Maria Porro: Redefining Global Design at Salone del Mobile Milano
When Miami Living sat down with Maria Porro last year, her vision for connecting Milan's manufacturing heritage with Miami's creative landscape was just taking root. Appointed in 2021 as the first female president of Salone del Mobile, Porro treats the world's most influential design fair not as a conventional showroom, but as a living stage. Her perspective draws directly from her background in set design at Milan's Accademia di Brera and her lifelong roots in her family's furniture business.
That spatial approach is actively shaping the fair's presence in South Florida. Salone's partnership with Art Basel Miami Beach has anchored Italian design within the city's residential and hospitality developments, establishing a direct exchange between Italian craftsmanship and local collectors.
In this new exclusive Miami Living Magazine interview, Porro shares what lies ahead. From the upcoming launch of Salone Contract to the balance she keeps between high-stakes leadership and family life, she discusses how design continues to redefine the environments we inhabit.
Salone Internazionale del Mobile - Photo by Ruggiero Scardigno
Miami Living (ML): With Salone’s Art Basel partnership underway, what have you learned about Miami’s design audience, and what can we expect this December?
Maria Porro: Miami has an extraordinary ability to bring art, design and living culture into dialogue. It is an international city, open to experimentation, with a curious audience that moves naturally between different disciplines and forms of expression. Our first Collectors Lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2025 gave us a direct insight into this sensibility. Designed by Lissoni & Partners and realized with the involvement of more than 20 selected Italian brands, it was conceived as a space to be experienced, where visitors could engage directly with the furnishings, discover their materials, appreciate their comfort and gain an understanding of the heritage of expertise, research and craftsmanship embodied in every product. For some visitors, that experience even culminated in the purchase of pieces displayed in the Lounge.
This dialogue also extended to the cultural sphere. At the Faena Theater, together with Es Devlin, we explored the connections between Library of Us, her installation in Miami, and Library of Light, the site-specific installation we commissioned from her for the Pinacoteca di Brera during Salone 2025. These two projects created a bridge between the creative energies of Milan and Miami, demonstrating how design and art can generate opportunities for meaningful encounters and shared reflection.
Salone Contract Masterplan, Dome, Salone del Mobile.Milano Courtesy of OMA
ML: With Salone Contract launching in 2027, what opportunities do you see for Miami’s hospitality and residential markets?
Maria Porro: I see a significant opportunity to place design at the centre of decision-making from the earliest stages of a project. In a city such as Miami, where hospitality, high-end residential developments and major waterfront projects are deeply interconnected, the quality of architecture and interiors plays a vital role in shaping the identity of an entire destination. Comfort, light, material selection and the continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces become defining elements of a project's value.
For our companies, this means the opportunity to demonstrate expertise that extends far beyond the product: customization capabilities, material research, technological innovation and reliability in delivering complex projects. Whether it is a private residence, a hotel or an oceanfront terrace, I believe aesthetic quality, technical performance and durability must go hand in hand.
It is precisely from this awareness that Salone Contract was born, as a project designed to connect the worlds of manufacturing, architecture, real estate development and international clients. We publicly introduced this project in April 2026 with the inaugural edition of the Salone Contract Forum, developed in collaboration with OMA. Rem Koolhaas delivered the lecture Current Preoccupations, while David Gianotten presented the vision and masterplan for Salone Contract 2027, imagining a platform capable of addressing the complexity of large-scale contemporary projects while fostering new connections between those who design, manufacture and invest.
In preparation for the 2027 debut, we have designed an international road tour comprising four events, each dedicated to a strategic area of the contract sector. The aim is to listen to markets, understand the needs of major investors and clients, and encourage dialogue between design and industrial expertise.
We began in Shanghai, where we explored large-scale mixed-use developments through the case study of Westbund Central, an approximately US$8 billion investment developed by Hongkong Land across more than 1.7 million square metres. Bringing together residential, hospitality, retail, workplace and services, the project offered an opportunity, alongside Hongkong Land and the studios Benoy, MDO and CCD, to reflect on how design can help provide coherence and identity to developments on such a scale.
