Recess returns from April 20 to 26 with 131 exhibitors spread out Villa Pestarini and the Baggio Military Hospitalbuilding its 2026 edition through a dense and diverse group of participants. The program opens Villa Pestarini to the public for the first time, while expanding the hospital space with new spaces, forming a version that moves between architectural history and large-scale installation work.
At Villa Pestarini, designed by Franco Albini, the program focuses on a dialogue with the architect’s legacy. Haworth and Cassina present an installation by Patricia Urquiola, combining Albini’s reissued pieces with contemporary works from the Alcova Shop. Boccamonte presents a collection dedicated to Luisa Castiglioni, extending this lineage through a new design perspective.
The villa hosts a concentrated group of studios including Around the Studio, AtMa, Basetale, Elisa Uberti, ISSÉ x Sophie Dries, Manon Viratelle, News & Coffee x St. Moritz, OOG Objects, Ryuichi Kozeki, Saridis of Athens with Kiki Goti and Marble Touchağu, Studios, Eyes, and Marble Touchoğlu, each working within the house with distinct material and spatial approaches.
Baggio Military Hospital expands the program into a larger and more fragmented structure, operating as a network of zones rather than a single site. At Chiesa, Leo Lague and Versa present Devices for Connection, creating an immersive installation through systems of sound, light and layered materials.
In all hangars, the scale changes. Hangar 1 brings together Caecilia Rebbe with Laurenz Ben Marsau, Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland, CJ Aslan, Frederik Fialin, KEITH HENNING, Objects of Common Interest for Dooor and Supaform. Hangar 2 features 304.cage, BUREAU PARSO, HENGE with VOCLA and Studio Exxx, expanding the program into installation, performance and nightlife formats.
The surrounding sections unfold with equal density. Cucina features Berto, Design Academy Eindhoven, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Maruxi with Fenna Kosfeld, Michal Korchowiec and Pepe Valenti. Canonica includes Arbore with Cezar Moldovan, Every Archive, MANO design studio, Marie Vilay with TextielMuseum Tilburg, NOVOCASTRIAN and obra de mano. Stecca brings together a wide range of participants such as ARP Architecture Research Practice, FINEPIANTA, Hap Ceramics, Heiter X with Daniele Giannetti, KOD.objects, Laura Dominici with Basil Schu, MA Industrial Design Central Saint Martins, Obscure Objects, Off-Grid Collective, Studio LoopLoop Design.
Casa delle Suore is further expanded with Andrea Claire Studio, Anna Galtarossa, CHELEBI Room Of Azerbaijan, CHEN FURONG with envy envy and studiososlow, Flawk Gallery, House of Knots with Sanchit Arora, Marlot Baus, NG DESIGN, Noritake Design Collection, PaniALAK STUDIO DESIGN DESIGN STUDIO, Ololoo with Blank and Restudio and Wei Xiaoyan Studio among others.
Tempio, Lavanderia and outdoor spaces continue the program with participants such as Fap Ceramiche, HEAD Geneva, SLALOM with VAI, PET Lamp with Alvaro Catalán de Ocón, the Architectural Association, Crafting Plastics! Studio, Didier Fiúza Faustino with Bureau des Mésarchitecture and DiSé, Le Labo Fragrances, Rive Roshan and ZELT.studio.
Alongside the exhibitions, installations such as Threshold by Objects of Common Interest for Dooor and Seat in Touch by Supaform introduce spatial experiments, while VOCLA / Design by Night returns with HENGE through a work by Ugo Cacciatori. The talks curated by Design Hotels and VOCLA bring figures such as Bjarke Ingels to the program, expanding the event beyond exhibition into discussion and exchange.
The 2026 edition builds its identity through the scale and distribution of its participants, moving between confined architectural spaces and open, evolving environments.
