Reactive bioluminescent algae lights up the haute couture collection and show of Iris van Herpen in Paris. Co-crafted by biodesigner Christopher Bellamy of Bio Crafted, there are 125 million bioluminescent algae embedded into the dress, showcased by the maison during the Paris Haute Couture Week on July 7th, 2025. In an interview with designboom, the biodesigner tells us that the material is an evolution of his previous project, Lucid Life | Marama Ora. ‘It’s a process I initially developed to encapsulate bioluminescent microalgae in collaboration with indigenous artists and scientists in French Polynesia,’ he shares with us. ‘A bespoke 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel and a protective coating and allows them to live for many months. This was possible thanks to an artist residency at the University of Amsterdam in the Soft Matters Group.’

Once encapsulated, the algae only require regular sunlight to photosynthesize and maintain their circadian rhythm. The biomaterial can live for many months, even during hot weather conditions, and Chris Bellamy says that he also has samples that have been alive for more than a year. ‘However, as this new material is so experimental, we are still working to understand what exactly is going on,’ he explains to us. ‘To help keep the algae in perfect condition for the show, a bespoke full-size climate chamber was developed for the garment so that it can be exhibited in different locations and maintain its circadian rhythm.’ For the biodesigner and maison, developing the algae dress is a collaborative effort, as they need to keep the microorganisms alive through two heatwaves and while transporting them to Paris for the Iris van Herpen show for the haute couture.

all images courtesy of Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted, unless stated otherwise

Living microorganisms encapsulated in nutrient gel

The collaboration between Iris van Herpen and Chris Bellamy of Bio Crafted allows the two to tap into the capabilities of living microorganisms such as algae. The biomaterial is reactive too; as the wearer moves, the dress glows gently, emitting a bluish glow that lights up in the dark. The maison and biodesigner say that the bioluminescent algae are placed in seawater and then encapsulated inside a nutrient gel that keeps them alive for a long time. The dress with bioluminescent algae forms part of the collection Sympoiesis, the recent series from Iris van Herpen shown in Paris Haute Couture Week. As the model walks, wearing Iris van Herpen’s algae dress co-created with Christopher Bellamy, the set design also glows in the background through the light sculptures by artist Nick Verstand. These artworks, called biospheric, add more light to the show, making the bioluminescent algae embedded into the Iris van Herpen dress glow even brighter. 

‘The vision to have a fully living garment that illuminated while on the runway in Paris was incredibly ambitious. On top of that, the design had to match the level of intricacy and detail expected with Iris’ work. To achieve this, we had to develop an entirely new process to encapsulate and form the algae,’ Chris Bellamy shares with designboom. It took them and the design team around four months of biotechnological process to develop the dress and match its detail and aesthetics to the rest of the Sympoiesis collection, but the biodesigner tells us that he only had a breakthrough finishing the illuminating material just 24 hours before the deadline. The project was only possible to develop in person, and thanks to an artist residency at the University of Amsterdam in the Biophysics and Soft Matters research group, completing the Iris van Herpen algae dress was realized in time for the show.

reactive bioluminescent algae lights up the haute couture dress of Iris van Herpen in Paris

refrigerated trucks to keep the algae dress alive

Because of the time restrictions, Chris Bellamy and Iris van Herpen had to rely on their intuition and gut feeling in developing the algae dress, instead of approaching it in a scientific manner. Luckily, the biodesigner had been knee-deep into the research for two years then, so he was already backed up by personal experiences with the living microorganisms. ‘The final process was incredibly complex, with 35 steps, and required very specific materials, formulations, and techniques. The final challenge was keeping the dress alive while traveling between countries for the show and in the chaos of a show environment,’ he explains to designboom.

To make this happen, the Iris van Herpen team was involved in a logistical trope, renting refrigerated trucks and putting wireless humidity alarms in place that worked under red light to keep the algae dress alive and ready to glow in the dark during the show. ‘Iris was the perfect collaborator, pushing and challenging the design but also learning and adapting as we understood more about the living organism and their behaviors,’ says Chris Bellamy. Back in 2024, the biodesigner worked on and researched the bioluminescent microalgae for just about over nine months. The same algae now flows through the Sympoiesis dress of Iris van Herpen during the Paris Haute Couture Week, which runs between July 7th and 10th, 2025, following the signature coral-inspired designs of the fashion designer.

for the dress, a 35-step process was developed, which encapsulates the algae in a nutrient gel

a protective coating allows the algae to live and glow for many months

detailed view of the dress

once encapsulated, the algae only require regular sunlight to photosynthesize

the algae dress showcased during Iris van Herpen’s show in Paris | image courtesy of Iris van Herpen

project info:

name: Sympoiesis

maison: Iris van Herpen | @irisvanherpen

biodesigner: Christopher Bellamy of Bio Crafted | @bio.crafted

light artist: Nick Verstand | @nickverstand

event: Paris Haute Couture Week

dates: July 7th to 10th, 2025

The post reactive bioluminescent algae illuminate iris van herpen’s haute couture show in paris appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Time Warp draws design inspiration from ice caves, plant cells, and hexagons for the stage designs inside the techno music festival. An annual event since 1994, the event takes place in different cities, including Madrid (October 10th and 11th, 2025); Mannheim, the founding place (November 7th and 8th, as well as March 21st), and New York City (November 21st and 22nd, 2025). In an interview with designboom, Time Warp festival’s technical director Anatol Fried says that the design team wants the audience to feel fully surrounded by the stage settings and not just by the techno music. ‘It was natural for us to try to surround people with light and scenography along with the music,’ he tells designboom. There are five stages in the Time Warp techno music festival, and instead of going traditional by adding lights on the ceiling, the team spread more than 200 lights around the floor, audiences, and performers, lighting them up from all directions. ‘For us, it somehow worked,’ adds Anatol Fried.

