Studio Formafantasma

Formafantasma \ Monocle Designers of the year 2026

‘Drawing from manufacturing, technology and
material research, this Milan-based studio has made
a strength of connecting disciplines and cultures.’

Thank you Monocle for honoring the Studio as Designers of the year

The annual Monocle Design Awards celebrate work that is both impactful and inspiring.
This year’s edition offers a more focused selection of winners than in previous years, giving us more
room to tell the stories of the people and projects making a difference across the industry.
The 25 awards recognise achievements in fields ranging from architecture and furniture to urban design and graphic communication.
“Good design isn’t just about form, function or aesthetics,” says Monocle’s design editor, Nic Monisse. “It’s also about work that serves the maker and their community, enhancing the daily lives of its users – as well as the wellbeing of society at large.”

Put together by Monocle global team of editors and correspondents, with winners from 17 countries on six continents, the selection provides benchmarks for design excellence worldwide.
The full list of recipients is be revealed in the May edition of Monocle magazine.

Thank you for the great interview

MAK Textiles and Carpets Permanent Collection | Mak - Museum of Applied Arts, Wien 25.03.2026-31.12.2030

The MAK Textiles and Carpets Collection is among the most significant and comprehensive collections of its kind worldwide. It brings together objects from late antiquity to the present, from European to East Asian textiles, with a focus on unique Persian and Mamluk carpets from the 16th and 17th centuries.

In contrast to the previous presentation that focused on the prestigious carpet collection, the new presentation integrates these works with other textile highlights from the collection. With this broader curatorial concept, the MAK, for the first time, is also taking the diversity and richness of this part of the collection into account in the Permanent Collection.

Rather than isolating individual works, the reinstallation organizes them to reveal connections, contexts, and layered histories. Chromatic interventions, lighting, and large vitrines support close viewing while meeting conservation requirements, balancing access and protection.

Designed as a permanent but evolving installation, the exhibition will change through the rotation of fragile works, supporting long-term conservation and bringing new configurations over time.


Special thanks to and

Formafantasma team:

Photos: /

Casa Manteco | Manteco, Prato, Italy | 2026

Casa Manteco is a series of new spaces located within the headquarters of Manteco, a leading Italian textile company based in Prato. The exhibition space and showroom were designed by Formafantasma.

The intervention was conceived not simply as a company museum, but as a domestic environment in a cultural sense: a place of belonging, accumulation of knowledge, and everyday work.

The project itself was a research process based on the company’s archives and the wider local context. It brings together data, documents, and different types of materials to reconstruct the company’s activities with precision. The aim was to make visible how materials, processes, and craftsmanship are related.

Located in former raw material warehouses, the intervention preserved the existing industrial structure and works within it. The space was not neutralized; it continues to function as a place of storage and transformation, not of material but of heritage. A system of modular tables and storage elements organizes the exhibition. These are not only display cases, but working tools that allow consultation, comparison, and ongoing research. The structure is reversible and can change over time, following the evolution of the company and the continuous layering of experiences.

The exhibition is organized as a set of interconnected themes rather than a linear sequence. It reflects the company as a system that links people, territory, production processes, and circular research. Here, sustainability is presented through concrete practices rather than as an abstract concept.

The result is a clear and coherent exhibition path that shows how a local manufacturing tradition can develop over time while remaining grounded to its context.



Curated by Formafantasma
Exhibition by Formafantasma

Formafantsma team:

Photos:
2,5,6,7,8: .gonella
1,3,4,9: /

Casa Manteco | Manteco, Prato, Italy | 2026

Casa Manteco is a series of new spaces located within the headquarters of Manteco, a leading Italian textile company based in Prato. The exhibition space and showroom were designed by Formafantasma.

The intervention was conceived not simply as a company museum, but as a domestic environment in a cultural sense: a place of belonging, accumulation of knowledge, and everyday work.

The project itself was a research process based on the company’s archives and the wider local context. It brings together data, documents, and different types of materials to reconstruct the company’s activities with precision. The aim was to make visible how materials, processes, and craftsmanship are related.

