During Milan Design Week, Portrait Milano becomes one of the most compelling addresses in the city as Audi presents a considered programme of design, performance, and architectural experimentation within the historic courtyard of the former archiepiscopal seminary. From April 20 to 26, the property hosts the Audi Design Hub alongside a major installation and two significant vehicle previews that place it firmly on the week’s cultural map.
Set within Milan’s fashion district, Portrait Milano has quickly established itself as a destination in its own right since opening as the flagship of the Lungarno Collection in 2022. The 17th-century colonnaded piazza at its centre provides an exceptional setting for Design Week activity, bringing together heritage architecture and contemporary design in a way that feels entirely natural within the rhythm of the city.
At the heart of Audi’s presence is Origin, an immersive installation created with Zaha Hadid Architects. Positioned within the courtyard, the structure introduces visitors to the brand’s evolving design direction through a spatial experience shaped by clarity, technical precision, intelligence, and emotion. Its matte metallic surface echoes advanced technical materials while responding sensitively to the tones of the surrounding architecture, establishing a dialogue between innovation and place.
The installation reflects a wider theme explored by Audi during Milan Design Week, addressing the pressures of constant visual and sensory distraction in contemporary life. Origin invites visitors to slow their pace and engage with design as something intentional and focused, reinforcing the idea that mobility and architecture share a common language.
Inside the Audi Design Hub, attention turns to performance and engineering. Making its Italian preview is the Audi Revolut F1 Team R26 single seater, marking the brand’s entry into Formula 1 with a hybrid power unit. Its presence signals an important chapter in Audi’s transformation and underlines the connection between motorsport development and future production technologies.
Alongside it, the new Audi RS 5 makes its national premiere at Portrait Milano. As the first plug-in hybrid from Audi Sport, it signals a measured evolution of the RS lineage, pairing a twin-turbocharged V6 with electric assistance to produce 639 horsepower. The result is not simply increased output, but a more precise and responsive driving character, supported by a refined iteration of quattro all-wheel drive that preserves the everyday usability expected of the marque.
Together, the R26 and the RS 5 illustrate how hybrid technology continues to shape the future of performance across both racing and road environments. Presented within the courtyard setting of Portrait Milano, they form a clear statement about the direction of high-performance mobility.
Audi’s presence during Milan Design Week ultimately extends beyond installation and exhibition, unfolding as part of a broader dialogue across the city. Through its long-standing collaboration with INTERNI within the FuoriSalone programme, the 2026 edition, Materiae, traces a considered path from the University of Milan through the Montenapoleone district and into Portrait Milano. In doing so, it positions the property not simply as a destination, but as a point of convergence, where architecture, mobility, and cultural tempo align with quiet authority.
