Singapore imagines new ways of living with Prototype Island

15 curated works for Milan Design Week 2026 will showcase the nation’s distinctive design approach, exploring innovative responses to pressing global challenges across living and world-making

24 March 2026, Singapore – The DesignSingapore Council returns to Milan Design Week with Prototype Island at Foro Buonaparte 54, located in the prestigious Brera Design District from 21 – 26 April 2026.

Prototype Island is the Council’s all-new concept for the 2026 edition of Milan Design Week, following its successful Future Impact series, that showcases the nation as a living prototype – never still but instead, continuously evolving, optimising and working to solve global challenges through ground-breaking design and technology.

The exhibition unites established and emerging designers all based in Singapore, providing unique insight into the future-proof design solutions being ideated today in one of the world’s leading design nations. Each one has been carefully selected by lead curator Hunn Wai (Lanzavecchia + Wai), and assistant curator Eian Siew, both of whom were a part of Future Impact 3: DESIGN NATION in 2025.

At Foro Buonaparte 54, visitors will encounter future-focused ideas that respond to the challenges of an increasingly globalised world, highlighting Singapore’s reputation for bold thinking, creativity and action at scale. The exhibition’s layout has been imaginatively conceived to reflect the showcase’s key themes, with light, flexible structures that symbolise adaptability and continual change. Nothing is intended to feel static; instead, the space suggests evolution and responsiveness.

Visitors are greeted by an installation designed by Lanzavecchia + Wai that introduces the 15 works, brought together across three compelling themes: exploring modern challenges through experimentation with technology and materiality; rethinking how craft can be preserved and advanced alongside innovative interpretations of care systems; and reshaping the future of urban living.

Technological & Material Ecologies

Tackling global challenges through materiality, Parable’s handcrafted modular ceramic system Iris blends unique artistry with ceramic design that can be reconfigured to suit the user’s changing needs, while ODD M. repurposes post-consumer waste into lasting, functional objects. Jake Tan, Ezequiel Ignacio Rodríguez Chiacchio, Bao Songyu will present an interactive, quantum-inspired installation using classical computation to explore dynamic interactions reminiscent of everyday life. Meanwhile, Carlos Bañón and Yiping Goh will display an AI-driven architecture and spatial planning platform that preserves creative ownership while streamlining the design process.

Care Infrastructures & Cultural Continuities

Exploring the preservation of craft and its integration with technology are Serina Lee’s Language System, which draws from a bilingual Singaporean lens to merge traditional Chinese calligraphy with the English alphabet into a system for constructing both digital and physical garments; Roger Ng’s Lustre Series, reimagining the traditional Peranakan tea table with mother-of-pearl motifs using contemporary materials and digital production; and collaborators Melvin Ong, Shervon Ong, and Andy Yeo, who explore how 3D printing and traditional lacquer threading can coexist, creating vessels that bring technology into dialogue with rare Southeast Asian craft. Aditi Neti reinterprets the traditional South Indian practice of kolam drawing through computational and mechanical systems, without losing its embodied meaning.

Centring design on care and accessibility, Tusitala’s 3D-printed tactile book uses a modular three-tiered plate system that displays pictures in raised forms and words written in Braille to create a more accessible reading experience for children. Celeste Seah explores reminiscence therapy for people with dementia, using generative AI to construct images as memory prompts to foster connection, narrative, and dignity in care. Creative agency weareSuper will showcase a collection of porcelain plates co-designed with persons with disabilities, available for purchase throughout the week.

Everyday Infrastructures

Offering solutions to help elevate everyday life, A*STAR Innovation Factory@SIMTech for Castomize will present their innovative 4D-printed, patient-centric cast system, offering a bespoke alternative to conventional fiberglass casts. Singapore’s National Winner of the James Dyson Award 2025, Zoey Chan introduces Nido, a compact, modular insulin needle holder combining safety, convenience, and discreet design; while Interactive Materials Lab transforms the everyday barcode into an interactive design object. Noda, by Reynard Seah, draws inspiration from plant cells to create a flexible joint system suitable for shelters, playgrounds, and transformable structures.

