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The New State of Materials

Milan Design Week | From 20 to 26 april 2026

The new paths of materials

The New State of Materials is the title of the exhibition-event curated by Materially for Milan Design Week 2026.
An opportunity to take stock of innovation in materials dedicated to product design and the built environment.

Which directions is innovation heading toward? What sustainability and performance milestones have different material categories achieved today? Beyond environmental challenges, what other issues can materials help address?

Materially’s exhibition will focus on understanding and deepening the role and potential of materials within design processes. It will be hosted in the spaces of Stecca3, an iconic building in the heart of the Isola district.

Stecca3Via Gaetano de Castillia, 26, Milan

Open to 20 to 26 april

Underground: M5 Isola – M2 Gioia or P.ta Garibaldi
Train: FS Porta Garibaldi
Tram: 7 and 31

Exhibitors

The companies selected from the international landscape for The New State of Materials represent some of the most compelling contemporary trajectories in material innovation.

From research into bio-based materials to high-performance solutions for the built environment, from certified circular supply chains to new digital applications, each exhibitor offers a concrete perspective on the future of materials for design and architecture.

A journey that fosters dialogue between industry, research, and design, highlighting how materials today act as strategic drivers of environmental, technological, and cultural transformation.

Part of Isola Design Festival 2026

The exhibition The New State of Materials is part of the events of the Isola Design Festival, which in 2026 celebrates its tenth edition under the title TEN: The Evolving Now.

Born as an independent initiative, the festival has contributed to transforming the identity of one of Milan’s most creative neighborhoods into one of the most internationally recognized districts of the Milan Design Week.

Isola Design continues to promote research, experimentation, and new voices in global design, also through its active role within design communities across Europe and the Middle East.

Parte di Isola Design Festival 2026

La mostra The New State of Materials è parte del programma ufficiale di Isola Design Festival, che nel 2026 celebra la sua decima edizione con il tema “TEN: The Evolving Now”.

Nato come iniziativa indipendente di quartiere e cresciuto fino a diventare uno dei distretti internazionali più riconosciuti della Milano Design Week, Isola continua a promuovere ricerca, sperimentazione e nuove voci del design globale.