Space Design Meets the New European Bauhaus

This issue presents the strategic contribution of Space DesignSpace design, based on a multidisciplinary approach and the principles of the New European BauhausNew European Bauhaus (NEB), the project launched by the European Community to design sustainable, inclusive and beautiful spaces in which to live. The first section presents the theme of design for space with reflections and design examples to illustrate what it means to design in an extreme environment characterised by confinement and reduced gravity, what the impact is on the human being and what it means for designers, what are the challenges they have to face in order to improve the well-being of astronauts. The essay goes further, introducing the concept of “avant-garde” Space Design, which is based on designing sensory environments through an innovative use of furniture, colour, light, materials, tools. It emphasizes the importance of considering not only the functional aspects but also the physiological and emotional ones that greatly influence our behaviour. The second part introduces the New European BauhausNew European Bauhaus project, which is connected with the European Green Deal. It highlights the principles that inspire a movement to facilitate and steer the transformation of our societies through various initiatives that are spreading rapidly and gathering large participation. Among these initiatives, the most significant is the NEB Festival, whose 1st edition in 2022 allowed for the sharing of projects and values. The Politecnico di Milano, an official NEBNew European Bauhaus partner, participated in the initiative. The projects developed by the Space Design Lab_PoliMi and Space4InspirAction MSc course, with the support of European Space Agency (ESA), were selected by the NEB Festival and presented through the exhibition in Milan titled “Space Design for New Human Beings. The Role of Design in the Future of Space Travel and Settlement Between Science, Technology and Beauty. Why Microalgae on the Moon and DisabilityDisability in Microgravity are Pillars to Increase Sustainability and Inclusion Values”. The projects have been chosen as case studies to illustrate the main themes of the book: sustainabilitySustainability and inclusionInclusion beauty in space through design that creates innovation and beautyBeauty.