“The fifteen designers participating in Prototype Island were chosen for their ability to translate inquiry into action, shaping tangible responses that navigate constraint, uncertainty, and lived realities with rigour and imagination,” said Hunn Wai, Lead Curator of Prototype Island.

Alongside the exhibitions, the DesignSingapore Council will be hosting a series of events throughout the week. These will include a talk series hosted by Maria Cristina Didero, which will explore key trends in contemporary design, from curation and collaborative practice to diverse approaches to prototyping, featuring curators and designers from the exhibition, and guest speakers.

Additionally, the Council invites all visitors to a special ‘Singapore Night’ event on Wednesday, 22 April, filled with Singapore-inspired food, drinks, and music.

“Prototype Island and our public programming bring Singapore, Milan, and the wider global design community into conversation. From panel talks with the curators and designers to ‘Singapore Night’, these moments create space for exchange—connecting perspectives across cultures and disciplines, and reflecting our belief in design as a shared language for shaping more liveable, loveable, and limitless futures,” said Dawn Lim, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council.

Notes to Editors

Prototype Island is presented by the DesignSingapore Council, with Lead Curator Hunn Wai, Assistant Curator Eian Siew, and support from Maria Cristina Didero as Global Perspectives Advisor.

Press Preview: 20 April 2026, Monday, 12 – 5pm

For full list of designers and their works, refer to Annex A HERE

For images and further information, please see the link HERE

Showcase details

Address: Foro Buonaparte 54, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
Open daily from 10am – 7pm on 21st – 26th April 2026

‘Singapore Night’ Evening Party: Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 7 – 11pm

Talk Series

– A New Singapore: Shared Futures – Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 6pm
– Who Speaks for Design? – Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 4pm
– Prototype as a Method – Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 5pm

About the DesignSingapore Council

The DesignSingapore Council (Dsg)’s vision is for Singapore to be a liveable, loveable, and limitless city by design. As the national agency for design, our mission is to develop the design sector to be globally competitive, champion the use of design for innovation and growth in Singapore, and make life better in this UNESCO Creative City of Design. The Dsg is a subsidiary of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
designsingapore.org

About Hunn Wai

Hunn Wai is the Director and Co-founder of Lanzavecchia + Wai, an internationally acclaimed design studio based in Milan and Singapore that has, since 2010, worked at the intersection of industrial design, spatial narrative, and luxury craft, collaborating with brands including Zanotta, Cappellini, Hermès, and Vacheron Constantin. The studio has received prestigious accolades such as the President*s Design Award (Design of the Year, 2023) and the Red Dot Award.

A recognized thought leader in contemporary design, Hunn speaks at global platforms like Milan Design Week and at institutions such as the School of Visual Arts and Rhode Island School of Design, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor and Senior Fellow at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, where he teaches Architecture, Sustainable Design, and Design & AI while leading executive training programmes.

About Eian Siew

Eian Siew is a PhD Candidate at the National University of Singapore’s Division of Industrial Design. His research sits at the intersection of healthcare innovation, product design, and materials-driven interaction, with a focus on air-based soft actuation and digital fabrication workflows. Through research-led prototyping, he translates complex material behaviour into familiar, everyday artifacts.

Since 2020, his work has received international recognition through the Red Dot Award, the James Dyson Award, and the iF Design Award, and has been featured in DesignWanted, Dezeen, Vogue Singapore, and The Peak. Since 2023, he has presented work at platforms including Singapore Design Week, Ars Electronica and Milan Design Week.

Eian continues to pursue design as a form of translation, turning complex problems and societal perceptions into approachable everyday experiences.

About Maria Cristina Didero

Maria Cristina Didero is an independent design curator, author, and consultant. She has worked for Vitra Design Museum and collaborated with magazines including Domus, Vogue Italia, and was editor-at-large of ICON Design from 2018 to 2020. She currently holds the role of Milan editor for Wallpaper* magazine. Maria Cristina has contributed to many publications and collaborated with companies such as Vitra, Lexus, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Valextra amongst others. Based in Milan, she works internationally, curating exhibitions for institutions, fairs and events dedicated to design.