Located in former raw material warehouses, the intervention preserved the existing industrial structure and works within it. The space was not neutralized; it continues to function as a place of storage and transformation, not of material but of heritage. A system of modular tables and storage elements organizes the exhibition. These are not only display cases, but working tools that allow consultation, comparison, and ongoing research. The structure is reversible and can change over time, following the evolution of the company and the continuous layering of experiences.

The exhibition is organized as a set of interconnected themes rather than a linear sequence. It reflects the company as a system that links people, territory, production processes, and circular research. Here, sustainability is presented through concrete practices rather than as an abstract concept.

The result is a clear and coherent exhibition path that shows how a local manufacturing tradition can develop over time while remaining grounded to its context.



Curated by Formafantasma
Exhibition by Formafantasma

Formafantsma team:

Photos:
1,5,6,9,11: .gonella
2,3,4,7,8,10: /

Salone Raritas | Salone del Mobile

Milano Design Week, April 2026

For the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile, Formafantasma designed Salone Raritas: Curated Icons, Unique Objects, and Outsider Pieces, a new exhibition space dedicated to collectible design.

The set design is conceived to bring clarity, cohesion, and a stronger sense of atmosphere to the fair experience. While trade fairs often prioritise individuality within neutral and impersonal environments, the intervention introduces a more curated and intimate setting through the calibrated use of colour, spatial arrangement, and lighting.

Rather than relying on white exhibition structures, the project uses different hues of painted wood to give each booth a distinctive identity while maintaining an overall visual coherence across the space. The material palette, together with a custom lighting system and black ceiling, softens the industrial character typical of fair venues and creates a more focused and intimate environment for the exhibited works.

From the outside, the space appears as a large architectural lantern: a porous structure that frames the exhibitors without overwhelming them, establishing a clear rhythm and recognisable spatial identity throughout the exhibition.

Designed to evolve over future editions, the project is based on modular and reusable components, allowing the system to be continuously reconfigured and adapted over time.

Thanks to

Curated by

Graphic design by .design

Formafantasma team:

Photos:
1,4,7,8,9,11, .gonella
2,12
3,5,6,10,13 Gabriele Milanese

Salone Raritas | Salone del Mobile

Milano Design Week, April 2026

For the 64th edition of Salone del Mobile, Formafantasma designed Salone Raritas: Curated Icons, Unique Objects, and Outsider Pieces, a new exhibition space dedicated to collectible design.

The set design is conceived to bring clarity, cohesion, and a stronger sense of atmosphere to the fair experience. While trade fairs often prioritise individuality within neutral and impersonal environments, the intervention introduces a more curated and intimate setting through the calibrated use of colour, spatial arrangement, and lighting.

Rather than relying on white exhibition structures, the project uses different hues of painted wood to give each booth a distinctive identity while maintaining an overall visual coherence across the space. The material palette, together with a custom lighting system and black ceiling, softens the industrial character typical of fair venues and creates a more focused and intimate environment for the exhibited works.

From the outside, the space appears as a large architectural lantern: a porous structure that frames the exhibitors without overwhelming them, establishing a clear rhythm and recognisable spatial identity throughout the exhibition.

Designed to evolve over future editions, the project is based on modular and reusable components, allowing the system to be continuously reconfigured and adapted over time.

Thanks to

Curated by

Graphic design by .design

Formafantasma team:

Photos:
1,3,5,9 .gonella
2,6 Alessandro Celli
4,8,11
7,10,12 Gabriele Milanese

Before & Beyond | Showroom B&B ITALIA
Milano Design Week, April 2026

Before & Beyond is an exhibition curated by Gianluigi Ricuperati and designed by FormaFantasma for B&B Italia on the occasion of Salone del Mobile 2026, developed alongside a special issue of Nova Express magazine.

