Unimaginable Cage Designs in an Architecture Exhibition for Dogs, Milan

Architects and designers Kengo Kuma, Konstantin Grcic and Shigeru Ban recently unveiled a dog house with a design that focuses on the pet itself at the Architecture for Dogs exhibition at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, Italy. The works on display were curated by Kenya Hara, CEO of Nippon Design Centre, the Architecture for Dogs exhibition presented a variety of structures designed to meet the specific needs of different breeds of dogs while encouraging deep engagement with the relationship between dogs and their owners. For example, the vertical dog house has the advantage of allowing dogs to see their owners at eye level, creating a closer interaction between pet dogs and their owners.

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

ADI Design Museum is one of the few museums in Italy that allows dogs into its exhibition spaces, offering a welcoming environment for humans and their pets. Here ADI Design Museum seeks to position itself as a centre for research and dialogue that encompasses all dimensions of contemporary life, both human and animal. 

Several renowned architects and designers contributed to the exhibition. Kengo Kuma designed a hill-like structure made of geometric shapes for poodles to climb and sit on. Konstantin Grcic's design became a poodle toy featuring a luminous mirror with a base. Shigeru Ban's design creates a maze-like playground for papillons made of cardboard with its signature wavy curves. The exhibition also featured contributions from other Italian designers such as Piero Lissoni who also collaborated with sustainable design brand Riva 1920. Lacchetti's designs for Italian greyhounds create wooden igloo-like dog houses, while Lissoni's kennel designs for yorkiepoos have a tubular shape. 

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

Renowned fashion brand Giorgio Armani collaborated with petwear brand Poldo Dog Couture to showcase a capsule-shaped collection whose design focuses on dogs, combining the style of a fashion house with more practical designs for pets. Architecture for Dogs aims to challenge traditional notions of pet spaces and investigate new modes of interaction between dogs and their owners in a mission to explore how architecture and design can be shared by all types of living beings. 

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

From the official Architecture for Dogs website visitors from all over the world can download blueprints and full instructions for all the designs so they can recreate the structures and customise or adapt them to their own dogs' individual needs. This participatory approach aims to foster an inclusive design community and encourage visitors to engage directly with the exhibition.

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)

Unusual Cage Design in Architecture for Dogs Exhibition in Milan (cr: Hiroshi Yoda)