Container 03 returns as a pop-up event at Genova Design Week, reaffirming its status as one of the event’s most recognisable and experimental formats.
Curated by Simona Finessi, founder of PLATFORM architecture and design, the project evolves whilst retaining its defining feature – the shipping container as a design element – and introducing a new concept capable of addressing the challenges of contemporary living.
“Il cielo in una stanza” is the title chosen for this edition, paying homage to the iconic song by Gino Paoli, a central figure in Genoese culture who passed away recently, and evoking its profound poetic power.
The design theme stems from a reflection on micro-living: how can a small space become a place capable of accommodating aspirations, desires and quality of life?
The ten design teams involved – all very different in terms of background, origin, generation and design vision – were called upon to tackle this challenge, transforming the physical constraints of the container into a design opportunity. The starting point is clear: spatial limitations must not translate into limitations on well-being or individual aspiration.
Each team is entrusted with a 20-foot container, reinterpreted as an immersive, experimental and highly evocative environment. The partnership with OCEAN NETWORK EXP. LTD – ITALY BRANCH ONE is confirmed for this edition as well; the company has provided its containers, now recognisable by their magenta colour, handled by CONTAINER FIDENZA, which has renewed its support for the event again this year.
For this edition, Container 03 moves to a new location of great symbolic and urban significance: Calata Mandraccio, in the heart of the Old Port.
An iconic and highly frequented spot, a crossroads for locals and tourists alike, the new location amplifies the project’s visibility and strengthens its dialogue with the city. The installation takes the form of an open-air exhibition, accessible and immersed in the daily life of the people of Genoa, with the expectation of an even greater turnout than the previous edition.
The Project Manager of Container 03 is architect Giulia Tubelli; below are the protagonists of the 2026 edition:
Container 01
ARCHITETTI per l’ABITARE | Panificio by Andrea Benedetti with Alberto Vanin
Title: REDUCE TO AMPLIFY. Minimal space as a maximal device
Container 02
Atelierzero
Title: THE THRESHOLD OF SUFFICIENCY. It works. As long as it holds.
Container 03
bump Studio + MADesign – Mazzarelli Architettura e Design
Title: OUT OF THE BOX. Life doesn’t fit in a box
Container 04
Ciliegio Esterno
Title: MEMBRANE. Domestic compression
Container 05
Maurizio Lai Architects
Title: REFLECTIVE SPACE #04. Those Who Stay, Those Who Pass
Container 07
M2atelier
Title: THE CRAFTED CAPSULE. Small space, big living
Container 08
llabb architettura
Title: WOODEN LIVING. Small spaces, new perspectives
Container 09
PRINCIPIOATTIVO Architecture Group
Title: INSIDE, AGAIN. What remains when the rest is outside
Container 10
Roccatelier Associati
Title: THIS ROOM NO LONGER HAS WALLS, BUT TREES. This purple ceiling no longer exists
Container 11
TANZI ARCHITECTURE
Title: PEGLI 3. Monumentalisation of Genoa’s ‘Le Lavatrici’, from residential brutalism to an experiential museum
