Alcova reveals its new 2026 locations

With 5 months to go Alcova revealed its new locations for 2026! From April 20–26, 2026, Alcova returns for its eleventh edition, unfolding across two extraordinary sites that each, in their own way, capture the essence of Milan’s urban identity. If you visited Alcova before you might remember one of the two locations for 2026 from earlier Alcova exhibitions in 2021 and 2022. I personally couldn’t be happier to see Alcova return to ‘The Baggio Military Hospital’ for the next Milan Design week. Have a look here for one of the posts I made back then: Beni rugs at Alcova 2022

Alcova is a platform for independent design developed by Valentina Ciuffi (founder of Studio Vedèt) and Joseph Grima (founder of Space Caviar). Currently operating as an itinerant network of exhibition spaces across multiple sites in and around Milan, it activates forgotten locations of historical significance, temporarily recasting them as venues for exhibitions, installations and performances.

New spaces within the Baggio Military Hospital

Once again the abandoned military hospital and former mental institution with its different buildings will offer a beautiful backdrop to the many international exhibitors including independent designers, innovative brands, galleries, cultural institutions and companies. All spread over the different buildings, connected by beautiful green and tall trees.

Alcova returns to the site this year by opening a series of newly accessible areas, including a church with its former rectory and a historic archive. These additions offer visitors a deeper look into the layered history of the location. Over time, the complex has continued to evolve, poetically weaving the built and natural landscapes together into an ever-changing ecosystem that blurs the boundary between natural and man-made.

Villa Pestarini by Franco Albini

The second location Alcova revealed is located just a few kilometer away: Villa Pestarini. Opening to the public for the first time, the villa dates back to 1938/1939, when Franco Albini was 33 years old, and is considered one of the clearest examples of Italian rationalism. Its design is defined by precise geometry: a white rectangular volume, glass-block façades, and large windows overlooking the garden. Franco Albini (1905–1977) was an influential Italian architect and designer, widely regarded as one of the key figures of Italian rationalism. His work is known for its clarity, precision, and balance between technical discipline and a poetic sense of space.

Meticulously preserved over the decades by owners devoted to its legacy, the house remains an almost miraculous testimony to Albini’s unique balance of discipline and poetry, and one of the most authentic expressions of recurring themes in his work: the shallow marble staircase, sliding partitions, and bespoke furniture that form his signature combination discipline and poetry. It is a space that feels suspended in time.