Contract - November 2013 - (Page 26)

Breakthrough Design at 100% Design in London PhotogRAPhy: theo Cohen, CouRteSy oF 100% DeSign exhibition The annual trade show shifts focus from local to global At 100% Design in London in September, France was one of many countries represented by booths within the international Pavilions hall (top). the focal point of the hall was the installation "Paper Space" (bottom right). the "Retail of tomorrow" installation (bottom left) was created by Samsung in collaboration with Zaha hadid Architects. 26 Arguably, the world's design calendar begins in September with the London Design Festival (LDF), Europe's first major event of the fall. Using the Victoria and Albert Museum as a hub, the city-sponsored, two-week event touches every corner of the industry, from gallery openings to outdoor architectural installations. But its commercial heartbeat is the four-day trade show 100% Design which, with more than 350 exhibitors at Earls Court convention center, was the largest ever this year. While the show traditionally focused on designs from the United Kingdom, this year's event-the second to take place following a change in management-took a deliberate step toward the global spotlight with the introduction of an International Pavilions hall. Organizations and brands from a dozen countries, ranging from Turkey to Taiwan, centered their display areas around the installation "Paper Space." Housing presentation space, the piece was constructed of 4,500 feet of draped, white A4-width paper and designed by the London-based firms Studio Glowacka and Maria Fulford Architects. Bells and whistles aside, the organizers intended for the show to be a commercial counterpoint to LDF's more culturally-driven activities. Show director William Knight says, "I think 100% Design should lead and listen. Having done a couple of shows, we're keen to talk to the contract industry, and we are fully aware that delivering the right audience and environment is critical." The back-to-work undertone luckily did not translate to drab offerings. Products on view, from sustainability-focused designs to office elements, were diverse. UK talents included Falmouth-based James Smith, a protégé of Thomas Heatherwick, who presented a rustic task lamp (page 27), while American megabrand 3M showed production-ready "virtual LED" technologies alongside smaller mainland European brands like quirky German lighting manufacturer Schneid Enlightment, which presented new pastel-colored and interchangeable pendants (page 28). "100% Design keeps the wheels turning," Knight says, "and without it, the commercial element of the London Design Festival would suffer hugely." -DAN RUBINSTEIN contractdesign.com november 2013 http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - November 2013

Contract - November 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Implementing an Ownership Transition: I Built a Firm—So How Do I Get Out?
Highlights from HD Americas
Breakthrough Design at 100% Design in London
Product Focus: Beyond the Plank
Product Focus: Hands-On Shopping
Product Briefs
U.N. North Delegates’ Lounge
Stuart Weitzman Milan Flagship
Mattison
Marc Jacobs Beauty
Monsieur Bleu
Bricks Over Clicks: Enhancing the In-Person Shopping Experience by Design
Designers Select: Tables and Casegoods
Sources
Ad Index
Small Project: A Sales Gallery Previews Zaha Hadid’s 62-Story Condo Tower in Miami

Contract - November 2013