For Milan Design Week 2026, MoscaPartners Variations transforms the Cortile d’Onore with a site-specific installation by the French-Lebanese architect
From April 21 to 26, 2026, on the occasion of Fuorisalone, one of Milan’s most iconic locations returns as the epicenter of design culture. MoscaPartners has selected Lina Ghotmeh to lead the central intervention of MoscaPartners Variations 2026. The architect, recently included in the prestigious TIME100 Next 2025 list, will transform the Cortile d’Onore (Courtyard of Honor) of Palazzo Litta into an open-air laboratory dedicated to this year’s theme: Metamorphosis.
Lina Ghotmeh: Architecture between Memory and Nature
Born in Beirut and based in Paris, Lina Ghotmeh brings her distinctive approach, defined as “Archaeology of the Future,” to Milan. Her vision goes beyond mere construction, digging into the historical and cultural stratifications of places to reveal new identities.
The project for Palazzo Litta represents her first outdoor site-specific work in Italy. The installation is set to be a pavilion capable of “listening” to the building’s Baroque history, translating it into a sensory experience made of subtle shifts, refined materials, and a deep connection with the surrounding space.
Metamorphosis: The Core Theme of Variations 2026
The concept of Metamorphosis, chosen by Caterina Mosca and her team for this edition, is not merely formal but substantial. Throughout the rooms of the Piano Nobile and the Cortile d’Onore, the collective exhibition explores transformation guided by:
- Material Innovation: development of new materials and advanced technologies.
- Sustainability: virtuous practices of recycling and up-cycling.
- Human-Planet Relationship: design that prioritizes human needs without ignoring environmental resources.
Ghotmeh’s installation will thus serve as the gateway to this journey, preparing visitors for a reflection on change and the formal adaptation of contemporary brands and products.
Palazzo Litta: A Design Epicenter since 2014
Thanks to the forward-thinking vision of MoscaPartners founders, Caterina Mosca and Valerio Castelli, Palazzo Litta has been an unmissable stop during Milan Design Week since 2014. Located at Corso Magenta 24, this jewel of Lombard Baroque (home to the offices of the Ministry of Culture) offers a unique setting where centuries-old history dialogues with avant-garde research.
The 2026 edition consolidates this bond, bringing to Milan the excellence of a designer who has already signed significant works for institutions such as the British Museum, the Venice Biennale, and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
