From June 12 to 15, the white city of Ostuni will once again host Italy’s most convivial design event—Ostuni Design Week-end—celebrating its second edition with renowned creatives from Italy and beyond, in a joyful spirit of connection, creativity, and cultural exchange.

Born from a playful ski challenge in 2020, Design Week-end has evolved into one of Italy’s most beloved events among leading architects and creatives, without ever losing its original spirit of warmth and camaraderie. The tenth chapter of the traveling design format launched in 2020, e second edition of Ostuni Design Week-end 2025 is the tenth chapter of this traveling design format will welcome a host of renowned designers from Italy and beyond. Among them: Michele Rossi (PARK), Gino Garbellini (PIUARCH), Giulio Iacchetti, Matteo Ragni, and the ever-faithful Giulio Cappellini. Newcomers this year include Marco Piva, Mario Cucinella, and David Pasquali of LeftLoft—fresh off their win for the new city brand of Turin. Francesco Zurlo, Dean of the School of Design at the Politecnico di Milano and an Ostuni resident, also joins the roster, helping bridge Italy’s north-south divide through design.

Established names such as Nic Bewick (aMDL Circle), Simonetta Cenci (Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia), and Giovanna Latis (Gio Latis Studio) return, alongside a growing number of local voices like Mauro La Notte (EsseElle Associati), Aldo Flore & Rosanna Venezia (Flore&Venezia), and Riccardo Attimonelli (SpazioA and NUI Design)—emphasizing the event's commitment to fostering strong regional roots.

“Design Week-end is not a pre-packaged format replicating Milan’s tradition elsewhere. It evolves and adapts, drawing from the local context to generate fresh, site-specific content.”

Paola Silva Coronel, Creator & Curator of the format

This year’s theme—Cultivating Relationships—inspired a large collaborative installation in Ostuni’s iconic Piazza della Libertà. Led by Michele Rossi and Gino Garbellini, with landscape support from Gianni Birardi, the project transforms the square into a contemporary social garden: seventeen designers each create a 2.5x2.5m micro-space where at least two people can connect. It's a modern reinterpretation of Le Corbusier's Existenz Minimum—infused with emotion, dialogue, and material experimentation.

The initiative matched architects and companies in original pairings—stories detailed in the official event magazine curated by Maria Giulia Zunino. Highlights include:

• Marco Piva x Technogym
• Giulio Iacchetti x MV Line
• Matteo Ragni x Abet Laminati
• Lombardini22 x Kindof
• Roberto Murgia x Gebrüder Thonet Vienna
• CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati x Ferrino
• Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia x Stay Green
• Giulio Cappellini x Cappellini
• and many more…

All spaces will be open to visitors, with designers hosting intimate talks—Incontri nell'Orto—from Thursday to Saturday, at the gentle rhythm of the southern lifestyle.

For the first time, Natuzzi Italia joins as a main partner, offering an exclusive interior design concept for the Lounge in Palazzo San Francesco, as well as a striking outdoor installation in collaboration with OneWorks Studio. The Lounge will also host the exhibit Designing Relationships, curated by Francesca Appiani for Alessi, featuring design objects that embody human connection—from Virgil Abloh’s Conversational Objects to Achille Castiglioni’s Tea for Two.

Memoria project by Karim Rashid, Natuzzi



The aMDL Circle pagoda, crafted entirely in wood and weatherproofed by Milesi, returns with a refreshed look, this time as a stage for talks in the cloister of Palazzo San Francesco. Each of the three main talks offers a unique perspective on human connection:

• Mario Trimarchi opens with a poetic reflection on the emotional relationships born from design.
• Friday’s panel, led by younger voices from MCA, CRA, DOS and the Politecnico di Milano, explores the challenges faced by digital-native generations.
• On Saturday, Antonio Grillo (Tangity) closes the program with thoughts on proximity-based design.

Beyond official panels, visitors will find spontaneous Conversations Between Us, a podcast series capturing informal chats among designers—recorded in immersive settings such as under Papillon, Giulio Iacchetti’s innovative shading system for MV Line, or aboard Microlino vehicles gliding through olive groves.

A new feature of this tenth edition are the Experiences: curated encounters for designers and companies to bond while exploring Puglia’s landscape. Activities range from making orecchiette to live painting and garden harvesting—creating the perfect ground for long-term professional relationships. Brand pioneer ALPI fully embraces this relational approach, joining once more to support meaningful connections.

Loop lounge by India Mahdavi, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna

Kindof