Design flair

Acknowledged as one of the world’s great fashion centres, Milan has been responsible for pushing the boundaries of design not just on the catwalks but in all realms of life, including automotive.

As part of this year’s Milan Design Week and MiArt/Art Week and Fashion Week, Audi collaborated with Dutch product designer Marcel Wanders, to create a stunning showroom concept to showcase some of the brand’s new, all-electric models and concepts and to serve as a platform for discussions on the future of design.

Called the Audi City Lab showroom, the cutting-edge installation was at once a showroom for Audi vehicles like the Q4 e-tron and RS e-tron GT, and the perfect place to host panel discussions like the ‘The Story of Living Progress – Inspired by Progress’ which featured Audi Design guru, Marc Lichte.

It was the seventh year Audi had taken part in Milan Design Week – the world’s largest annual design gathering – which concluded on the weekend. But the Audi City Lab remains fully operational in Milan until the end of the month as part of MiArt/Art Week and Fashion Week, allowing visitors to enjoy exhibitions by fashion and portrait photographers like Albert Watson as well as experiencing the brand’s latest creations in this unique environment.

Marcel Wanders, who made a name for himself as a designer with his iconic work Knotted Chair, brought his unique talent to the design of the Audi City Lab, which took up residence in Milan at Via della Spiga 26.

One part of the Amsterdam-based studio’s installation ‘Enlightening the Future’ is the Poliform Lounge. The Italian company develops furniture systems and interior design accessories that blend into architecture perfectly, and light, such an important element of Audi’s own design language, has likewise been incorporated into this immersive space as an active element.

In this captivating atmosphere, visitors experience one vision of the showroom of tomorrow, with its unique combination of gallery and automotive showroom, complete with Audi models that likewise perfectly merge form and function – like the Audi A6 e-tron concept, the svelte all-electric sedan design study unveiled in April this year at Auto Shanghai. 

The Audi City Lab will remain open to the public in Milan until the 27th of September.