Design Shanghai: Global and Timeless
Design Shanghai 2024 showcased global design trends through over 600 brands in themed pavilions, emphasizing sustainability and traditional craftsmanship.
June 19-22—The four-day premier design event in Asia, “Design Shanghai” 2024, was held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center. As a pioneering exhibition in China’s design industry, “Design Shanghai” displayed many top global design brands, offering a unique platform for exchange and trade. This year’s exhibition, “Design New Language: Building a New Era of Infinite Design Possibilities,” explored cutting-edge industry trends and provided thought-provoking insights for the public.
This year, “Design Shanghai” featured four core exhibition areas: The Furniture and Lighting Pavilion, the Kitchen and Bathroom Pavilion, the Lifestyle and Accessories Pavilion, and the newly launched New Materials and Applications Pavilion. We highlight a few of our favorite exhibitions from the event.
Making Shoji Screen Walls with Stellar Works for Balance and Harmony
Inspired by traditional Japanese culture, Stellar Works presents an immersive high-tech virtual exhibition. This visual narrative, blending tradition and innovation, explores five new furniture collections from the brand. These include the Qi, Mr. B, Inter, and Lyrical series created by the brand’s creative director, Neri&Hu, and the Taiko series by Dutch designer Stefan Scholten.
The exhibition unfolds under the theme “CHOWA.” In Japanese, “CHOWA” (調和) symbolizes balance and harmony among different elements. The installation’s design is inspired by the architectural structure of traditional lanterns, serving as spatial partitions. It seamlessly incorporates shoji screen walls made from Japanese washi paper. This fusion of traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, culture, and design continues the legacy of traditional art forms.
Listening to the Wind and Poetry in the Breeze with WHYGARDEN
WHYGARDEN‘s booth theme is “AIR FLOW,” signifying the flow of wind and the essence of breath, conveying the designer’s deep understanding of beauty and passion for life. The theme “AIR FLOW” represents a fresh interpretation by the designer of green nature, tranquil living, and a free spirit.
In the exhibition hall, WHYGARDEN showcases its most representative design works of recent years, such as “REVIVE,” “CALLALILY,” “WAVE,” “CLOVER,” “CHROMEHEARTS,” and more. Each piece has undergone dozens of revisions, modifications, and refinements from initial drafts to finished products. The designer’s pursuit goes beyond visual aesthetic enjoyment to encompass relaxation and comfort in experiential senses.
Stepping onto the Carrousel with Roche Bobois
Roche Bobois, a high-end furniture brand from France, has been in the Chinese market for 20 years. This exhibition features the theme “Le Carrousel” inspired by the classic carousel, showcasing its iconic works. Roche Bobois not only presents its signature furniture pieces but also revitalizes the carousel in an unprecedented way, giving it new vitality and meaning. Visitors are led into a dreamlike space woven with light, shadow, and color, experiencing a dual feast for the eyes and the soul.
Each piece of Roche Bobois furniture serves as a vessel for a story. From the timeless Mah Jong sofa to the sleek Ava chair, from the stylish Astrea armchair to the modular Bombom sofa, and from the ethereal Bubble sofa to the functional and aesthetic Legend bookcase—every piece tells a tale of encounters and connections. They invite every visitor to participate and explore the infinite possibilities of design and life together.
The highlight of the booth is a real, functioning carousel. As visitors step onto the carousel and experience Roche Bobois furniture, the slow rotation transports them through time and space, back to a childhood filled with dreams and innocence.
The Formation 02 Smart Toilet Seat and WasteLAB Series by Kohler
Kohler‘s Industrial Design Studio SR_A has created the new Formation 02 smart toilet seat, drawing inspiration from the speed and power of water. It features unique molding and processing techniques to shape distinctive edges and angles, complemented by a bold industrial-style orange color. This design language exhibits elements of the Cubist movement and a visually striking aesthetic of contrasts.
Kohler once drew inspiration from nature to create three shades of green for its colored bathroom fixtures: Spring Green, Pine Frost Green, and Seafoam Green. Now, these colors are being reintroduced and applied in modern designs. Kohler is expanding its Heritage Colors series by combining them to create the “Green Harmony Suite,” which revitalizes bathroom spaces with vibrant and distinctive hues.
While innovating, Kohler is deeply committed to sustainability. The WasteLAB series’ debut bathroom basin, the Vox basin, is crafted from 70% recycled materials and meticulously handmade. Each basin features a unique matte finish with terrazzo-like textures. Kohler’s WasteLAB initiative focuses on repurposing industrial waste into aesthetically pleasing and practical bathroom products, showcasing innovation in sustainability.
Design Shanghai 2024 is a stage to inspire creativity and foster communication, showing us the power of design and filling us with anticipation for future design trends. The exhibition displayed a lifestyle attitude and aesthetic pursuit. We look forward to the next exhibition, continuing to witness the brilliance and innovation of design.
link