Milan Design Week 2026: Sagarminaga X Arte Walls

During Milan Design Week 2026, we presented “Echoes of Memphis,” an installation developed in collaboration with Arte.

But the project begins much earlier.

In the studio, we explore how a material can transcend its original function and become a space, a narrative, and an experience.

Every project begins with a careful analysis of the client's material. We examine its behavior, its language, and its limitations: how it drapes, how it reflects light, and how it can be stretched, folded, or fragmented. The goal is to understand it and transform it.

Based on this research, we developed scaled models: the “ ” wall covering takes on volume, the paper becomes a structure, and the other materials form a landscape.

Embroidery is introduced as a new technique to enhance the details.

Each test allows us to determine how far the material can go without losing its identity. The process involves constant decisions: working with a white palette to create depth without color, building balanced structures, reducing forms to a minimum while maintaining their presence, and integrating different materials into a single design language.

The technique isn't visible, but it underpins the entire experience.

From the studio to the space

What begins as a fragment in the studio becomes a scene in Milan.
The elements are assembled, scaled, and adjusted in the actual space, where light and movement transform our perception of the material.

This is how we work at Sagarminaga Atelier: transforming materials into spatial experiences that create narratives, content, and memories for brands.

‍