The 100 new additions to the Salone Library, between harnessing Light, Thought and Design

The Salone isn’t just a trade fair, it is also a cultural event. It has always invested in a Cultural Programme, directed by Annalisa Rosso, Editorial Director and Cultural Events Advisor at Salone del Mobile.Milano, designed to broaden horizons and offer new interpretations of design and the changing world. The Salone Library, launched in 2024, is one of its liveliest and dynamic expressions. It grows year by year thanks to the suggestions of designers, curators, architects and scholars – the protagonists of the collateral events – who share with us the books that have most inspired them along their personal and professional journeys. The selected books encompass different genres and languages – from non-fiction to art, and fiction to poetry, by way of graphic art and photography.  

Chiming with the Euroluce biennial, this year’s project focused in particular on the theme of light. The protagonists of the first Euroluce International Lighting Forum, as well as the superstars of the Drafting Futures. Conversations about Next Perspectives talks, and the designers who enlivened the talks at the Design Kiosk and the Library of Light, were asked to choose the books that had particularly influenced their way of thinking around and designing light. The result is a rich and surprising collection, which has seen the library’s stock grow to over 200 volumes. 

The 2025 selection was again exhibited against the backdrop of the Drafting Futures Arena, allowing visitors an opportunity to wander among the display cases and discover which books had fed the imaginations of the great protagonists of contemporary architecture and design.  

The books collected this year fall into four thematic categories: a subdivision that worked rather like a game, putting artificial intelligence to the test in recognising affinities and common trajectories between the books. 

Light, Architecture and Perception of Space  

A selection that explores the role of light in the built and in the natural environments, covering architecture, landscape, scenography and design. These books explore the way in which light can shape the space, alter perception, highlight the materials and define the atmosphere. Architects, artists and scholars discuss the power of light, across the borders between science, art and function.  

Download here the list of books in the Light, Architecture and Perception section.  

Culture, Ecology and Anthropology of the Contemporary  

In this group, stories and thoughts are intertwined that speak of our time, of its fragility and of its possibilities. The books offer alternative visions for rethinking the relationship between human beings, the environment and the social systems. Ecology, anthropology and philosophy engender pressing questions and prospects for the future. Texts that compel the reader to open their eyes, to unlearn certainties and imagine new ways of inhabiting the world. 

Download here the list of books in the Culture, Ecology and Anthropology of the Contemporary section. 

Art and Narrations of the Human Experience  

Novels, poetry, autobiographies and artists’ books that narrate the human experience in all its nuances. Words and images that reveal the way we are: emotions, memories, insights, fragility. In this section literature meets art to explore the identity, the time, the beauty and the deepest meaning of the human experience.  

Download here the list of books in the Art and Narrations of the Human Experience section. 

Science, Philosophy and Innovation of Thought  

Ideas that break the mould, that question reality and reassemble it in a new light. These books reflect on time, on knowledge, and on technology through the curious and critical lens of those who seek to go beyond appearances. Scientists, philosophers, theorists and innovators question established certainties and open up new possibilities on what we might yet become. For those who love in-depth reflections that question paradigms and stimulate new ideas.  
Download here the list of books in the Science, Philosophy and Innovation of Thought section. 

Thus, through the pages of the Salone protagonists’ best-loved books, the Salone Library becomes a point of reference and departure: it preserves the thoughts of great authors whilst also piquing the curiosity of those who browse, explore and seek new visions. It is an invitation to be inspired through reading.