Technogym invites designers to reinvent fitness bench in Milan

Home fitness brand Technogym has invited 40 international designers and artists to reimagine its exercise bench for its Milan design week exhibition, which is captured in this video produced by Dezeen.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Technogym asked 40 leading designers including Nendo, Patricia Urquiola and Rolf Sachs to reinterpret the brand’s weight storage bench.

Titled Design to Move, the exhibition takes place at Technogym’s three-storey flagship store in Milan.

Top image: Patricia Urquiola’s reinterpretation of the bench. The exhibition showcases Technogym’s product range.

Customised designs range from padded seating and colourful decals to sleek, metallic finishes. Swiss designer Sachs eschewed traditional weights all together and replaced them with whimsical elements such as a miniature statue of David, a stiletto shoe and an hourglass.

The special edition benches will be available for purchase after the show’s run, with some being auctioned in collaboration with auction house Sotheby’s. All sales proceeds from the items will be donated to UNICEF.

The show was conceived by Italian designer Giulio Cappellini and curated by Bruna Roccasalva, artistic director of Fondazione Furla to explore the connection between design, style and wellness.

Other designers invited to redesign the exercise bench include Italian architects Antonio Citterio, Piero Lissoni and Michele Bönan, as well as interior designer Kelly Hoppen and Italian designer Elena Salmistraro.

The exhibition will run until the end of Milan design week on 21 April.

Founded in 1983 by Nerio Alessandri, Technogym is a fitness, wellness, sports and health brand that specialises in smart fitness equipment.

Design to Move is open to the public at Technogym Milano, Via Durini, 1 from 16 to 21 April. See our Milan design week 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Technogym as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.