Broken Nature Captivates

Paola Antonelli’s exceptional Broken Nature exhibition at Milan’s Triennale seems to have made an impact on the imaginations of designers. Totems (left) by Neri Oxman and her Mediated Matter Group at MIT, which represents melanin suspended in fluid, and Patricia Piccinini’s silicone Sanctuary (right) – with its embracing Bonobos – book-end the exhibition.

Carlo Ratti’s Mycelium Arches at L’Orto Botanico

Italian architecture firm Carlo Ratti Associati (in collaboration with the energy company ENI) installed a series of mycelium arches in the botanical gardens of Brera. Each of the structures features a kilometre of mycelium, which was grown over six weeks and will be composted post-Salone. It was one of the most convincing arguments for using mushroom fibre as a building material in recent memory.

Flat-Pack All Grown-Up

Stefan Diez designed the flat-pack Costume chair for Magis, which also features a thin foam seat and back. A bouncy spring interior allows the chair to remain comfortable.

Philippe is the Fairest of Them All

What can we say? We’re into Philippe Starck’s sense of humour. At Flos, a video of the French designer morphing into a dog and then back to himself was on constant replay on hanging screens positioned in front of his oval, edge-lit mirrors.