Alcova 2025: former SNIA factory - Design Dialogue in Varedo’s Forgotten Spaces
The ninth edition of Alcova, taking place from 7th to 13th April 2025, once again affirms Milan as a city in constant flux — a place where architecture, design, and cultural experimentation continue to transcend their traditional boundaries.
This year, Alcova broadens its reach across four extraordinary locations in Varedo, building upon the momentum of previous editions with an even bolder and more layered offering. Returning to the iconic Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, Alcova introduces two new, equally captivating venues: the Pasino Glasshouses and the former SNIA factory — a site that, for us, truly stole the show.
These newly activated spaces represent more than just a backdrop. They are significant contributors to the narrative of design in transition — where industrial remnants blend with nature’s quiet reclamation. They shift the design conversation from the domestic sphere into realms where material experimentation, process, and memory intertwine.
Our visit centred around the former SNIA factory, a raw and evocative site that once stood at the forefront of Italy’s industrial rise. With its imposing chimney, rationalist architecture, and striking glass façades, the site echoes a time when production and precision defined the Italian modernist dream.
As one of this year’s anchor locations, the SNIA factory offered vast, open volumes that served as an atmospheric stage for boundary-pushing installations. Designers explored materiality, sustainable production, and experimental techniques, with each intervention responding to the building’s patina and structural rhythm. The contrast between crumbling concrete, creeping vegetation, and refined design objects created an immersive, thought-provoking experience.
During our visit, we captured some of the most memorable moments and installations at this hauntingly beautiful site. From poetic lighting pieces to bold sculptural forms, the SNIA factory embodied Alcova’s commitment to storytelling through space.
