From 17 to 23 April 2023, Alcova brought to life the monumental venue of the Ex-Macello di Porta Vittoria with projects by over 90 designers, exploring a different and complementary direction of contemporary design practice. In what has become something of an annual ritual, for the fifth time a magical corner of Milan never before accessible to the public opened its doors for the first time in its history, resonating with people, objects and ideas, and offering a diverse and incisive snapshot of the international design scene today. Alcova 2023 connected the international design community with that of the city, welcoming a diverse audience of over 90,000 people throughout the week and demonstrating once again the cultural power of design and its ability to revive the memory and identity of a place.

From research and experimentation on material, to sustainability and new technologies, from contemporary craft to sensorial design, Alcova presented projects by institutions, schools, established studios and emerging talents from places as diverse as Europe, China, Japan, Korea, the United States, India and Turkey.

Among this year’s new features, Alcova Project Space, an exhibition within the overall exhibi- tion, offered an insight into the research of the founders and curators of Alcova on the world of contemporary design: it featured the projects of 12 designers selected for their languages and content that resonates with the spirit of our times.

For the first time, Alcova also had a concept store activated in collaboration with OLDER whi- ch, in addition to the uniforms and collectibles of the Milanese duo, presented a series of designed objects developed specifically for this edition.

In addition to the programme of talks and lectures that developed over the course of the week to explore some of the themes of this edition, Alcova offered moments of conviviality and meetings thanks to the food court and two bars designed specifically to activate some of the most beautiful corners of the Ex-Macello. Designed by Space Caviar, the Materials Bar - presented in collaboration with Nemo Architects/Habitarematerials - and the Bar Galleria - with the participation of the Canadian lighting brand A-N-D - were curated by the food ma- sters of the Tuorlo Magazine team.

The visual identity of the project, designed by Studio Vedèt since the outset, overlapped two new colours onto the majestic spaces of the Ex-Macello di Porta Vittoria, guiding the visitors through the experience of this extraordinary fifth edition of Alcova.

Alcova is a platform for designers and companies investigating the future of living and ma- king, founded by Joseph Grima (Space Caviar) and Valentina Ciuffi (Studio Vedèt). Each year during the world’s largest design event, Milan Design Week, Alcova brings together the people and institutions defining design culture today through groundbreaking work on living environ- ments, products, systems, materials and technological innovation.

Alcova has become one of the most visited design events in the world. Over its fifth editions it has presented carefully selected work of over 400 designers, companies, galleries and cultural institutions from six continents. After having activated a former bakery factory, a cashmere factory, the buildings of a military hospital complex, in 2023 Alcova activated the spectacular former abattoir of Porta Vittoria, an immense and abandoned infrastructural complex that oc- cupies a deep block south of the Porta Vittoria railway link. With an area of about 15 hectares, it was in the past the seat of the municipal slaughterhouse and an important logistics node in the city.

Built between 1912 and 1914 following designs by Giannino Ferrini and Giovanni Filippini, engi- neers of the municipal technical office, it was progressively decommissioned between 1995 and 2005. With its activation, made possible thanks to the support of Redo SpA and the con- vention for temporary uses of the Municipality of Milan, Alcova continues its path of explora- tion and activation of the most extraordinary and historically significant sites in the city.