Salone Contract Forum: launching the new project by OMA’s Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten

A market worth 68 billion euros, with structural growth projected towards 110 billion over the next decade. A sector where competitiveness depends increasingly on the ability to integrate systems, data and expertise. This is where Salone del Mobile.Milano chooses to intervene with Salone Contract Forum — the first public act of a long-term strategic project, developed together with OMA, the architecture firm co-founded in 1975 by Rem Koolhaas.

The day unfolds across three moments. Opening at 11.00 am, the panel discussion Contract Sector Opportunities in a Transforming Industry frames the systemic landscape of the sector: economic pressures, sustainability requirements, and supply chain vulnerabilities. David Gianotten, Managing Partner – Architect of OMA, opens the session with OMA's current observations on the contract sector. Around the table, together with David Gianotten: Lorenza Baroncelli, Director of the MAXXI Architecture and Contemporary Design Department; Daniele Tamborini, Adj. Prof. Manufacturing & Sustainable Design, LeNSlab PoliMi, founder of RD-29; and Gwenael Nicolas, President, Creative Director, Founder of Curiosity. Moderated by Ed Stocker, Europe Editor at Large, Monocle.

At 3.00 pm, Maria Porro, President of Salone del Mobile, with David Gianotten introduces the afternoon session, which opens with a presentation by Rem Koolhaas. Not a retrospective, but an act of thought in progress: OMA/AMO's most recent work in dialogue with the projects that have defined fifty years of practice − from design to exhibition spaces, from cultural research to urban-scale architecture. This is followed by a conversation between Maria Porro and David Gianotten, who in dialogue will present the Salone Contract 2027 Masterplan, exploring the strategic vision, design guidelines and development prospects for the sector.

The day concludes with Common Ground Among the Pillars of the Contract Ecosystem at 4.30 pm. Around the table: Lorenza Luti, Marketing and Retail Director of Kartell Nick Solomon, Global Head of Design, Lifestyle Brands, Hilton; Andreas Ludwigs, Managing Director, Axel Springer Services & Immobilien; Giovanna Vitelli, President, Gruppo Azimut Benetti and Carlo Molteni, CEO, Unifor and Citterio Spa. Moderated by Christele Harrouk, Editor-in-Chief, ArchDaily. A conversation on the pillars of the sector − hospitality, real estate, manufacturing, marine − and the conditions that make a coherent, future-oriented contract ecosystem possible.

The Forum anticipates by one year Salone Contract 2027: a permanent event featuring selected companies, an international B2B agenda, and three days of forum sessions with the sector's leading global players.

CNAPPC Accreditation – Professional Development Credits
Architects registered with the CNAPPC (National Council of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects and Conservators) are entitled to 2 CPD credits (CFP) per session. To register and begin the accreditation process, please complete the relevant form below. Credits will be awarded exclusively to participants who sign the attendance register on site. 

Contract Sector Opportunities in a Transforming Industry – Fill out the form
Lecture by Rem Koolhaas: Current Preoccupations – Fill out the form
Common Ground Among the Pillars of the Contract Ecosystem – Fill out the form