Across the five stages, the theme of nature comes through, but Anatol Fried sees the word more as what everyone can see every day rather than just only greenery. He worked with different designers per stage inside the Time Warp techno music festival, all of which followed a fluid brief on nature. Take The Cells designed by Greg Sullivan and The LED Cells by Valentin Lüdicke and Anatol Fried. The former looks like a simplified visualization of plant cells, while the former mimics the lines and visuals of a leaf under a microscope. ‘These stage designs’ impact is the volume they add to the room. The sheer amount of surface you can play on with lights, and the contrasts you can generate with lights and shadows due to the 3D elements, is stunning. Standing underneath it, the audience can feel what I meant before about being surrounded by an experience,’ Anatol Fried shares with designboom.

The Cells | all images courtesy of Time Warp | photos by Marko Edge, unless stated otherwise

Caves and meteors as artistic influences for the spaces

Natural phenomena also appear as a theme that runs through the stage designs in the Time Warp techno music festival. Inside The Meteors, an ensemble of rock-looking fixtures hangs above the audience as they party, glistening as the hundreds of lights shine their beams on them. The Cave, designed by Valentin Lüdicke, resembles an ice cave through a series of suspended semi-translucent white cloths. ‘The idea here was to shape a room and create the perspective you have looking into an ice cave, but it also offers perspectives from positions other than the perfect angle,’ says Anatol Fried. Because of this undulating design, the stage design moves as the breeze comes in.

Valentin Lüdicke has created a second version of this space in the Time Warp techno music festival, rightfully naming it The Cave 2.0. Here, the idea has slightly changed, while still following the brief on nature. Above the audience are seemingly singular panels depicting a wavy form. When the light shines on it, the sculpture, made of a black material typically used to block out light in the agricultural industry, comes alive, appearing to move through the lights. For the technical director, it feels as if the audience were looking up in a forest and seeing the sky through trees and leaves. ‘The impact is the strong contrast between the upper lit side of the silver fabric and the pitch-black lower side that doesn’t catch any light,’ Anatol Fried explains to designboom. ‘With the huge amount of LED lights above it, it almost looks like the room moves.’

The Cells resemble a honeycomb structure

Replicating geometry, space and nature in music festival

In the other rooms within the Time Warp techno music festival, Anatol Fried has (co-)designed the spaces, from Chaos, where the style resembles patterns of strobe lights, to Strings, a wire installation he created with Valentin Lüdicke, inspired by the ideas of mathematics, geometry, even-sided triangles, and hexagons. ‘We are currently working on a design called Einheitskreis, which will hopefully come to life soon,’ the technical director shares with designboom. Instead of starting with the materials, the team leads the stage designs in the Time Warp techno music festival with an inspiration, which is nature in this case. 

That is the underlying, connecting theme between the spaces, even if they look distinctive from each other. ‘These stage designs were all inspired by some looks or details we found outside the event industry – like nature, space geometry, or mathematics – that we tried to replicate and put inside a venue. If you look up in a forest on a sunny day, you can see a strong contrast between sky and leaves. That’s basically the effect of ‘The Cave 2.0’, for example, so when we knew the look we were seeking, we started looking for a material that suited the look, instead of the other way around,’ says Anatol Fried. 

The Meteors | photo by GuilleGS

At times, designing the stages in the Time Warp techno music festival is a bit challenging, and Anatol Fried gives The Cells as an example. Here, the ceiling resembles a honeycomb structure, lighting up in patterns through the LED strips. Instead of the normal LED lights, the design team uses a series of tailored aluminum ones. The idea, as the technical director tells us, is to emit light in two directions. ‘An indirect source of light to the structure above and the direct source of light visible from below,’ he adds. ‘This was not available on the market, and therefore we produced an aluminum profile that had space for three LED light sources and also had the cord edge profile in place.’ 

