Ephemeral spaces don’t have to be temporary in impact. Our Top 5 show projects published on Frameweb in 2021 touched myriad themes in today’s design industry today.

Photos: Nicolas Du Pasquier

1. FENDI SS21 HAUTE COUTURE SHOW

Bureau Betak

Designed by Bureau Betak, Fendi’s SS21 haute couture show illustrated how to create an engaging visual experience within the bounds of pandemic safety guidelines. Models wove their way through a maze of glass cases, the bird’s eye view of which revealed a grid of Fendi’s signature double-F monograms. Bookcases were stacked with tomes, and the set was scattered with wildflowers, tussocks and saplings. Neon lighting lined the runway and capped the cases, illuminating the parading models.

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Photos: French+Tye

2. V&A EXHIBITION BAGS: INSIDE OUT

Studio Mutt

Bags: Inside Out boasted the distinction of being the UK’s most comprehensive presentation dedicated to the age-old accessory. Many historic, the 300 items are presented in an engaging environment designed by Studio Mutt, which quite literally took a viewer into the world of bags. The spatial concept was set up across the gallery’s two levels and architecturally juxtaposed the idea of bags as both personal and public.

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Photos: Dirk Weiblen

3. HERMAN MILLER STAND AT DESIGN SHANGHAI 2021

Alberto Caiola

Alberto Caiola’s Design Shanghai 2021 stand for Herman Miller explored flexible living in a post-pandemic age. The trade-fair stand’s layout consisted of four distinct areas – a mock living area, gaming space, home office and dining room – separated from one another by gridded partitions. Instead of spotlighting the Herman Miller Van Collection designs from above, Caiola opted to use illuminated floor tiling to make the products stand out.

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Photos: Imagen Subliminal

4. THE PLASTIC MUSEUM

DelaVegaCanolasso

The Plastic Museum at Madrid’s Reina Sofia Museum Plaza underscored the importance of using plastic responsibly. DelaVegaCanolasso designed the pop-up site entirely from recyclable plastic, in the process aiming to avoid the look of temporary installations. Instead, the concept was targeted at highlighting plastic’s more enduring qualities: its recyclability, structural performance and transparency.   

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5. HERMÈS AT WATCHES AND WONDERS GENEVA 2021

Clément Vieille and Pierre Pauze

Artists Clément Vieille and Pierre Pauze conceived the scenography for Hermès’s presentation at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021. It included a linear ‘tensegrity’ structure by Vielle, video content focused on natural elements and geometries by Pauze (who incorporates quantum physics into his work) and thousands of translucent structures depicting the genesis of the featured watch in lit display – the concept highlighted the unity between scientific theory and artistic creation.

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