m | artedesign and Alea furnishings for the Christmas igloos in Portanuova

Alea and m | artedesign feel increasingly at home in Milan. After the official opening of its showroom in Via Alessio di Tocqueville last September, the company was chosen to furnish the five igloos installed around Piazza Gae Aulenti, in the vibrant heart of Portanuova. Since their very first hours of opening, the igloos have been among the most appreciated and photographed attractions of “PoP XMAS – Let It Glow!”, the rich calendar of Christmas activities running until January 6 in the Milanese district. A festive preview ahead of the next major event: the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics.

“We are honoured to present ourselves in such a prestigious context, where innovation, design and sustainability come together, and to offer all Portanuova visitors our armchairs, poufs and components from our contract brand m | artedesign, along with the R_9 bookcase. We thank Portanuova for choosing us as a partner of the event,” state Alea’s owners, Tiziano, Michela and Paolo Carlot. The selected furnishings feature a total-white theme, in line with PoP XMAS, enriched with gold details. For R_9, this is an additional showcase following its inclusion in the ADI Design Index, ahead of next year’s Compasso d’Oro.

Three igloos are positioned in front of Pandenus and host exclusive aperitifs, offering a 360-degree view of the Milan skyline, including the iconic Bosco Verticale. The other two igloos, both dedicated to visitor engagement activities, feature an augmented-reality experience: visitors can take a photo (in Piazza Lina Bo Bardi) and then collect it for free (in Piazza Alvar Aalto).

The complete programme of “PoP XMAS – Let It Glow!” is available at portanuova.com.