SolidNature and AMO dream Il Sonno installation
As Milan Design Week 2026 approaches, designboom sits down with David Mahyari for an exclusive look at a visionary transformation. Within the curated landscape of designboom’s Room for Dreams, SolidNature joins forces with AMO, the think-tank of OMA, to debut Il Sonno supermarket. This immersive experience reimagines the daily act of grocery shopping as a profound journey through geological time. By replacing ordinary household commodities with stone artifacts, the installation challenges the culture of disposability and invites a shift in perspective where modern consumption is replaced by awareness.
‘Imagination is the most powerful tool we have to create a better tomorrow,‘ begins David Mahyari, owner of SolidNature, to designboom. ‘The supermarket products are staying forever. They are eternal as stone, and we, as the visitors, are the ones who are coming and going.‘
David Mahyari, owner of SolidNature, (left) acts as the ‘dream maker’ for Il Sonno, adopting a resolute ‘yes’ philosophy that allows the mind of Samir Bantal, Director of AMO, (right) to push boundaries without creative compromise
All images courtesy of SolidNature
monumental collaboration between SolidNature and AMO
The synergy behind Il Sonno stems from a fifteen-year partnership between SolidNature and the creatives at OMA/AMO. In this new chapter, Mahyari acts as the ‘dream maker’, adopting a resolute ‘yes’ philosophy that allows the mind of Samir Bantal to push boundaries without creative compromise. The process does involve a practical translation of abstract dreams into physical reality, utilizing over 40 varieties of stone to craft a landscape that is both spectacular and grounded. This collaboration thrives on the belief that design should leave a lasting emotional imprint on the soul of the visitor.
‘We (SolidNature) see ourselves as curators, bringing life to the beauty of the material and the brilliance of creative minds we work with,‘ understands David. ‘In many ways, we are dream makers. The creative minds are the heroes in our story. Our purpose is to take their vision, give it form, turn ambition into reality, and carry the complexity of execution, so their dream can come to life exactly as imagined.’
the design process for Il Sonno involves a practical translation of abstract dreams into physical reality, utilizing over 40 varieties of stone to craft
Il Sonno, Italian for ‘sleep’, bridges the gap between the monumental history of natural stone and our contemporary desire for a conscious world. Stone has survived millennia, making the human presence feel beautifully temporary by comparison. The installation invites a different way of looking at the everyday. It questions whether our environments were defined not by mass production, but by long-term value and intention. This utopian perspective encourages a future-oriented way of thinking, where the richness of nature’s colors reflects our own power of choice.
‘Il Sonno invites us to look at the everyday through a different lens. With more awareness, more intention, and a deeper sense of value. In the presence of stone, we are the temporary part, and that realization offers a powerful perspective on how we choose to live, create, and build for the future,’ explains the owner of SolidNature.
the featured commodities are realized from offcuts and existing stone blocks, ensuring that every fragment of nature is honored rather than wasted
Sustainable beauty blooms along Il Sonno aisles
At the core of the installation’s craftsmanship lies a harmonious blend of high-tech innovation and ancestral skill. The production team employs advanced five-axis CNC machinery to achieve the recognizable geometries of milk cartons, detergent bottles, and more commodities. However, it is the final touch of the artisan’s hand that breathes life into the mineral grain. Mahyari notes that machines alone cannot complete the journey; the human hand is necessary to apply the fine detailing that elevates a block of earth into a recognizable, frozen commodity.
‘We can create it with innovative machines but you always need craftsmanship.‘ David continues, ‘eventually it’s the hands which need to finish it and make sure that it’s getting a finishing touch. This craftsmanship empowers people to respect the material more.’
the installation invites a different way of looking at the everyday, as stone is eternal in comparison to humans
Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of the design process. Many of the featured commodities are realized from offcuts and existing stone blocks, ensuring that every fragment of nature is honored rather than wasted. This approach highlights stone’s low carbon footprint and its inherent durability as the ultimate sustainable material. By showcasing such a wide variety of finishes and types, SolidNature resists shortcuts, choosing instead to respect the material by presenting it in its most diverse and spectacular forms.
‘All the commodities are made from off-cut pieces or blocks from past creations. We consciously plan to re-use material to make the installation’s items. We engineer all our installations so that the material can be used again after demolition,‘ added the owner.
the production team employs advanced five-axis CNC machinery to achieve the recognizable geometries of milk cartons, detergent bottles, and more commodities
Within the polycarbonate-clad walls, visitors encounter a mirrored sanctuary that reflects their own fleeting presence. Beneath the glow of industrial fluorescent lights and the hum of supermarket muzak, the installation creates a space for both external wonder and internal reflection. Some will be inspired by the vibrant textures and shapes, while others will ponder the scales of time. Ultimately, the experience is designed to ground the visitor, encouraging them to stand still and consider the millions of years of history held within a single shelf.
David questions, ‘what is our meaning with material that will outlive us? We’ve tried to touch audiences by working towards a mind-blowing installation, but also use reflection in mirrors to questions visitors: what is your position exactly in this world?‘
it is the final touch of the artisan’s hand that breathes life into the mineral grain, elevating a block of earth into a recognizable, frozen commodity
In Il Sonno, time becomes scaleless, and a dream state is understood as a shift in the perception of reality. Through this exclusive look at David Mahyari’s process, we see how the stone of the earth can outlast the frantic pace of the everyday. Visitors can find a sanctuary during Milan Design Week 2026 to explore the aisles of their own consciousness and witness the permanence of stone firsthand.
‘It would be beautiful if people walk into the installation and feel instantly grounded. That is the power of the material. It gives people space to explore, to slow down, and, in doing so, to truly be in the moment,‘ concludes David Mahyari to designboom ahead of Room for Dreams.
visitors can find a sanctuary, created by SolidNature and AMO, during Milan Design Week 2026 to explore the aisles of their own consciousness and witness the permanence of stone
project info:
brand: SolidNature | @solid_nature
installation: Il Sonno
collaborator: Samir Bantal (AMO/OMA)
exhibition: Room for Dreams
location: ME Milan Il Duca, Piazza della Repubblica, 13, 20124 Milano MI
dates: April 21–26, 2026
hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Daily
The post SolidNature and OMA/AMO reimagine the everyday as eternal stone dream for milan design week 2026 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.