Living a dog’s life has never looked so good

A new exhibition dedicated to man’s best friend is rethinking the dog house.

Debuting at Milan’s ADI Design Museum four years after its London installment, Architecture for Dogs features pieces designed by firms from around the world and sustainably crafted by Riva 1920. The multidisciplinary showcase is curated by the renowned designer and artistic director of Muji, Kenya Hara, to explore the relationship between living beings and built environments using architecture and design, Dezeen reports. From shelters and ramps to mats and benches, the exhibit is filled with furnishings created to meet the needs of specific breeds while strengthening their relationships with people.

The show, in part, represents a global shift where pets are taking an increasingly central role in daily life in households; there are approximately 15 million pet dogs in Italy alone, according to the museum, meaning the way we think about animals within our environment is changing. This idea can be seen across the luxury industry, including dog-first airlines, members’ clubs for pups, and pet-friendly superyachts. The exhibition displays how pooches are taking centre stage, directly benefiting from designs that optimise their habitat.

And the show’s participants aren’t the only ones feeling that shift. Fashion designer Giorgio Armani is a partner of the exhibit, going so far as to collaborate with Poldo Dog Couture on a capsule collection for dogs rendered in his signature style.

Designed by Hara like a constellation of displays, the exhibition itself has a system of islands, each of which interprets space differently and examines the symbiotic relationship we have with architecture. Name talents in the world of architecture (think Kenga Kuma, Piero Lissoni, and more) created each piece, which are accompanied by extensive photographic and video elements, to explore new ways to live with our pups. Kuma’s design, for instance, is a mesh-shaped mountain made for pugs, while Lissoni chose to craft a curved dog house inspired by aircraft hangars. You’ll also find a fuzzy, cloud-like creation that takes its design cues from a bichon frise’s fur and a mirrored perch for poodles among the collection.

“The ADI Design Museum seeks to position itself as a hub of research and dialogue embracing all dimensions of contemporary life, both human and, in this case, animal,” ADI president Luciano Galimberti told Dezeen. “It is one of the few museums in Milan and across Italy that allows access to dogs in its exhibition spaces, making shared experiences between people and animals possible in an open and welcoming cultural environment.”

In the hopes of fostering a global community, the museum has made the designs from the exhibit downloadable for free from its official website with instructions on how to build them. Customise them to best suit the four-legged friend in your life.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by ADI Design Museum/Hara Design Institute/Hiroshi Yoda