The Salone Contract Road Tour will also stop in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach, with an event dedicated to the marine sector and waterfront projects, exploring the connections between yachting, cruising and hospitality. Miami provides an ideal context for discussing themes where architecture, interior design and the relationship with water all contribute to defining the identity of spaces and the quality of the experience they offer.
This international dimension will culminate in Milan in 2027 within the masterplan developed by Rem Koolhaas and David Gianotten of OMA. The Dome will host four days of the Salone Contract Forum, while the Podium and Project Spaces will provide companies with opportunities to showcase their expertise and present concrete projects. Dedicated B2B Areas will facilitate direct meetings between businesses, architects, developers and clients.
For Miami, I see particularly strong potential not only in new residential and hospitality developments but also in the refurbishment and repositioning of existing properties. It is a market where contract furniture can genuinely make a difference, helping to create distinctive places capable of delivering high-quality experiences and sustaining their value over time.
Salone Raritas. Curated icons, unique objects, and outsider pieces Project visuals Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026 ©Formafantasma
ML: What did the first edition of Salone Raritas reveal about today’s collectors and their interests?
Maria Porro: The first edition of Salone Raritas confirmed a growing interest in objects that express a strong authorial identity, shaped by research, experimentation and exceptional craftsmanship.
Today’s collectors are not simply looking for rare pieces or limited editions. They are seeking works with a story to tell, works that convey a personal vision and reveal the creative gesture of their maker. There is increasing attention to material quality, production processes and the dialogue between art, design and fine craftsmanship.
With 28 galleries from 12 countries and works by 59 designers, Salone Raritas demonstrated the richness and diversity of this world. Curated by Annalisa Rosso and designed by Formafantasma, the project brought collecting culture closer to architecture and interior design, highlighting how a collectible piece can become a defining element within a home or hospitality environment.
One example is Plume by Sabine Marcelis, a monumental resin fountain which, through light, transparency and movement, transforms material into an almost hypnotic experience. Alongside galleries such as Nilufar and collaborations including Salviati with Draga & Aurel, it demonstrated how collectible design has become a fertile ground for cross-pollination between disciplines and creative languages.
For 2027, we intend to continue in this direction, strengthening the dialogue between collecting and design. We can already announce the participation of India Mahdavi, the internationally acclaimed architect and designer renowned for her expressive use of colour, sculptural forms and ability to weave together art, design and craftsmanship. Her involvement perfectly reflects the spirit of Raritas: celebrating creativity and uniqueness while building new connections between galleries, collectors, architects and interior designers.
ML: Looking back at Salone 2026, which design trend or innovation surprised you most?
Maria Porro: What impressed me most was the confidence with which young designers combined advanced technologies with a deeply tangible understanding of materials. At SaloneSatellite, digital fabrication became a tool for exploring new forms of craftsmanship. An excellent example is Nippon, the pendant lamp created by Russo Betak, the Copenhagen-based design studio founded by Stefannia Russo and Søren Betak. The project received the first prize at the SaloneSatellite Award 2026 from the international jury chaired by Paola Antonelli. The lamp combines 3D printing using marine shells with hand-modelling techniques, creating layered surfaces that filter light. Innovation is inseparable from the atmosphere the object is able to create. I find this approach encouraging because it gives technology a clear purpose. It opens new possibilities for material research and production processes while preserving the sensitivity that makes an object something worth living with. Coming from a family of furniture manufacturers, I am particularly interested in how knowledge is passed from one generation to the next and enriched through experimentation.
ML: What advice would you give Miami Living readers visiting Salone del Mobile for the first time?
Maria Porro: Take the time to look closely. Choose a few interests to guide your visit, but leave room for unexpected discoveries. Sit in a chair, observe a construction detail, touch a material whenever possible and ask how an object is made. Much of design’s value is understood precisely through this direct experience.
