Seven standout contemporary designs at Lake Como Design Festival
A pasta-shaped daybed and speakers that resemble Saturn's rings are among the products on display at Contemporary Design Selections at this year's Lake Como Design Festival.
The eighth edition of the Contemporary Design Selections show, curated by Giovanna Massoni, follows the festival theme of Borders, encouraging participating designers, architects and makers to consider boundaries in design.
The theme could be interpreted through materiality, form, function or design's relation to other disciplines, while the open call also highlighted the social and political elements of the industry.
The exhibition is located at Villa Saporiti, which marks the first public showcase in the neoclassical building, and displays 57 projects by designers and studios from 30 countries.
The showcase features furniture, lighting, functional objects and textiles selected by Massoni across 10 rooms in the villa and its outdoor spaces.
Read on for seven design pieces that caught our attention:
Fur by Studio Bjorn Verlinde
Belgium-based Studio Bjorn Verlinde spotlighted its minimal Fur seating and side table collection at the exhibition.
Designed for restless people, the series features an unconventional backless rocking chair with a curved aluminium base that allows the user to gently lean back.
A contrasting seat made from brown leather sits atop the base of the chair, which is mirrored by the surface of the accompanying table.
Lights in Tension by Massimo Rigaglia
Massimo Rigaglia, a Milan-based artist and designer, created the Lights in Tension light collection from strips of flexible bamboo held in place by leather cords.
The result is a lightweight, curved structure anchored by a brass base that "embraces fragility as an aesthetic value", said Rigaglia.
BR Collection by Studio Alessandra Hofmann
These coffee tables by Basel-based Studio Alessandra Hofmann were informed by brutalist architecture.
The cube-shaped blocks of travertine are intersected with rectangular slabs of handmade cast glass, creating two levels to the tabletop.
The designer took an experimental approach to working with natural materials, embracing reactions created in the design process such as bubbles in the glass and open pores in the travertine.
Saturnia by ArmoniusLab
Founded by designer Elia Dusi, ArmoniusLab presented its Saturnia speakers, where the audio unit is encompassed by acid-treated iron that resembles Saturn's rings.
The speaker was designed to be placed on the floor and tilt upwards, so sound travels "not directly to the listener, but around the room," the studio explained, creating a different style of listening experience.
Tattile by Studio YellowDot x Artisia
Studio YellowDot collaborated with pasta company Barilla's 3D-printed pasta project Artisia to create a daybed that resembles the food's shape.
The hollow furniture, which was 3D printed in one piece from a wood fibre and bioplastic composition, features a ribbed surface similar to the pasta.
According to the studio, it responded to the festival's Borders theme by highlighting the border between food technology and design.
The Long Take by The Happy Few
This 10-metre-long wool rug by textile studio The Happy Few was designed to reflect the experience of walking down the street, with rectangular woven blocks resembling street tiles.
The designers sought to tell a story of seasonal changes through its colour palette, with shades of grey and blue transitioning to brown and green.
Claustra by What's Wrong Duo
Ceramics and furniture studio Whats Wrong Duo designed the Claustra room divider, which was informed by the soft lines and transparency found in the natural world.
Comprised of brown, purple, cream and grey hues, the furniture is made from aluminium and ceramic pieces, with the Bucharest- and Zurich-based studio also creating the glazes for the clay.
Through this design,the duo aimed to explore the boundary between a functional space divider and artistic expression.
The photography is by Sophie Chapman.
Contemporary Design Selection is on show at Lake Como Design Festival from 12 to 20 September 2026. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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