Would you ever attend Design Week if it were not in Milan? If it were just – but not trivially, because high-end design is not trivial by definition – a matter of products and interior furnishings, would you come? That is to say, no matter how wonderful such objects may be, would you ever travel thousands of miles and spend 500 to 1000 euros per night? If your answer is “no”, then you belong to that group of visitors, most likely the majority, who converge on Milan every April to celebrate not only a week defined by the terms of architecture and design, but also a city at the best of its aesthetic potential –also thanks to the spring climate that colours the landscape – and characterized by a widespread design culture, easily appreciated even in other weeks of the year.

The point of why precisely Milan and why precisely this week needs to be gradually unpacked. The starting point is, of course, Salone del Mobile, the fair-event started sixty-two years ago. For many years, it attracted thousands of visitors to its space, eager to investigate and get hands-on with the latest design innovations – whether it was in Milan or any other place. The cornerstone was, back then, “to promote Italian exports of the furniture industry and its complements”. However, little by little, Salone del Mobile has changed: initially accompanied, then completed, and finally penetrated by an exponential number of collateral events, the Design Week has ceased to be just a trade fair subject. The over 370,000 specialized visitors – of which almost 70% come from more than 188 foreign countries – and as many non-professional enthusiasts, come to Milan to observe cultural and artistic projects, participate in aperitifs, dinners, and networking cocktails, take stock of the state of the art of the project culture, and observe city places of historical character open only during this precious week. And then, perhaps, they go to the fair.

Fuori Salone, namely that off-site event the translation of which would sound “outside the fair”, refers, semantically speaking, to something marginal and peripheral. And yet, today it is more inside than ever. While Rho, the provincial town not far from the city centre where the fair is held, is increasingly outside. To the point that, perhaps, we should call it “outside-off-site”. In short, the epicentre of design is here – an adverb, “here”, which I use consciously, having the fortune to write this article from the centre of Milan, where I live and work. And this place where I am has become, with reference to our sector, a new model of a roofless, open-air, fair.

And the beauty of visiting the showrooms, which, in the order of hundreds, dot the city and open their doors to events tailored specifically for the Design Week and its participants, is also the beauty of Milan. The journeys from one place to another, if done on foot or by tram, allow you to observe the city up close – while from Rho, you’ll hardly see more than a few grey buildings. I speak of artistic richness, creativity, innovation, nightlife, and above all, the daily culture of design. A culture that can be breathed not only in dedicated shops, but also in art boutiques, in cafes with creative furnishings, and in those public spaces purposely designed to invite visitors and residents to immerse themselves in the experience of Milan.

From Piazza Duomo, the epicentre of architectural culture by definition, to the square of music and classical opera, namely Piazza della Scala, then crossing the courtyards of Palazzo Reale and the district of fine arts par excellence, Brera, which hosts an event all its own, the Brera Design Week. And then, enjoying unusual locations open just for the occasion, entering historic palaces and hidden courtyards, usually inaccessible. And for those who desire a bit of peace from the crowds, heading towards Piazza Cavour, cross Parco Palestro, Villa Necchi Campiglio, Porta Venezia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Or, continuing from Brera, crossing Parco Sempione, to visit the exhibitions at Triennale, discover the shops and cafes of Corso Genova, up to the lively Via Tortona. In short, it is clear that Milan is no longer just the set of the event. Milan is the event itself. An experience beyond the conventional, a place of history and innovation, glamorous yet traditional, where every corner, no matter how hidden, tells a story of design. And, after this reading, I hope that the next time you will think of Design Week, you will not look at Milan as just the location hosting the event, but rather as its essence.