The exhibition focuses on B&B Italia’s advertising campaigns over the years, created in collaboration with a wide range of creatives, and marks the launch of a new campaign by Carina Frey and Stefanie Barth (), with photographs by Camille Vivier ().

It presents a non-linear reading of this material, bringing together archival campaigns and recent work without following a fixed timeline. Campaigns such as Oliviero Toscani’s for Bellini’s Bambole and the latest project are treated as a deliberate and often disruptive tool, shaping the company’s identity over time.

While centred on communication, the exhibition also traces key moments in the company’s history and the figures who have shaped its direction, from its origins between Cassina and Busnelli to its development across the following decades. These campaigns are positioned within a broader trajectory, pointing to a consistent aim: making durable, well-designed objects in collaboration with designers across generations.



Curated by

Formafantasma team:

Graphic design:

Photos:

B&B ITALIA | Salone del Mobile
Milano Design Week, April 2026

At the Salone del Mobile, furniture is typically presented within staged interiors, small constructed scenes that suggest how pieces might be used. While this helps situate them, it often shifts attention toward styling, where the objects risk being absorbed into the setting.

Formafantasma’s stand for B&B Italia takes a different approach. It is conceived as an architectural space rather than a sequence of interiors, removing decorative cues and narrative elements that would frame the pieces. The aim is to keep the focus on the works themselves, their form, materials, and internal logic, without mediation. The clarity of the layout and the use of materials suggest a domestic condition without reproducing it. Proportion, light, and colors define the environment: a coffered ceiling filters zenithal light, producing a soft, even illumination, while printed marble partitions organize the space, introducing rhythm without enclosing the space.

Within this framework, the products are not embedded in a scene but presented as autonomous projects. The architecture acts as a quiet support, holding the space together while allowing each piece to be read on its own terms.

Furniture by: Ronan Bouroullec, Richard Sapper, Michael Anastassiades, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Jasper Morrison, Vincent van Duysen, Antonio Cittero.



Formafantasma team:

Photos:
1,2,4,5,6,8,9 Gianluca Bellomo
3,7 .gonella

B&B ITALIA | Salone del Mobile
Milano Design Week, April 2026

At the Salone del Mobile, furniture is typically presented within staged interiors, small constructed scenes that suggest how pieces might be used. While this helps situate them, it often shifts attention toward styling, where the objects risk being absorbed into the setting.

Formafantasma’s stand for B&B Italia takes a different approach. It is conceived as an architectural space rather than a sequence of interiors, removing decorative cues and narrative elements that would frame the pieces. The aim is to keep the focus on the works themselves, their form, materials, and internal logic, without mediation. The clarity of the layout and the use of materials suggest a domestic condition without reproducing it. Proportion, light, and colors define the environment: a coffered ceiling filters zenithal light, producing a soft, even illumination, while printed marble partitions organize the space, introducing rhythm without enclosing the space.

Within this framework, the products are not embedded in a scene but presented as autonomous projects. The architecture acts as a quiet support, holding the space together while allowing each piece to be read on its own terms.

Furniture by: Ronan Bouroullec, Richard Sapper, Michael Anastassiades, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Jasper Morrison, Vincent van Duysen, Antonio Cittero.



Formafantasma team:

Photos:
1,2,3,7,8,9,10,14,15 .gonella
4,5,6,8,11,12,13 Gianluca Bellomo

Prada Frames 2026: Reflections on image-making

This year, Prada Frames partnered with Monocle Radio to produce three episodes of their podcast dedicated to the symposium. Listen to the third episode: “Prada Frames 2026: Reflections on image-making” via the link in bio.

Photos from day three, April 21.

Special thanks to our hosts Alice Rawsthorn .rawsthorn and Natalia Grabowska .

With contributions from Mark Leckey .leckey, Ed Atkins , Julian Rosefeldt , Barbara Maria Stafford, Jonas Staal , Alfredo Jaar .

Music curation by

Formafantasma team: .gonella
Musician: Andrea Vecchiato

Photos courtesy of Prada.

.creativeagency