From 10 to 17 July 2026, the Hockney Gallery at the Royal College of Art in London hosts the second edition of Il Magistretti inglese, an exhibition exploring the relationship between the Italian architect and designer Vico Magistretti and the United Kingdom.

Organised by Fondazione Vico Magistretti and the Italian Cultural Institute in London, in collaboration with the Royal College of Art, the exhibition develops and expands on a previous version presented in Milan in 2024 at the studio museum. Originally conceived, curated and designed by the London-based architects Viola Pelù and Louis Mayes, the exhibition at the Hockney Gallery builds on that original framework while introducing a series of adaptations specifically conceived for the London venue.

Il Magistretti inglese explores the relationship between Vico and the United Kingdom through projects, correspondence, collaborations, conferences, awards and recognitions, as well as through the work and memories of his students at the Royal College of Art in London.

The exhibition tells a story of design and cultural affinity through letters, sketches, photographs and notes from the Studio Magistretti Archive: a narrative that goes far beyond Vico’s well-known role as Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Art, which began in 1979.

It is a love story that began in the 1950s, with Magistretti’s participation in exhibitions and presentations dedicated to post-war Italian architecture and Italian industrial design in London, and unfolded through numerous projects inspired by English forms and materials, from the Caori table of 1962 to the Raffles armchair of 1988.

A project by
Fondazione studio museo Vico Magistretti
Italian Cultural Institute in London
Royal College of Art

Main sponsor
Gruppo Censeo

Original curatorial project
Viola Pelù and Louis Mayes, in collaboration with Fondazione Vico Magistretti

Curators for the London venue
Fondazione Vico Magistretti and Lemonot (Sabrina Morreale, Lorenzo Perri)

Exhibition installation and adaptation
Lemonot (Sabrina Morreale, Lorenzo Perri)