Inside Materia 2.0: new material library for Milan is a treasure trove of inspiration for the design community
Unveiled during Milan Design Week 2025, Materia 2.0 carries more than 1,200 material samples from all over Italy

At Milan Design Week 2025, it feels like materials, more than furniture, are taking centre stage. ‘It’s time we gave materials the spotlight they deserve,’ says Fabio Pecora, founder of Materia 2.0, the city's new material library. For designers, architects, and exhibitors, he explains, matter isn't just substance, it's the key to sustainability, innovation, and emotional connection. ‘Italy has lacked a rational dictionary of architectural materials,’ says Silvia Spreafico, design manager at Materia 2.0. The Como-based company, a specialist in high-end architectural materials, decided to take matters into its own hands. Known for its striking mood boards (and strong Instagram following) it created a physical space to house its curated selection of materials, chosen for their fine craftsmanship, innovative qualities, and Made in Italy integrity.
Unveiled during Design Week (7-13 April 2025), Materia 2.0 is a 500 sq m material library in the heart of Porta Nuova, nestled among the towering glass buildings that symbolise the city’s contemporary growth. Some of the materials involved include metal, glass, ceramic, porcelain stoneware, concrete, marble, natural stone, wood, terracotta, resin, fabric, and cement grit. With a focus on architectural materials, the goal is to expand what is already the largest material library in Italy.
‘Today, we range from surfaces to upholstery materials, from artisanal products to industrial ones,’ Spreafico says. The visual impact is stunning: a 30m-long gallery where 1,200 samples, 5,000 display pieces, and a catalogue of over 15,000 products are arranged like books on a library shelf. Like old libraries, every ‘spine’ – in this case, every material sample –must be perfectly aligned. Each piece is standardised to a manageable 20x20cm format, even for heavier or denser materials, and accompanied by information panels and QR codes to dive into technical specs and variants.
‘Selection is based on quality,’ Spreafico says, while gently running her fingers across textured tiles rich with stories: like those from Marca Corona, a Sassuolo-based ceramics brand founded in 1741: ‘They even have a private museum that narrates the entire production history of their region, and they’ve lent us some unique pieces.’ Or take Il Ferrone, a Tuscan company producing terracotta both industrially and artisanally, reviving ancient kilns hidden in the wine cellars of Chianti. Then there’s Barzaghi Salotti, a classic Brianza-based furniture maker, from the famed design district north of Milan. ‘All the companies we showcase have strong in-house production values,’ adds Spreafico. ‘Zava, for example, started as a metal workshop. They now create dramatic, sculptural lighting pieces.’
Facing the wall of materials are immersive exhibition spaces where materials come to life as furniture and experimental installations. ‘This is CP Parquet,’ Spreafico says, referring to the long-standing Venetian flooring company. ‘Here we show how the same material used for flooring can also form a co-ordinated table and bookshelf.’ The ambition is to become not just a showroom, but a centre of excellence for research, design, and interdisciplinary exchange. While partner companies are involved, Spreafico is quick to underline that the project is not commercially driven: ‘We want to be a tool, not sell a product. This is an open dictionary of materials, a place for experimentation, and for combining materials in bold and unexpected ways.’
Via Marco Polo 9, Milan
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Cristina Kiran Piotti is an Italian-Indian freelance journalist. After completing her studies in journalism in Milan, she pursued a master's degree in the economic relations between Italy and India at the Ca' Foscari Challenge School in Venice. She splits her time between Milan and Mumbai and, since 2008, she has concentrated her work mostly on design, current affairs, and culture stories, often drawing on her enduring passion for geopolitics. She writes for several publications in both English and Italian, and she is a consultant for communication firms and publishing houses.
-
At Milan Design Week 2025, Turri launches a circular dining table fit for ceremonial feasts
The new ‘Kenobi’ by Marco Acerbis for Turri is the kind of dining table we like to get around
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
GM’s new Corvette Concept is a futuristic sports car vision for the road and track of tomorrow
General Motors has a new UK design studio. We took a visit and sampled its debut project, an all-new Corvette concept
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Tivoli Audio teams up with Sounwave to create this stylish portable Bluetooth speaker and amp
The new.ordinary SongBook MAX is the debut collaboration between Tivoli Audio and acclaimed producer Sounwave
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
These sculptural bathrooms are all whispered elegance carved in stone: Salvatori’s new showcase
At Milan Design Week 2025, natural stone specialist Salvatori’s new collections simultaneously defy and enhance the material's properties
By Cristina Kiran Piotti Published
-
These vibrant vases are made from discarded flip flops
Serena Confalonieri’s Jambo collection, in collaboration with Ocean Soles, debuts at Rossana Orlandi during Milan Design Week
By Ifeoluwa Adedeji Published
-
Milan Design Week: Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s monastic marvel of a chair returns to life
Molteni & C’s reissue of the ‘Monk’ chair has us worshipping at the altar of its designers, Afra and Tobia Scarpa
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
The Wallpaper* Design Issue comes with our Salone del Mobile must-sees
The May 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is on sale now, taking in Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, and a very stylish tea party
By Bill Prince Published
-
Aboard Gio Ponti's colourful Arlecchino train in Milan, a conversation about design with Formafantasma
The design duo boards Gio Ponti’s train bound for the latest Prada Frames symposium at Milan Design Week
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Promemoria’s new furniture takes you from London to Lake Como, with love
Ahead of its Milan Design Week 2025 debut, we try out Promemoria’s new furniture collection by David Collins Studio, at founder Romeo Sozzi’s Lake Como villa
By Laura May Todd Published
-
At Milan Design Week, 'Material Alchemists' marks the Wallpaper* Class of '25
Our own exhibition brings together 20 emerging designers from around the world giving matter form with magic
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Milan Design Week: Philippe Malouin's ‘Great’ sofa for Hem more than lives up to its name
Three years in development, the Canadian designer’s new sofa for Hem is an elegantly modern, comfortable beast
By Hugo Macdonald Published