Eugenio Laponte – architect and designer, founder and creative director of EUTOPIARCH – makes his debut with PRAGMA, an inaugural collection of collectible design.
Presented through an immersive exhibition, conceived for Milan Design Week 2026 and entitled MEDULLA, this marks its first public presentation.
The selection of works includes PRAGMA, which derives from the Greek term meaning action or concrete fact, defining the intention behind the collection: objects conceived as actions, rather than purely functional products.
Dimensions may respond to symbolic systems, numerical sequences such as Fibonacci ratios, or conceptual narratives, rather than conventional ergonomic standards.
The pieces are often massive, angular and assembled using visible joints or interlocking elements. This construction method allows the object to reveal how it is supported and how it is made, reinforcing a conscious relationship between user and object.
GOLGOTHA is conceived as a physical interpretation of a specific historical and symbolic moment in the Christian tradition. The table is deliberately low, forcing the user to bend down to approach and use it; this is a genuine gesture of respect, evoking the act of bowing before a sacred place. At the centre of the table, the cross and the stone refer to Christ’s tomb, hence the name.
INNESTO is the Italian term for the botanical and surgical technique whereby two distinct elements are joined to grow as one. Translated into design, this idea takes the form of objects composed of two-dimensional metal elements designed to fit together precisely, giving shape to three-dimensional and functional structures.
IONICA arises from the encounter between a playful and irreverent reinterpretation of the classical elements characteristic of Postmodern and Pop culture, and the pastoral imagery of the 18th century, in which the ruins of ancient temples become informal seating for travellers, shepherds and wandering minstrels. The piece interprets antiquity not as a monument, but as something lived, physical and present.
STELE – comprising a series of wall-mounted sconces designed with interchangeable covers in various materials and finishes – is conceived as a personal statement, whilst paying homage to Gio Ponti’s iconic Candela Applique.
In Italic mythology, GIANO is depicted with two faces; he presides over transitions, both physical and symbolic, and the shifting tension between conflict and peace. This piece translates that figure into a light installation. Two interconnected STELE lamps emit light in opposite directions, evoking Janus’s dual gaze turned towards the past and the future.
Inspired by the myth of Argo, the hundred-eyed giant, ARGO stems from the rediscovery of a series of Murano glass discs, likely belonging to a historic chandelier. These elements are brought back to life through a limited series of lamps, ranging from table lamps to pendant lights, floor lamps and wall lights.
MEDULLA – whose title refers to the core of the creative process – is thus conceived as a concentrated environment in which the objects are presented individually, allowing visitors to understand both their conceptual basis and their construction.
The creation unfolds as a gradual emergence — the moment when abstract thought condenses into matter. A debut that defines Laponte’s work: from utopia, the conceptual dimension, to pragmatism, the concrete act.
For further information, visit www.eutopiarch.eu.