This stage may be the most complex they’ve done so far since manufacturing the structure above the LED lights had to come from 700 differently shaped pieces of blackout fabric. But it was all worth it in the end because the audiences attending the Time Warp techno music festival feel the music while experiencing the performative stage designs instead of these two being separate. At the moment, visitors who want to see these spaces can first-hand experience them in Madrid (October 10th and 11th, 2025); Mannheim, (November 7th and 8th, as well as March 21st), and New York City (November 21st and 22nd, 2025).

a cluster of rock-looking sculptures suspend above the audience

Optics stage design

swirling patterns sit on the ceiling in this set design

Glass Dome

the Glass Dome has transparent windows above the visitors

The Cave 2.0

the sculpture is made of a black material used to block out light in the agricultural industry

project info:

name: Time Warp | @time_warp_official

technical director: Anatol Fried 

designers: Anatol Fried, Valentin Lüdicke, Greg Sullivan | @voll_lustig_licht

upcoming dates: Madrid (October 10th and 11th, 2025); Mannheim, (November 7th and 8th, as well as March 21st), and New York City (November 21st and 22nd, 2025)

photography: Marko Edge, Tyler Allix, GuilleGS | @marko_edge, @tylerallix

The post ice caves, plant cells and hexagons inspire stage designs of time warp techno music festival appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In an exclusive interview with designboom, iF DESIGN AWARD 2025 jury members Cheryl Durst and Pascale Sablan share their unique insights on the growing role of social impact in design. As part of the 2025 iF DESIGN AWARD jury, both Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and Sablan, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), Council Member of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAC) CEO of Adjaye Associates New York, and founder of the Beyond the Built Environment (BBE), bring invaluable experience in promoting equitable, sustainable, and community-driven design. Held online and later in Germany, the two-step jury process brings together 130+ global experts to evaluate over 11,000 submissions across nine design disciplines, including architecture and interior architecture. Durst and Sablan emphasize that beyond aesthetics, today’s design must address urgent societal issues, fostering inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability.

‘Design now has the responsibility to be more than just beautiful or functional. It must be relevant to the world and contribute to a better society. As jurors, we have the opportunity to champion projects that amplify voices, foster equity, and genuinely transform communities. What excites me is the possibility to elevate those projects that would not normally be recognized, and to provide visibility to those doing transformative work. The power of design is in its capacity to not just serve but to heal, to bring people together, and to address complex social challenges. It’s also a chance to reinforce that design should be a necessity, not a luxury,’  begins Cheryl Durst, Executive Vice President and CEO of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), in an interview with designboom.

iF DESIGN AWARD 2025 jury members Cheryl Durst (fourth from left) and Pascale Sablan (seventh from left) explain the growing role of social impact in design | all images courtesy of iF DESIGN AWARD

BEGINNINGS OF PURPOSE WITH CHERYL DUrST & PASCALE SABLAN

Both Cheryl Durst and Pascale Sablan were invited to their iF DESIGN AWARD jury roles with a wealth of experience and personal histories that deeply inform their design philosophies. For Sablan, her formative experience came during an internship when she worked on the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City. This project signified how architecture should honor history, empower communities, and tell untold stories. It highlighted the profound responsibility architects hold in shaping spaces that preserve memory and elevate the identities of communities, especially marginalized ones. Sablan recalls the community involvement in the design process as revelatory, reinforcing the importance of making architectural language accessible so that all stakeholders can understand, contribute, and feel ownership. The experience further deepened her commitment to advocacy, justice, and a people-first approach to design, where social narratives are intentionally embedded into the core of every project.

‘We are seeing a shift in the way we assess projects that are about the story, the process, and the community impact. The value is both in the object and in the way that it uplifts people and improves environments. Sustainability is essential, but social sustainability is just as critical. It is about understanding who is being served, who is included in the conversation, and ensuring that the benefits of design are accessible to all. Designers must think holistically, considering the ripple effects their work will have on future generations and the social fabric of our communities,’ continues Pascale Sablan FAIA, CEO of Adjaye Associates New York and Beyond the Built Environment founder.

the second stage of the jury process (the physical Final Jury) convened experts together for three days in Hamburg, Germany to decide the 2025 award winners

ADVOCATING THROUGH EDUCATION WITH IF DESIGN AWARD

Cheryl Durst and Pascale Sablan bring unique expertise to the iF DESIGN AWARD jury table. Durst, with her leadership at IIDA, has consistently championed diversity and equity in interior design, focusing on creating spaces that reflect and serve all users. Sablan, through Beyond the Built Environment, actively challenges systemic inequities in architecture by spotlighting the work of Black and underrepresented designers globally. Both their experiences go beyond individual practice; they represent an ongoing commitment to pushing the design industry towards inclusion and equality. Together, they bring to the jury a strong, shared understanding that diversity is essential in evaluating what constitutes design excellence.

‘My career has been about opening doors and expanding perspectives. Being part of this jury allows me to elevate work that might otherwise be overlooked—projects that address real social issues and offer meaningful change, especially in communities that need it most. It’s about amplifying work that speaks to the dignity of people and the power of design to uplift. It’s not just about what is seen, but about what is felt, what is remembered, and who gets to be a part of that narrative,’ adds Durst.

jury members were split into expert fields to assess specific categories of submissions

Both jury members observe that social impact in design is no longer a niche consideration but a primary focus and a defining metric of success across the industry. Sablan notes that the global design community is becoming increasingly aware of its power to shape more equitable, inclusive societies and that designers are stepping up to this responsibility with intention, consistency, and depth. The universal qualities that now distinguish exceptional design are clear: cultural sensitivity, authenticity, transparency, sustainability, functionality, and measurable social benefits. This shift is evident in the submissions seen at the iF DESIGN AWARD, where jurors actively champion designs that demonstrate social and environmental accountability, and intentionally move away from superficial or purely decorative solutions that fail to engage with deeper, real-world needs.

