milk fountain sits in oatly’s pop-up installation at milan design week

designed for humans pop-up wrapped in blue

Oatly makes its way to Italy for the first time for Milan Design Week with an experiential pop-up cafe wrapped in sky blue. The company that invented the oat drink and is best known for its oat-based products launched a design installation where visitors are invited to enjoy a coffee with oats. Curated by Joris Verstrepen, the spaced called Designed for Humans creates a surreal imagination of a serene courtyard lined with potted plants, steel benches, trash cans, and candelabra lamp posts. While visitors place their order at the outdoor kiosk-style counter, they can enjoy the whimsy of the Fountain of Youth which sits at the center of the space, gently cascading milk through its tiers.

all images by Chiara Quadri

oatly brings cafe installation to milan design week

Oatly’s Designed for Humans pop-up enlivened a quiet space at Via Confalonieri 11 from April 15 to April 21, 2024. It was produced for the Isola Design Festival during Milan Design Week, organized by Isola, a physical and digital platform dedicated to design. The festival for the first time expanded from its annual location to explore new spaces throughout the city, transforming oft unexplored points of the neighborhood into new district hotspots.

For over 30 years, Oatly has exclusively focused on developing expertise around oats: a global power crop with inherent properties suited for sustainability and human health. The team has devised core technical advancements that enabled them to unlock the breadth of the dairy portfolio, including alternatives to milks, ice cream, yogurt, cooking creams, spreads and on-the-go drinks. Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, the Oatly brand is available in more than 20 countries globally.

Designed For Humans pop-up

produced for the Isola Design Festival during Milan Design Week

the Fountain of Youth

curated by Joris Verstrepen

the space is wrapped in a serene sky blue

a kiosk style counter serves visitors coffee and Oatly products

project info:

name: OATLY! Pop-up – Designed For Humans
designer: Timon Mattelaer, Joris Verstrepen | Oatly

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom