Behind the curtains at Nilufar Depot: 10 years of innovation chronicled in a new book

This autumn, Nilufar Depot: The First Decade marks a major milestone in Milan's design landscape. Established in 2015 as an extension of Nina Yashar's Via della Spiga Nilufar gallery, the Depot has since grown well beyond its original function as a storage site. Over the years, however, it has developed into a key cultural hub in the city, recognised for its unique blend of gallery programming, theatrical staging and experimental design projects. This evolution is now captured in a 100+ page book chronicling the Depot's journey since its inception. "Conceived as both a visual and narrative archive, the volume features previously unpublished and rare images, alongside a comprehensive overview of all exhibitions, retrospectives, and installations presented over the years," states the press statement. Far from a retrospective, the book positions the Depot as a living archive, a space of memory and transformation that constantly renews itself.

What began as a search for storage led Yashar to an industrial space whose dimensions prompted a more ambitious plan. In collaboration with architect Massimiliano Locatelli, she reshaped the site into a 'theatre of design', echoing La Scala's structure with a central hall and three levels of balconies. The black iron galleries, screened with curtains, offer distinct vantage points for displays that combine vintage and contemporary design.

Over the past decade, Nilufar Depot has hosted a programme as eclectic as it is ambitious. Landmark exhibitions have included Lina Bo Bardi – Giancarlo Palanti Studio d’Arte Palma 1948–1951 (2018), which reconstructed the radical Brazilian architect's early Milanese designs; FAR 2019, a constellation of emerging practices curated by Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima; Matacubi by Pietro Consagra (2021), co-curated with Luca Massimo Barbero, which transformed the atrium into a landscape of abstract sculptures; and Poikilos – New Forms of Iridescence by Objects of Common Interest (2023), an immersive exploration of light and materiality. Each show underscored Yashar's philosophy of 'discovering, crossing, creating'—fusing research into historical design with a restless search for new voices.

To mark the 10th anniversary, on September 30, 2025, Nilufar has published a richly illustrated volume that documents this trajectory, pairing archival photographs with critical essays by Annamaria Sbisà.

The celebratory programme also includes a site-specific performance by Martino Gamper, known for his improvisational practice of deconstruction and reassembly. Gamper was first invited to design the inaugural dinner for Nilufar Depot in 2015, creating a setting with more than 150 unique seating elements. A decade later, he returns with an intervention that reimagines pieces from the gallery's collection. His Off Cut Tables, 13 modular designs assembled from reclaimed wood, is a project that captures both his sustainable design approach and his experimental design language.

Gamper's approach reflects the bold design of the Depot itself. Yashar lowered the floor by 80 centimetres to achieve the right proportions for the balconies, while forklifts and pulleys ensure the movement of works across the space. Combining theatrical presentation with practical function, the Depot can host museum-quality art and design exhibitions while operating as a flexible working studio for designers, collectors, students and brands.

For Yashar, the anniversary is less a point of closure than a threshold: "This space was born as an experiment and has grown into a living, open laboratory. Looking back, I'm grateful for everything we've built—but I see this anniversary above all as a new beginning." Nilufar Edition, which brings together contemporary design and Renaissance-inspired craftsmanship, extends the gallery's reach. Alongside the work of Gamper, Audrey Large and Andrea Mancuso, it ensures the Depot remains a platform for experimentation and new directions in design.