At Milan Design Week (20-26 April), an installation presented at Fondazione Luigi Rovati explores how interior environments can be shaped using modular systems and controlled sensory elements. Developed by Snøhetta in partnership with Swiss furniture company USM Modular Furniture, Renaissance of the Real brings together furniture, textile enclosure and atmospheric design within a temporary setting.
Conceived by Swiss artist and experience designer Annabelle Schneider, the project is conceived as a response to conditions of hyper-connectivity, where attention and perception are increasingly influenced by digital systems. The installation focuses on physical presence, using material and sensory elements to guide how visitors experience the space.
USM Haller system used as structural framework
At the centre of the installation is the USM Haller modular system, a steel grid typically used in furniture. In this project, it is used as a structural framework that defines the shape of the space. The system supports a textile membrane that forms an enclosed volume, creating a cocoon-like environment that subtly expands and contracts.
This setup creates a clear relationship between a rigid modular grid and a soft enclosure. The contrast between these two elements defines the spatial character of the installation, with the furniture system used to organise space rather than simply occupy it.
The project draws on USM’s long-established design approach based on precision and adaptability. Here, those qualities are applied to a temporary interior environment instead of a conventional furniture arrangement.
Interior design shaped through sensory elements
The experience has been organised as a sequence that begins before entry. Visitors are offered a warm towel, introducing a simple preparatory step before entering the enclosed space. Inside, the environment is defined through diffused light, scent, subtle sound frequencies and tactile surfaces.
These elements are designed to work together as a continuous sensory setting. The installation functions both as a visible object within the museum garden and as an enclosed interior space that alters perception through controlled conditions.
The installation also includes scheduled vinyl listening sessions led by audio engineer Devon Turnbull. These sessions introduce analogue sound into the space, reinforcing the focus on physical and acoustic experience.
Anne-Rachel Schiffmann, Director for Interior Architecture at Snøhetta, describes the installation as an exploration of the relationship between a structured grid and a softer spatial condition, where the enclosure filters external input and directs attention inward.
Annabelle Schneider describes it as an immersive environment rather than a product, where the modular structure supports a setting designed to encourage awareness of the body and surroundings.
Temporary installation explores new interior formats
Presented during Milan Design Week, the installation is a temporary environment that combines exhibition design and interior design. It uses a modular system to define enclosure while integrating sensory elements to shape how the space is experienced.
It is designed as a space for stillness rather than performance, with programmed moments such as listening sessions taking place within a controlled environment.
