IE University Students Explore Design Innovation at Summer School in Milan
Organized by IE School of Architecture and Design and POLI.design, the program is a cross-disciplinary immersion into the city's design culture and landscape.
Madrid, 18 July 2025 - IE University Bachelor students took part in the “Milan Design Culture: Multiscalar Innovation Across Disciplines” Summer School in June 2025, which served as a platform to engage with spatial design at macro, meso, and micro scales, addressing pressing global challenges such as environmental transformation, migration, and urban-suburban transitions.
The program combined expert-led lectures, hands-on design workshops, and curated field visits to key cultural and design institutions such as Biblioteca degli Alberi de Milan Park, Brera Design District, Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, Fondazione Prada (image on the cover), Museo della Scala, and Archivio Crepax - each offering a different lens on the spatial, material, and symbolic dimensions of design in Milan.
Leading figures in contemporary design and architecture guided the students, including Michele De Lucchi, one of the most influential members of the Memphis Group and founder of ADM Circle – Atelier of Design and Manufacturing, who discussed radical innovation and sustainable architecture; Andrea Granitzio, composer, led students into the world of spatial soundscapes, exploring how music and architecture intersect; Michele Rossi of Park Associati presented experimental urban design strategies, while Marco Barsottini of camerAnebbia, showcased immersive installations at the intersection of art and technology.
The lectures also featured Pietro Marani, Leonardo da Vinci scholar and restorer of "The Last Supper"; Matteo Ragni, designer and two-time winner of the Compasso d’Oro award; Arman Avetikyan, head of of the luxury division at Colombo Industrie Tessili; and Giovanni Maria Conti, coordinator of the ModaCult Research Center, which is dedicated to textile innovation, fashion design, and visual culture.
The program was led by Professor Giovanna Piccinno (POLI.design) as Scientific Director, with Maria Esteban Casañas (IE School of Architecture and Design), Sofia d'Alessandro (POLI.design) and Alice Zingales (POLI.design) as Coordinators, and Chiara Sangermani (POLI.design) as Tutor.
Multiscalar Final Projects
The Summer School culminated in a final presentation titled “Unfolding Spaces,” where student teams unveiled their multiscalar design concepts developed in collaboration with paper artist Caterina Crepax. These projects translated architectural principles into intricate paper-based designs, ranging from urban-scale installations to sculptural, wearable garments:
Yara Al Maalouf, Mara Fernández Alvargno, Mariana Diamanti, Nilsu Ozdikicioglu, and Stefan Arrgint imagined a tunnel pavilion in Porta Nuova District that mediates park and industrial space, a kinetic bird-inspired shade pavilion at Fondazione Prada, and a geometric paper dress fusing motion and materiality.
Lana Chouman, Candela Hernández, Carla Pero-Sanz, and Sara Baos created a folded paper dome at the BAM Park symbolizing diversity, three time-themed seating/light pieces at Fondazione Prada, and a tutu-inspired garment reflecting lightness and unity.
Abla Jellal, Camilla Alva Barrera, Lucía Sarria, and Maria Urrutia designed a ribbed pavilion for social gathering in BAM Park, a theatrical runway pavilion at Fondazione Prada, and a translucent paper outfit exploring intimacy and movement.
Dharika Raj Singh, Mona Majdoub, Lucia Pastor, and Keyd Aquilar introduced an elevated social platform above a reflective courtyard in Porta Nuova, a mirrored, modular meso-installation, and a “hostile fashion” garment challenging spatial norms and bodily autonomy.
These final projects embodied the core objetives of the Summer School: to explore how architecture, design, and the body interact across different scales, environments, and emotional registers. As spatial design evolves in response to global shifts, the Summer School in Milan offered IE University students the opportunity to experiment, collaborate, and trascend disciplinary boundaries.