The international jury awarded 20 Compassi d’Oro and 35 Honorable Mentions to the Italian Pavilion designed by architect Mario Cucinella
Salone Reading: the September 2025 round-up
Ph. Menno Aden
A selection of articles from the design and architecture world published in the most influential international press. An unmissable monthly round-up of insights and interviews
Salone Reading is the new regular monthly column devoted to the design industry as seen through the lens of the leading sectoral publications. A press review dedicated to the latest news, markets, topics and insights on the world of design today - and much more besides.
Happy reading!
Ph. 21stEurope
Could rethinking playgrounds revolutionise childhood?
There are some 80 million children living in Europe, yet less than 10% of urban public spaces are designed with them in mind. In a bid to bring about change, the Copenhagen-based think tank 21st Europe, set up by the businessman Kaave Pour, has published the Continent of Play report. The document sets out an innovative vision: considering playgrounds as civic infrastructures in their own right, as essential as transport networks and energy systems. Play spaces, therefore, not just for entertainment, but as fundamental places for socialising, in which families meet, forge connections and build trust.
Interview: Norman Foster on what good design means when rethinking cities
Speaking on the sidelines of the Venice Biennale, the British architect reflects on the meaning of design, underscoring the fact that a good project does not depend on budget but on responsible attitude. He highlights the need to improve the quality of urban life and puts the accent on the role of compact nuclear as a safer , cleaner and more efficient energy solution than fossil fuels.
Artwood Academy, scuola di alta formazione del settore del legno-arredo a Lentate sul Seveso. Credit: Blossom - Courtesy: Artwood Academy
Seeking specialised professionals. Some 30,000 will be needed over the next 4 years
Carpenters, woodworking machine toolmakers, upholsterers, mattress makers, industrial designers, workers in charge of machines for the mass production of furniture and wooden items, as well as export managers and sales staff with high IT skills. Over the next few years, one of the greatest challenges for the Italian wood-furnishing industry will be attracting specialised workers. Increasingly strategic professional figures for companies, who contribute to the design, the identity and the positioning of brands.
Giorgio Armani, the architect of prêt-à-porter
Hailed as the king of fashion, Giorgio Armani died on Thursday 4th September. Domus has republished an article from January 1988 which celebrates the Piacenza-born stylist who redefined the concept of elegance. The focus is on the role of clothes as actual design projects: pieces that progress from sketches to the finished article, designed for mass production while conserving their unique, inimitable identity. Armani designed the body and the fabric in a close dialogue, each equally important, generating pieces capable of disseminating a concept rather than an image.