‘Designers are becoming more intentional about creating solutions that are inclusive and that address social disparities. We are not only asking “is this beautiful?” but “who does this serve, who does this empower?” asks Sablan. ‘This level of awareness is essential for the future of design. We are also paying attention to the process, considering whether the community was engaged and local voices considered. It’s about ensuring that design is created with and for people. This kind of engagement leads to solutions that are more meaningful, more sustainable, and more equitable.’

‘We are seeing a shift in the way we assess projects that are about the story, the process, and the community impact,’ notes Pascale Sablan in an interview with designboom

Durst and Sablan underscore that the iF DESIGN AWARD’s international platform carries a significant responsibility to set benchmarks for socially and environmentally responsible design and to actively shape the direction of the industry. With participants and submissions spanning the globe, the award brings together a diversity of categories – from architecture and urban planning to product design, mobility, fashion, UX and cultural exhibitions. This broad spectrum of entries showcases how impact and excellence can manifest across disciplines and at every scale. Equally important is the diversity of the iF DESIGN AWARD jury, composed of global experts who bring unique cultural, technical, and social perspectives to the evaluation process. This diversity enriches the selection, encourages bolder conversations, and opens space for creative risk-taking that pushes the boundaries of what design can achieve. Jurors advocate through their respective lenses while challenging each other to think beyond conventional measures of success. Durst and Sablan believe this collective, inclusive approach ultimately drives better innovation and ensures socially and environmentally impactful projects rise to the forefront.

‘Being part of the iF DESIGN AWARD is powerful because it sends a message about what matters in design today. It’s about raising the standard—prioritizing empathy, responsibility, and global impact. This platform allows us to amplify what design can truly achieve for society. It also fosters an incredible community of jurors across disciplines, who bring unique lenses and collaborate to advocate for projects. It changes how we show up in our day-to-day work, reminding us to champion people-first design and interconnected solutions beyond traditional boundaries,’ expresses Cheryl Durst.

‘Being part of this jury allows me to elevate work that might otherwise be overlooked,’ Cheryl Durst tells to designboom

Looking ahead, both Cheryl Durst and Pascale Sablan are optimistic about the continued evolution of design evaluation and the direction the global design community is taking. They envision future juries placing even greater emphasis on social narratives, community engagement, and cultural authenticity as critical elements in defining design excellence. The evolving criteria will demand that designers approach their work with deeper responsibility, moving beyond the pursuit of form, profit, or surface innovation. Instead, design will be increasingly expected to address systemic inequities, environmental resilience, and the preservation of cultural identities. As the expectations grow, both the responsibility and the opportunity for designers and jurors will expand, requiring thoughtful, conscientious decision-making that directly impacts real-world communities and contributes to long-term societal well-being. The future of design, as they see it, is rooted in purpose, collaboration, and sustained social transformation.

‘The future of design is deeply connected to the stories we tell and the people we serve. Evaluation must go deeper—looking at how projects can heal, empower, and bridge divides. I see this as a critical moment where we can redefine success in design for the betterment of all. We need to remain consistent in asking tough questions about community impact and to embrace the opportunity to lead with purpose. For me, the iF DESIGN AWARD experience reaffirmed that community-centered design is the standard, not the exception,’ concludes Pascale Sablan.

each jury member brings unique cultural, technical, and social perspectives to the evaluation process

at the iF DESIGN AWARD 2025, 134 renowned designers from 23 nations make up the iF jury panel

jurors advocate through their respective lenses while challenging each other to think beyond conventional measures of success

social impact in design is no longer a niche consideration but a primary focus and a defining metric of success across the industry

the future of design is rooted in purpose, collaboration, and sustained social transformation

project info: 

organization: iF DESIGN AWARD | @ifdesign

jury members: Cheryl Durst | @cheryldurst; Pascale Sablan | @pascalesablan

The post ‘social sustainability is just as critical’ state iF DESIGN AWARD jurors durst & sablan appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Telekom Electronic Beats and Berlin-based media and fashion company 032c, the two have joined forces to present ‘All is Sound. All is Transformation,’ a pop-up installation by artist and designer Harry Nuriev of Crosby Studios. On view from July 1–8, 2025 at 032c Workshop in Berlin, the work reflects on the materiality of music through a sculptural intervention that blurs the lines between archive, club culture, and social sculpture.

At the core of Nuriev’s installation is a stainless steel structure, displaying sequentially arranged CDs — a nod to the now-obsolete format and the spaces where music was once physically discovered. A CD player and repurposed car speakers are integrated into the work, activating it as a listening station. Complementing the installation, a limited capsule collection designed by 032c Creative Director Maria Koch further extends the project’s themes. designboom was invited to join Harry Nuriev and Maria Koch for a listening session inside the installation, where we talked about the depth of curated listening and how the energy of rave culture continues to shape their creative work.

images by Alejandro Arretureta (@alexberlinetta), unless stated otherwise | above and banner © designboom

IN CONSERVATION WITH HARRY NURIEV AND MARIA KOCH

designboom (DB): This installation celebrates the 25th anniversary of Telekom Electronic Beats and 032c. Maria, could you take us back to the beginning of 032c and how it evolved into the brand it is today?

