Raffles Stool

On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2025, the Raffles International Institute in Milan — under the scientific direction of Carlo Forcolini — presents RafflesStool, a project that fully expresses the identity of the Raffles teaching method: an educational approach that intertwines theory and practice, inspired by the model of the Renaissance workshop and directly involving students in concrete projects commissioned by real industrial entities.

RafflesStool is much more than a design object: it is the tangible evidence of an educational method that promotes a profound connection between academics and the productive sector. A model that works thanks to a strategic and far-sighted alliance between schools and businesses: in this case, the companies Siroplastin and Pelplastic, specialized in contract manufacturing, have decided to wholeheartedly support emerging talent.

The project was born within the first year of the Product Design course, led by architect Luigi Baroli, and develops throughout all phases of the industrial process: from design to engineering, up to final implementation. A cooperation that focuses on experimentation, dialogue, and shared knowledge, in a dynamic where the company becomes a patron, helping to build a virtuous ecosystem between training and innovation.

RafflesStool is not just a stool: it is a system, a platform of meaning, a three-dimensional manifesto that addresses the challenges of contemporary industry. At the heart of the project are three key principles:

• Sustainability as a condition

• Beauty as a value

• Enjoyment as pleasure

A conscious balance between production efficiency and aesthetic desirability, between social responsibility and design culture.

From April 7 to 12, Milan Design Week visitors will be able to discover the universe of RafflesStool thanks to an installation that recounts—through multiple interpretations—the versatility, conceptual strength, and concreteness of this object-system.