Several uniquely shaped chairs made of stone and other materials are arranged in an open garage with concrete walls and floor.

April 30, 2026

Words: Mairi Beautyman

10 Furnishings Pushing Creative Boundaries At Alcova 2026

Cutting-edge contemporary design platform Alcova celebrated a decade of love for derelict spaces with a return to the Baggio Military Hospital, a sprawling overgrown venue used in 2021 and 2022. In polished contrast, architect Franco Albini’s pristine Villa Pestarini, open to the public for the first time, was a new venue addition.

Held April 20–26, the platform hosted 131 exhibitors who once again transformed these spaces into a testing ground for experimental design. Across furniture, lighting, and material research, this year’s presentations leaned into raw processes, unconventional materials, and spatial storytelling—drawing enthusiastic crowds despite tightly scheduled visiting slots. From lighting poised to scamper away to a table imitating the geology of a wind-swept island to furnishings made from purposefully imperfect reclaimed stone, here are ten of our favorite finds from Alcova 2026.

Mother Dweller I by Fenna Kosfeld

A floor lamp with a rectangular white fabric shade, thin curved metal legs, and a visible electrical cord stands on a concrete floor against a plain wall.
Photography courtesy of Fenna Kosfeld.
A close-up of a vertical metal rod with rust and pitting corrosion, showing rough and uneven surface texture against a plain background.
Photography courtesy of Fenna Kosfeld.
Three box-shaped lamps with glowing shades stand on thin, wire-like legs in a dimly lit, empty room with a barred window.
Photography courtesy of Fenna Kosfeld.

Somewhere between sculpture and living entity, the Dweller series of lamps by Fenna Kosfeld seems poised to scamper away. Despite responding to wind or touch, the charred bone, steel, cotton, biopolymer, and charcoal Mother Dweller I remains stable—for a playful commentary on the energy and constant movement of life.

Tramontana Table I by Daniel Swarilov

A round, textured metal table with an uneven, cratered surface holds three red apples in a dimly lit industrial space.
Photography courtesy of Daniel Swarilov.
A close-up, black and white image of a textured, uneven surface with cracked and raised areas, resembling geological formations or abstract patterns.
Photography courtesy of Daniel Swarilov.

A 3D scan of the geology of Menorca, a wind-swept island in the Mediterranean Sea, gave rise to the pitted surface of the Tramontana Table I by Daniel Swarilov. Named after the island’s ruthless seasonal wind, the limited-edition, sand-cast aluminum table has embedded crater-like excavations which can be used for storage. “Sitting somewhere between landscape, vessel, and table, its form invites gathering—to share a meal, display fruit or flowers,” the designer notes.

Gurunsi by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón for PET Lamp

  • Close-up view of several woven basket-style ceiling lamps with warm lighting, casting patterned shadows on the ceiling.
    Photography courtesy of Alvaro Catalan de Ocon.
  • Close-up of woven basket-like objects suspended from the ceiling with warm light bulbs illuminating them from above and below.
    Photography courtesy of Alvaro Catalan de Ocon.

The PET Lamp collection by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón originates from a contradictory idea: disposable plastic bottles with a long afterlife. The Gurunsi pendant light is born from an encounter with Bolgatanga, a city in the far north of Ghana known as ‘the city of baskets.’ The capital of the Gurunsi people, Bolgatanga has a rich weaving culture including a technique called Pakurigo—by doubling the warp, it creates large natural folds.

Fusion with Inmelting 2.0 by Unicoggetto

  • A window with no glass reveals an interior with peeling walls and sculptural, twisted white and green light fixtures hanging from the ceiling.
    Photography courtesy of Unicoggetto.
  • Sculptural installation of intertwined dark green and white ribbon-like forms suspended from the ceiling in a dimly lit, weathered room.
    Photography courtesy of Unicoggetto.
  • Curved white and green sculptural forms hang from the ceiling by wires, beneath a textured, weathered ceiling with a metallic circular fixture.
    Photography courtesy of Alcova.

With a purposefully imprecise free-casting technique using stacked stones, molten aluminum, and LEDs inserted in 3D-printed prefabricated shapes, Unicoggetto attempts to freeze molten metal in time. Shown in a dim temple at the Baggio Military Hospital, the furniture, accessories, and lighting in Fusion with Inmelting 2.0 capture both the unique imperfections of the stones and the fluidity of the metal—resulting in slender shapes that seem intriguingly spontaneous.