Maria Koch (MK): 032c began as a gallery space my husband opened with friends. To promote what was meant to be a digital magazine, he decided to print its first issue — and that’s how 032c was born. When we met, we started working together and launched the simplest thing you could imagine: a bootleg T-shirt for a Sade concert. The shirt became a huge success — even Sade’s team reached out because they loved it. That moment set everything in motion and brought us to where we are now.

DB: Harry, could you tell us about your connection to the brand, and then walk us through the concept and key elements of this installation, giving us insight into what visitors are about to experience?

Harry Nuriev (HN): 032c was always my, I would say, ‘coffee table book’ — my favorite magazine for many reasons, but mainly because it was ahead of the curve. It was the first magazine that didn’t just publish content but built a real community around itself, and that idea of community has always been central to my work.

So this installation is a three-way collaboration between Electronic Beats, 032c, and myself. We’ve worked together before, and I hope it won’t be the last time. The concept here is very simple: I wanted to create a space where people feel compelled to put their phones down. The installation turns the table into a physical desktop — a literal playlist — where visitors can pick up a CD and play it.

Harry Nuriev designs pop-up installation for Telekom Electronic Beats and 032c collection launch

DB: The installation prominently features CDs, a medium that feels very nostalgic. In an age dominated by digital music, what is your core intention behind highlighting this “nearly obsolete medium,” and how does it speak to the concept of transformation and the curated experience?

HN: The beauty of curating a CD library today lies in the limitations. You’re working with an existing archive, and that restricts your options — but in a way that’s freeing. It reconnects you with original, culture-defining music. Since the selection reflects a specific era and place — like Berlin, in this case — it forces a kind of localized curation. You don’t have unlimited access like you would on your phone. And that’s the interesting part: we’ve come full circle to appreciating the value of being limited.

MK: What’s fascinating is that, unlike the endless options on your iPhone, this physical selection really makes you focus. Even if you want to listen to something else, you can’t — so you end up going deeper into what’s available. You hear tracks again, discover new layers, and engage more thoughtfully. That’s the strength of this kind of curation: it’s slower, more intentional, and opens you up to a completely different experience. It’s not fast or flashy — and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling.

featuring repurposed car speakers

DB: Maria, when you first reached out to Harry, what was it about his artistic vision and approach that made you feel he was the perfect artist to create this installation for 032c x Electronic Beats?

MK: There were a few reasons I reached out to Harry. The first was when I saw this stainless steel restaurant installation he designed in Paris — with everything from the plates to the dishwasher setup made from stainless steel. I was so impressed, I immediately wanted to collaborate with him on my first project. Timing didn’t work out then because I contacted him too late, but that was the initial connection. Since then, we’ve worked together on other things. For this project, the link came through Electronic Beats, who knew we already had a creative relationship.

DB: Harry, on your side, what specifically attracted you to this opportunity, and how did their vision resonate with your own creative interests?

HN: Where do I even start? The magazine is a cultural icon, and Maria’s creative and fashion direction constantly pushes my boundaries. I’ve known about the 032c family for a long time and when Maria calls, you just don’t say no.

a close-up look at the stainless steel sculpture showcasing a curated selection of CDs

DB: Maria, can you tell us about the inspiration behind the capsule collection, and how does it tie together with the theme of sound and transformation that runs through this anniversary project?

MK: The collection is a capsule of just three pieces — a cap, a bag, and a shirt. The idea is simple but deeply emotional for me. I was a real rave kid and partied hard, especially close to the music of The Prodigy. There’s one song, “No Good,” with a music video that stuck with me. Back then, music videos were everything — I hardly listened to the radio and watched videos all day. In this one, the band walks through a chalky, dusty bunker, mixing punk outfits with some bling. The energy was incredible. I wanted to capture that feeling, that chalky, dusty vibe, as a visual memory on the garments — chalk on the bag, on the cap, on the shirt. When we shared this with Harry, he immediately connected with the idea and brought The Prodigy’s spirit to life in the design.

DB: Harry, Maria mentioned she was a “classic rave kid.” Do you share the same passion for rave culture or do you find a similar resonance with specific music genres that influence your work?

HN: Absolutely. I’m not really into vinyl — it’s a cool format, but it wasn’t part of my personal experience growing up. That was more my parents’ thing. For me, CDs have the same role as vinyl does for others. I really want to keep that in my life. Honestly, I was just thinking I want to recreate the same table setup at home, invite my friends over, and listen to music together — even if it’s on some crappy car speakers that actually sound pretty good.

MK: Techno was really the last truly innovative youth culture in music. I remember it feeling so brave, wild, and somewhat untamed. It wasn’t dangerous, but it was like these hidden clubs where we all went. Even though my parents were open-minded and smart, they couldn’t really understand what we were into or what we were listening to. I think that energy of being different, being out of reach from the conventional — that’s what made that electronic scene so beautiful to me back then.

capsule collection designed by 032c, Maria Koch

DB: What is the most important message or feeling you hope visitors take away from stepping into this experience?

NH: Put your phone down. 

