Zenucchi Design Code presents “Be the Project”, a contemporary narrative that brings together light, materials, and volumes
During Milan Design Week 2026, Zenucchi Design Code presents one of the most compelling Fuorisalone events, opening its Milan space to those seeking a forward-looking vision of contemporary living through a design narrative that goes far beyond a mere exhibition.
Mark your calendars: the event will take place in its new showroom, opened in 2025, at Via Pisoni 2, Milan, from April 20 to 25 (10:00 – 21:00) and on April 26 (10:00 – 19:00). Admission is free with registration, and there’s a special can’t-miss cocktail party on April 23, from 19:00 to 22:00.
Fuorisalone 2026: Be the Project
For this edition, the Fuorisalone introduces a clear shift in perspective: design is no longer just a result, but a process in constant evolution. The theme, “Be the Project”, recognizes that each space emerges from a tension between various elements—materials, people, intuitions—and takes shape over time.
We no longer speak only of objects, but of relationships and transformations. This vision finds a natural continuity in Zenucchi Design Code’s approach, which has always been oriented toward designing spaces as open systems, where materials, expertise, and visions engage in dialogue.
Zenucchi Design Code: project as process
For Zenucchi Design Code, the project doesn’t resolve into a definite form, but unfolds as a process. Each choice emerges from a meeting of function, material, and use, giving rise to spaces designed to evolve over time.
This approach translates into a specific way of working: creating spaces where each element is part of a broader system. The choice of materials, the relationship between light and surfaces, the balance between aesthetics and everyday use become tools for defining cohesive, personal spaces.
“The project is a field of tension… between technique and intuition, between material and vision, between constraint and poetics. It is from this energy that special objects are born, capable of inhabiting space.” Massimo Castagna
At the helm of this vision is Massimo Castagna, architect and art director of Zenucchi, who has guided the company for years in developing a recognizable design language. His contribution introduces an interpretation of the project as a balance between diverse, never fully resolved elements.
A dialogue between materials: the project’s partners
The design narrative takes shape through a carefully crafted collaboration, bringing in companies that share the same vision. This is not merely about brand presence, but a cohesive system in which each partner represents a specific dimension of the space.
The selection is not simply based on the product, but on each company’s ability to treat material as a language: LUCE TU for light, Studioart Leather Interiors for leather surfaces, Kreoo for natural stone, and Tonelli Design for glass.
LUCE TU: light as living material
LUCE TU’s lighting creations emerge from the meeting of craftsmanship and design research. Brass and glass are handcrafted to create surfaces that reflect, filter, and modulate light, generating atmospheres in constant transformation.
Each piece is designed as a bespoke project: the light is never a secondary element, but an active part of the space, capable of defining perceptions, depth, and the rhythm of the environment.
Studioart Leather Interiors: leather as architectural surface
Studioart’s leather surfaces introduce depth and rhythm. The three-dimensional coverings react to the light, generating shadows and continuous variations.
The wall is no longer a backdrop, but becomes the space’s living skin, capable of altering perception depending on the environment.
Kreoo: stone as structure
Kreoo brings natural stone to the center of the project, shaping it as a living material capable of spanning time. The marble is expressed through a contemporary language, preserving its original vitality while enhancing its veining, depth, and uniqueness.
It is not merely a structural element, but a presence that defines the space: solid, sculptural, capable of providing balance and continuity to the environment, transforming material into architecture.
Tonelli Design: glass as lightness
Within this setting, Tonelli Design introduces glass as an element capable of lightening the composition.
Transparent and structural, it reduces visual weight and allows relationships between the elements to emerge, helping to shape a space in which the material does not impose itself but engages in dialogue.
A can’t-miss event during Milan Design Week
Zenucchi showroom on via Pisoni offers a stimulating stop for those looking to explore a new way of understanding design. The visit also provides a chance to step into the world of Zenucchi Design Code, discovering up close the quality of the companies involved and the high level of expertise behind each project.
The event is an invitation to pause, observe, and be guided by a design approach that places relationships, material, and vision at its core.