Magma by Cale Gambioli & Partners

A stack of black rectangular slabs with a jagged, layered cut through the center, resembling a topographic or geological formation, on a white background.
Photography courtesy of Cale Gambioli & Partners.
A dark, square sculptural panel with a jagged vertical split in the center, revealing a glowing light from within the crevice.
Photography courtesy of Cale Gambioli & Partners.

Dive into the fissure of a volcano with Magma, a brass and lava stone table by Cale Gambioli & Partners that channels the energy of this geological release of pressure. Inserting an uneven break in a block of lava stone, the designers then reattach the two pieces with brass—recalling lava in its fluid form.

Sur+Plus by AtMa

  • Several uniquely shaped chairs made of stone and other materials are arranged in an open garage with concrete walls and floor.
    Photography by Shunsuke Watanabe.
  • Several uniquely shaped stone chairs with geometric designs are arranged in a rustic room with textured, weathered walls.
    Photography courtesy of Alcova.
  • Several uniquely shaped stone chairs with varying colors and textures are arranged on a dark concrete floor in a dimly lit room.
    Photography by Shunsuke Watanabe.

With Sur+Plus, AtMa turns attention to the materials that remain after construction is complete, whether it’s due to damage, miscounts, or delivery errors. Fragments of stone—green onyx, marble, travertine, limestone—are assembled into chairs and benches using stainless steel joints. Rather than pursuing uniformity, cracks, chips, and irregularities are left intact, allowing each piece to retain its history.

Butterfly by Atelier Elitta

Two modern white chairs and a wooden side table in a minimalist room with abstract wall art and large windows overlooking a tree in an outdoor patio.
Photography courtesy of Atelier Elitta.
A modern, white textured lounge chair and a three-headed floor lamp are placed in a sparse room with tiled floors, an old sink area, and a gray door.
Photography courtesy of Atelier Elitta.

With the Butterfly lounge chair, Atelier Elitta wraps the body with a continuous sweep of curved volumes, creating a seating experience that feels both supported and suspended. The backrest extends in two fluid arcs, evoking wings.

Sophie by Sophie Dries for Issé

A black textured vase and a small glass cup sit on a wooden shelf in front of sheer, netted curtains.
Photography by Piergiorgio Sorgetti.
Room with two wooden daybeds with red cushions, shelves with decor items, and fabric netting draped across the ceiling and window. Natural light enters from the right.
Photography courtesy of Alcova.

The dramatic focal point of a cozy reading room at Alcova, the 100 percent jute Sophie by Sophie Dries for Issé is designed to softly filter light without glare or opacity. The textile’s open weave carries slight irregularities and tonal variations, reflecting the inherent qualities of natural fibers while blurring the boundary between inside and out.

Mush and Feather by Kilzi

A small bathroom with frosted glass door, tiled walls, a radiator under a window, a sink, and two glowing lamp-shaped lights on the floor.
Photography by Alejandro Ramirez.
Three layered pendant lights with scalloped edges hang from the ceiling; a large matching lamp and small wooden sculptures are on the floor near a dark table in a minimalist room.
Photography by Alejandro Ramirez.

A proprietary handcrafted resin and textile composite that resembles fiberglass is the primary material employed for the Mush and Feather lighting collections by Kilzi. From a mushroom in growth sprouted the idea of the fungi-shaped Mush, while rose-toned Feather has hand-cut petals of an unexpectedly soft weave pointing to the freshness and evolution of Spring, according to press material.

Rouge Belge Table II by Studio DO

A rustic table with mismatched stone and wood legs stands on a red tile floor, topped with a three-candle stone holder, each candle lit.
Photography copyright Studio DO.

Rouge Belge Table II, a monumental buffet by stone-cutting atelier Studio DO, is composed of reclaimed Belgian red marble slabs. Each fragment carries traces of its previous use—from fireplaces to walls or furniture. A visibly reconstructed structure with minimal intervention to the material, the table reveals variations in tone, texture, and pattern that reflect both geological formation and design history.

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