MK:  I would just say the same — put your phone down and give yourself the chance to listen again, and again, to a song. Honestly, I still do this. I love listening to a favorite track 10 or 12 times a day. Everyone around me gets annoyed, but I just want to be fully immersed. It’s intense. Even if it’s like elevator music, then I discover something new — another drum, another layer, another scenario.

All is Sound. All is Transformation – Maria Koch and Harry Nuriev | image © designboom

the curated CD library reflects the spirit of Berlin’s club culture and musical archives

a limited-time installation combining club culture, archives, and design

project info: 

name: All is Sound. All is Transformation

artist: Harry Nuriev | @harrynuriev

collaborators: 032c | @032c and Telekom Electronic Beats | @electronicbeats 

dates: July 01-08, 2025

opening hours: 11:00–19:00

location: 032c Workshop, Berlin, Germany

The post harry nuriev remixes CDs, rave culture and steel into a pop-up sound installation in berlin appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The IED Istituto Europeo di Design Master program in Social Ecological Design emerges as a vital alternative to design education, aiming to confront the complex challenges of our time. For Michael Kaethler, coordinator of the program, the traditional design curriculum, often shaped by market trends or conventional perspectives, does not contribute enough to the urgent transformation needed to address today’s crises. From accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss to widening social inequalities and the creeping rise of authoritarianism, the challenges are immense and interconnected. 

Despite its problem-solving prowess, academic design programs sometimes risk lacking the ability to adapt to new approaches required for socio-ecological change. This critical gap is what the Social Ecological Design program aims to fill as Michael Kaethler revealed in an exclusive interview with designboom. The program is built on the idea that education itself should ‘assist in unlearning the status quo,’ Michael Kaethler tells designboom, pushing for new forms of knowledge through emancipation, experimentation, and breaking down old structures.

‘We don’t need more education but rather, we need different education,’ Kaethler continues. ‘We need alternative modes of building and sharing knowledge in order to produce the forms of meaningful knowledge that can engage with these crises.’

Co-design Workshop at C.E.P. by Marginal Studio (Francesca Gattello, Zeno Franchini), part of the project “Riconnessioni: percorsi di riattivazione della memoria urbana per riportare la periferia al centro”, promoted by Sguardi Urbani, funded by Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea e Rigenerazione Urbana MIBACT, Palermo, 2020. Photo by Francesca Gattello

IED MASTER PROGRAM IN SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL DESIGN

Within a 16-month period, the IED in Torino offers a pioneering Master’s program in Social Ecological Design: Regenerative Practices for Everyday Life. As coordinator of the program, Michael Kaethler — a sociologist of design with a background in social anthropology and human rights research — leverages his expertise to root the curriculum in a profound understanding of societal change and human agency. The course positions itself as a critical response to the complex challenges of our time, offering a deep dive into fostering connections between humans, communities, and ecosystems. It’s designed to equip a new generation of designers with the tools to actively engage in meaningful social and ecological transformation.

‘We study transitions and how design can provide important levers for change. We explore the importance of creativity in opening up new forms of relations, new forms of understanding and communicating and ultimately how it can offer generative action towards meaningful social ecological transformation. It’s not just about knowledge—it’s about recovering a sense of agency,’ explains the program’s coordinator.

Co-design Workshop at C.E.P. by Marginal Studio (Francesca Gattello, Zeno Franchini), part of the project “Riconnessioni: percorsi di riattivazione della memoria urbana per riportare la periferia al centro”, promoted by Sguardi Urbani, funded by Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea e Rigenerazione Urbana MIBACT, Palermo, 2020. Photo by Francesca Gattello

CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF DESIGNERS

The program’s core philosophy centers on a radical re-evaluation of design’s role, seeking to restore fundamental capabilities for ideological and societal engagement. This approach challenges the comfortable notion of design as purely aesthetic or commercially driven, repositioning it as a critical tool for societal survival. ‘It feels absurd to be designing new chairs or lamps when our house is on fire,’ he states, emphasizing that the overlapping social, ecological, and economic crises are ‘real design problems!’ This sentiment is rooted in a historical critique. Kaethler notes that after the Cold War, design largely ‘favoured irony over ideological engagement, swapping grand social visions for playful contradictions.’ This shift, he argues, turned design into a mere service provider for the highest bidders.

The IED program directly counters this by bringing back generative critique – a design practice that doesn’t just analyze problems from the sidelines, but actively makes, intervenes, and creates tangible alternatives. ‘It is not simply a question of adding “criticality” to design but rather building up a culture of design that is essentially reflective in its engagement with the world and these reflections include questioning fundamental tenets such as values and orientations.’  