I would recommend spending time at SaloneSatellite, where visitors can meet emerging designers and hear the stories behind their work firsthand. For those interested in art and collecting, Salone Raritas offers another fascinating perspective.
In 2027, Euroluce will return alongside the second edition of The Euroluce International Lighting Forum, once again hosted within The Forest of Space, the arena designed by Sou Fujimoto. It will provide an opportunity to hear international voices from architecture, lighting design, scientific research, technology and the arts, and to reflect on how light transforms spaces and the way we inhabit them.
The launch of Salone Contract will open a new perspective on design, from the scale of the object to that of large shared environments, creating new opportunities for dialogue between designers, companies and leading players in international markets.
Allow enough time both to visit Fiera Milano, Rho, and to explore the city’s exhibitions, galleries, architecture and archives. With Common Archive – La Notte Bianca del Progetto, launched in April 2026, we opened to the public an extraordinary network of historic design and architecture archives, making accessible a heritage of ideas, drawings, experiments and knowledge that forms an essential part of Milan’s creative identity. It is a powerful example of how deeply Milan’s design culture is intertwined with the memory and everyday life of the city.
Salone Internazionale del Mobile - Photo by Ruggiero Scardigno
ML: How has your background in theater and set design influenced your work at Salone?
Maria Porro: My studies in theatre and set design have deeply shaped the way I approach Salone.
We are accustomed to thinking of it as the place where new collections are presented, but for me it is also a vast laboratory for spatial design. Every year, companies effectively begin with a blank sheet of paper and have the freedom to imagine environments, atmospheres and narratives capable of expressing their identity. It is not simply about displaying products. Materials, lighting, proportions, styling and the relationship between objects and space all contribute to creating an experience. What fascinates me is observing how new languages, sensibilities and ways of living emerge through these installations, often before they become recognisable.
Set design taught me that a space is never neutral. It can tell a story, inspire emotion and alter the way we perceive our surroundings. It is one of the aspects I love most about Salone: this extraordinary creative freedom that transforms the pavilions into a succession of different worlds each year.
There is also the cultural programme, through which we have sought to expand the dialogue between design, art, cinema, theatre and architecture, inviting leading figures from contemporary culture to engage with space and the ways we inhabit it. I am thinking of the Thinking Rooms imagined by David Lynch in 2024, suspended between dream and reality and conceived as places for reflection and introspection. Or our collaboration with Robert Wilson in 2025, which was a particularly memorable experience for me.
Working with one of the great masters of contemporary light and stagecraft was an extraordinary privilege. Wilson conceived the opening event at Teatro alla Scala, The Night Before. Object Chairs Opera, and created Mother at the Museo della Pietà Rondanini in Castello Sforzesco, bringing together his vision of light, the music of Arvo Pärt and Michelangelo’s final masterpiece.
These experiences reminded me how deeply design shares with theatre the ability to shape a collective imagination. They also reinforced the importance of teamwork. Behind every installation, just as behind every performance, there are different forms of expertise working together to make a vision possible. It is this creative, collaborative and profoundly human dimension that I strive to bring to my work at Salone every day.
ML: What piece of furniture or object in your home holds the greatest personal meaning, and why?
Maria Porro: I would choose a small clay object made by my daughter. At home, I enjoy bringing together very different things: paintings, furniture prototypes and objects that preserve personal stories. Something created by a child naturally finds its place among them.
What makes it precious to me is the person who made it and the memory it carries. Living among objects is also about creating these emotional connections. A home acquires its character over time through the things we choose to keep and the people they remind us of.
ML: Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing most to relax and recharge?
Maria Porro: Reading, listening to music and spending time in nature are all very important to me.
I am a curious person and enjoy discovering an exhibition or going to the theatre, but I also value quieter moments when I can slow down and devote my full attention to something.
Time spent with my children offers a different perspective as well. They notice things that adults easily overlook and approach the world with a freedom that I find refreshing. I learn a great deal from them.
For me, recharging also means creating space for that sense of openness and willingness to discover something new.
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