni del Mobile”. Much of this exhibition happens in the Fiera RHO exhibition center, were are concentrated all major design brands worldwide.
What many people do not know is that the “Saloni del Mobile” does not happen there, which is already a huge place, but the event transform Milan in a design city for the entire week, where mostly every corner there is a design installations or an event related to the design world, including not just furniture but the whole concept of design.
Always on april, usually the first half are the “Saloni del Mobile” days, this year will happen from 14/04 to 19/04. In this post I will explain manly the difference between what happen in the Exhibition Centre, Fiera RHO and what happen in what is called Fuori Saloni (outside the saloni). It is called outside the Saloni exactly because is about all the events and installations outside the mainexhibition centre.
SALONI DEL MOBILE – FIERA RHO
I SALONI, as it is known is an event that brings together more than 300.000 visitors a year, and with more than 2000 exhibitors of furniture brands worldwide. The event is closed to professionals of the design sector from Tuesday to Friday (14-17 / 04) and open to the public Saturday and Sunday (18-19/04).
Several pavilions are divided by category. Basically the pavilions 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-10-12-14-16-18-20 happens the main display furniture divided by type, modern, design, classic etc. This year along with “Saloni del Mobile”, will be the “Euroluce” that is the lighting industry exhibition also within the same fair RHO exhibition space, however it happens at pavilions 9-11-13-15 and are present lighting design brands such as Flos, Foscarini e Artemide.
The Euroluce is a biennial exhibition and alternates with the Eurocucina exhibition which is focused on the kitchen and bathrooms sector. It still have another two pavilions, 22-24, presenting the part of office furniture and also the Salone Satellite, which displays new designers from around the world including many students projects.
The best pavilions to visit in my opinion are the blues that are the design ones, where are located the most recognized brands in the Italian market such as: Poliform, B&B italia, Flexform, Capellini, Edra, Kartell, Cassina, Poltrona Frau, Tom Dixon, Moroso, Gervasoni, Rimadesio, Minotti, Molteni &C, Porro e Vitra.
The space of Fiera RHO is very large, very well organized, with food courts, public transport to the location of the fair or generous parking. An important tip for first-timers is to be very careful on the subway to catch the right line to RHO station, because there is another train on the same line that goes to another part of Milan. For more information about tickets and how to get there go to their website http://salonemilano.it/en-us/.
See bellow a map of the exhibition center:
FUORI SALONI
As I said above the FUORI SALONI is everything that happens in Milan this week in addition to the great event in the Fiera RHO. Several showrooms of the most famous brands present their new releases to professionals and public, but Fuori Saloni also include fashion and other fields of design.
For anyone who has never been at the Fuori Saloni the main districts to visit are: Brera, Tortona and Ventura Lambrate. See map bellow:
Via Tortona always has many trendy events and many international designers, a must to visit is the showroom of the brand Mooi at via Savona 56 parallel to the via Tortona, always with great surprises.
Apart from those districts, there are several events that many brands sometimes do where mixing fashion and design, or art and design such as the Hermes shop and the Armani theatre. For more info go to their website http://salonemilano.it/it-it/INFO/Pianta-Fiera
And not only that, at night the city does not stop, cocktails and events for industry professionals happen every night in several different locations and sometimes are open to the public. It is certainly a must-see week to design lovers.
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Text: Juliana Brunetti