Final public event presenting the results of the Co-design Workshop at C.E.P. by Marginal Studio (Francesca Gattello, Zeno Franchini), part of the project “Riconnessioni: percorsi di riattivazione della memoria urbana per riportare la periferia al centro”, promoted by Sguardi Urbani, funded by Direzione Generale Creatività Contemporanea e Rigenerazione Urbana MIBACT, Palermo, 2020. Photo by Francesca Gattello

To achieve this, the curriculum employs its unique ‘OUT THERE’ methodology, pulling students out of traditional classrooms and into immersive fieldwork across diverse Italian regions, including the off-grid Alps, Tuscany, and Sicily. This direct engagement with communities and ecosystems fosters a versatile skill set, spanning crucial areas like biomimicry, multispecies thinking, cross-cultural communication, cultural ethnography, creative activism, systems analysis, and inclusive design. Students work closely with local stakeholders, craftspeople, experts, and peers, applying principles of social and ecological design through analysis, interpretation, and practical application. The program’s structure guides them through three distinct phases: exploring ‘OUT-of-the-box’ ideas in the first trimester, immersing themselves ‘OUT in the field’ and ‘OUT of their comfort zone’ in the second, and finally challenging them to be ‘OUT on their own’ in the third trimester.

‘A big part of our vision is that learning is driven and directed by the student’s own ambitions and interests, which we nourish through one-on-one mentoring as well as regular moments of co-reflection and dialogue. We pair this with an intensive program of lectures, workshops and immersive fieldwork that pushes students to tackle difficult subjects and contexts beyond superficiality. Nothing inspires one to learn quicker than working in real life contexts,’ Kaethler emphasizes. ‘When design education becomes rooted in the real world, design becomes a fundamental human act of shaping one’s world to express one’s needs—tangible or intangible. This is where design can have a positive impact.’

students engage directly with communities and ecosystems

Graduates are prepared for a professional landscape in constant flux, equipped with dynamism, transversal skills, and a confidence that matches competence. Beyond the intensive coursework, IED supports students with practical experiences like internships and leverages its extensive network of partnerships and alumni to ensure they are truly career-ready for diverse and impactful roles.

‘It sounds cliché but ambition and openness are more important than any specific experiences. Overall, we believe in balancing intellectual knowledge with practical knowledge and this means being willing to challenge oneself with theory in the morning and in the afternoon learning new maker-skills… and in the evening cooking dinner with members of the local community.’

collaborative workshops cultivate a versatile skill set

Looking ahead, Michael Kaethler envisions the program fostering a strong alumni community that continues to support collective engagement with critical social and ecological issues. His ambition extends beyond the IED, aiming to inspire a broader paradigm shift in design education globally. 

‘More broadly, I hope we inspire other design institutions to embrace an emancipatory, embedded, and autonomous approach to design education,’ Michael Kaethler concludes. ‘The world needs it.’

project info:

course: Social Ecological Design

organization: Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) | @ied_offical

program coordinator: Michael Kaethler

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At NIKE’s World Headquarters outside Portland, Oregon, the LeBron James Innovation Center houses the company’s Sport Research Lab, one of its most advanced design environments. This month, designboom visited the state-of-the-art space to preview the Breaking4 Speed Kit being developed for Faith Kipyegon, the three-time Olympic champion who will attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-four-minute mile. The challenge, titled Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile, represents a collaboration between the athlete and a cross-functional design team whose focus spans footwear, apparel, and performance research.

The lab occupies the fourth floor of the Olson Kundig Architects-designed building, where physical and cognitive testing converge. Motion capture cameras, treadmills outfitted with sensors, and climate-controlled chambers allow NIKE’s teams to simulate race-day conditions. The goal is to understand how the body performs under pressure, and how design interventions can help optimize that performance.

Faith will make the attempt on June 26th, 2025 at Stade Charléty in Paris. NIKE will invite supporters across the world to tune in to a livestream broadcast, which can be viewed here!

the Olson Kundig-designed LeBron James Innovation Center at NIKE World HQ | image © designboom

the NIKE design team collaborates with faith kipyegon

For Brett Kirby, who leads performance research within the Advanced Innovation team at NIKE, the process of designing the Breaking4 Speed Kit begins before the first sketch or sample. His role is to define the structure of the challenge itself. ‘We are aiming toward the mile in four minutes,’ he explains during our visit to the lab. ‘What are the elements that we could start to think about? What’s the homework we need to do to understand this problem?‘

Kirby’s team gathers information not just through data collection but through close listening. His approach involves watching how athletes move, how they adjust their gear without thinking, and what sensory conditions help them settle into focus. ‘We want to take that and create a good observational portfolio of how they are communicating in all ways,’ he says. This kind of introspective, adaptive, and responsive design research sets the foundation for the physical pieces that follow.

inside the NIKE Sport Research Lab | image © designboom

the aerodynamic ‘system of speed’

Once the team’s goal has been structured, NIKE’s footwear and apparel teams begin develop possible solutions. For Faith Kipyegon’s attempt at the sub-four minute mile, those solutions took form as a fully customized NIKE Victory Elite FK spike, a performance FlyWeb Bra, and the aerodynamically tuned NIKE Fly Suit, each built with attention to functionality and sensory experience together.

Lisa Gibson oversees apparel development at NIKE, and described the suit as one of the most aerodynamic systems the brand has created. ‘We learned that Faith wanted to feel like she was running free,’ Gibson emphasizes. That simple idea, freedom of movement, became a central design thread. From there her team sourced materials that were both slick and elastic, then developed construction techniques that placed seams away from the front of the body to reduce drag. Every detail was calibrated through a combination of physical modeling, wind tunnel testing, and environmental simulations.

