Global leader in automatic and manual coffee machines, De’Longhi, has partnered with master minaturist Simon Weisse to present the “World’s Smallest Coffee Shops” at this year’s Milano Design Week, set for April 21 – 25. This immersive collaboration merges the technical precision of Italian engineering with the whimsical artistry of cinematic model-making.
The Art of the Macro-Miniature
The collection was meticulously designed and handcrafted by Simon Weisse, a Berlin-based model-maker with over three decades of industry experience. Renowned for his architectural precision, Weisse is famed for his iconic work with director Wes Anderson on films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City. He describes his miniatures as a medium to evoke a sense of “real” wonder, often lost in today’s CGI-reliant film industry.
Engineering Meets Craftsmanship
His partnership with De’Longhi extends that philosophy, translating his cinematic sensibility into a series of handcrafted café façades. These intricate dioramas are mounted directly atop the brand’s flagship coffee machines, transforming functional kitchen technology into a gateway for storytelling.
By shrinking the bustling atmosphere of unmistakable cafés around the world to a microscopic scale, the installation invites viewers to appreciate the shared DNA between a perfectly pulled espresso and a perfectly placed miniature. Both require a master’s touch and an obsession with detail.
Pint-sized coffeehouses modeled after the distinct architectural signatures of Milan, Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, and Tokyo. Hand-crafted by miniaturist Simon Weisse and his team for De’Longhi’s Milan Design Week 2026 exhibition.
The Smallest Coffee Shops at Home
Weisse and his studio devoted over 1,500 hours to the meticulous crafting of five miniature cafés, each laid atop one of De’Longhi’s bean-to-cup machines — Rivelia, Magnifica Evo Next, Eletta Ultra, Eletta Explore, and Primadonna Aromatic. Every façade was shaped, painted, and assembled by hand, translating the architectural language of five cities — Milan, Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, and Tokyo — into welcoming palm-sized worlds with secret compartments.
The installation reframes the long-held assumption that the best coffee can only be brewed within the walls of a professional physical café. By dressing each machine as a meticulously detailed, lived-in coffeehouse, the project bridges the gap between the specialized craft of the barista and the intimacy of the morning routine.
These shrunken storefronts — complete with weathered textures and inviting glow — suggest that the atmosphere of a grand café isn’t tied to a specific street corner, but rather to the quality of the machines themselves. The collaboration conveys a powerful message that professional-grade artistry is no longer a destination you have to travel to. Instead, the soul of a high-end coffee shop is brought directly into one’s kitchen, proving that a quality cup of joe is made even more meaningful when crafted by a De’Longhi at home.
Milan Design Week Popup
Simon Weisse and De’Longhi invite craft enthusiasts of all kinds to experience these pint-sized cafés in person. Following an influencer-led reveal — in which invitations arrived as miniature table settings, and RSVPs were read through a magnifying glass — they bring the cafés to this year’s Milan Design Week. Within Milan’s Brera Design District, the city’s creative hub, the installation welcomes guests to zoom in and explore each hand-crafted detail before stepping back into a full sensory experience through coffee tastings. A perfect spot to recharge amid the spontaneity of design week.
Weiss x De’Longhi miniature Paris café displayed in the Brera District during Milan Design Week 2026.
Popup Information
The World’s Smallest Coffee Shop ⚲
Via Palermo, 21, 20121 Milano MI, Italy
Open 1100 — 2000, 4.21 — 4.25
Images courtesy of De’Longhi
