Italian design is building fresh connections with America through a conversation about how people experience cultural spaces. On November 8, New York’s New Museum hosted the sixth stop of the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026–2027 World Tour, bringing architecture, furniture and lighting into a shared discussion.
Supported by the Italian Trade Agency and Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the gathering explored opportunities for Italian companies as museums become increasingly welcoming places for learning, socializing and discovery.
The commercial relationship provides a strong foundation. In 2025, the United States purchased €1.62 billion in Italian furniture sector exports, representing 11.4% of the industry’s overseas sales. Italian lighting exports to America reached €93.8 million between January and July 2026, rising 14% from the same period a year earlier.
Moderated by Beatrice Galilee, the panel included Lawrence Siu of OMA, Paula Martinez-Nobles of Fisher Marantz Stone, Luca Palermo and Annalisa Rosso.
The venue offered a compelling example: the New Museum reopened on March 21, 2026, following a 60,000-square-foot expansion designed by OMA’s Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas, with Cooper Robertson.
Attention now turns to Milan, where the fair’s 65th edition runs April 13–18, 2027. Euroluce returns alongside the debut of Salone Contract, featuring a masterplan by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA.
Designed around collaboration, Salone Contract will connect manufacturers with the professionals shaping major developments. Its emphasis on projects, expertise and shared spaces gives Italian businesses another promising route into international partnerships – and strengthens the design dialogue between Italy and America.
