Alcova 2024 will take place within two iconic local gems, as the organisers of the itinerant design event announced that the next edition, to be held during Fuorisalone, will take over Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. This year marks the seventh edition of Alcova, which also recently made its international debut, taking over 1950s Selena Gold Dust Motel during Design Miami 2023.
Alcova 2024: locations announced
Locations have always been key to Alcova's history, with the fair founded by curators Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima having taken over a former abattoir (in 2023), a panettone factory and a convent in the outskirts of Milan.
This year, the fair pushes further and into more traditional locations, with two historical villas that have contributed to the history of Metropolitan Milan. A Modernist masterpiece located in Varedo, Villa Borsani was completed in 1945 and was designed by architect Osvaldo Borsani for his family. Now preserved by the second generation, the house features stunning elements such as a fireplace by Lucio Fontana, lighting fixtures by Guglielmo Ulrich and a mosaic by Adriano Spilimbergo, as well as several pieces of furniture by Borsani himself (the house also being the HQ for the architect's archives).
Within walking distance is Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, a 19-century mansion that was originally built as a summer retreat for the Milanese family of the same name. The villa's architecture is defined by a central structure and two side wings with terraced roofs, as well as a portico featuring 15th-century columns that were originally part of Milan's Lazzaretto, the city's hospital built to face the plague. Preserved by Fondazione La Versiera, the villa is surrounded by greenery, including English gardens on each side and a formal Italian garden at the back.
Both locations expand Alcova's ongoing mission to offer access to rarely seen spaces in and near Milan, creating a dialogue with unique locations by activating them through design displays that include emerging and independent designers and brands. A snapshot of where contemporary design is headed, Alcova promises once again to be an unmissable opportunity to discover what's going on in the creative industries right now.
Alcova 2024 will take place from 15 – 21 April 2024
Villa Borsani
Via Umberto I, 148
20814 Varedo MB
Villa Bagatti Valsecchi
Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 48
20814 Varedo MB