Integrated into the suit are textured surfaces known as Aeronodes. These small, raised geometries are tuned to generate controlled turbulence, helping the air stay closer to the body and minimizing the wake behind the runner. ‘By creating this controlled turbulence ahead of where larger turbulence would normally occur,‘ Gibson continues, ‘you end up having a smoother flow downstream.’ The result is reduced aerodynamic drag without the need to alter the runner’s natural form.

a running track threads through the colossal interior | image © designboom

a bespoke spike built from the ground up

Footwear innovation for the project is led by Carrie Dimoff, whose team approached the design of Faith’s Victory Elite FK spike as a ground-up reconstruction. Rather than modifying an existing shoe, they began by reviewing the demands of middle-distance racing and drawing insights from Nike’s experience with both marathon and sprint events. ‘We opened the aperture and looked at a lot of different ingredients,’ Dimoff tells us. ‘Then we thought about, ultimately, what’s the best in terms of weight reduction and performance return.’

The final spike includes a Flyknit upper constructed from precision-engineered yarns that deliver strength with minimal weight. Dimoff noted that one component of the upper weighs just three grams. Underfoot, a newly designed Air Zoom unit stores and returns energy, supported by a reengineered carbon plate embedded with six 3D-printed titanium pins for traction. Prototypes were assembled and revised on-site at the LeBron James Building in Oregon, allowing the team to respond to feedback from Kipyegon in real time.

testing chambers measure sweat, body temperatures, and aerodynamics | image © designboom

Throughout the process, Kipyegon remained central to every decision. The design team traveled to Kenya to observe her training firsthand and make in-the-moment adjustments. Lisa Gibson recalled watching for what she called ‘unconscious feedback’ — the way an athlete might subtly adjust a seam or pull at a strap. ‘If Faith is tugging on the leg or adjusting the shoulder, that’s telling us something,’ she explains. ‘We dive into that and figure out what’s going on.’

Carrie Dimoff echoes this attentiveness. There were instances, she said, when internal lab data showed no significant difference between two prototypes, but Kipyegon could feel one worked better for her. ‘She is so attuned to her body as a system,’ Dimoff says. ‘If it meant she could run more confidently in it, that was equally as important to us.’

Carrie Dimoff shows Faith Kipyegon’s Breaking4 spike | image © designboom

While the gear developed for Faith Kipyegon’s Breaking4 attempt is entirely bespoke, the innovations produced through the project are already being evaluated for broader application. Elements such as the taller Air Zoom unit, 3D-printed pin systems, and even the textile learnings from the bra design are under review for integration into future footwear and apparel lines. ‘There were lots of things left on the table that didn’t make it into this spike,’ says Dimoff. ‘But we’re really fascinated to dig into them.’

What emerges from Nike’s collaboration with Kipyegon is at once a portrait of a singular athlete at the edge of possibility, and a case study in how design can be shaped by data, environment, sensation, and trust. The effort unfolds through textile calibration, surface tuning, and structured observation. In the end, the system is built from listening and innovation together.

the performance bra is made from Nike FlyWeb, a 3D-printed TPU material | image © designboom

Lisa Gibson details the Aeronodes | image © designboom

the System of Speed is designed in collaboration with Faith Kipyegon | image © designboom

a carbon plate is embedded with six 3D-printed titanium pins | image © designboom

project info:

challenge: Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile

company: NIKE

Breaking4 attempt: June 26th, 2025 at Stade Charléty, Paris (stream here)

The post inside NIKE’s sport research lab, faith kipyegon’s four-minute mile attempt takes shape appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

At first glance, the 16 visuals that make up Shapes of Inequalities — a new installation by the Italian information designer Federica Fragapane — don’t look like data. There are no bar graphs, no line charts, no axis labels. Instead, organic shapes unfurl across white space, like sea creatures or windblown petals. Their softness is deceptive. Installed under the overarching theme Inequalities at the 24th International Exhibition at Triennale Milano, the project translates hard, often brutal realities — economic injustice, climate crisis, gender-based violence — into a visual language that is both scientific and sensitive. It also formed the basis for a public talk Fragapane gave during the Art for Tomorrow conference, hosted in conjunction with the Triennale’s opening. In a conversation with designboom’s editor-in-chief, Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou, Fragapane discussed the politics of visual storytelling and the ethical weight of representing human experience through data.

‘I often say that I see my job as an alternative version of a photographer: I am photographing angles of reality,’ Fragapane says during an interview with designboom. ‘I strive to capture portions of them through my work.’ That framing—of data designer as documentarian—sits at the heart of her practice. Fragapane has built a career working with large institutions like the United Nations, the European Union, the World Health Organization, and Google, while also producing deeply personal, research-based projects on topics like migration, education access, and war. Her work now resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She operates somewhere between precision and poetics, applying her training in communication design to numbers that often resist simplification. Her aim isn’t to flatten complexity—it’s to give it form. ‘For me it’s important to reiterate two aspects: first of all, how data itself is not a neutral entity dropped from above, but the product of research and human actions that inevitably leave a trace, whether visible or intentional,’ she explains. ‘And so, of course, does the visualization process.’

Federica Fragapane’s Shapes of Inequalities | image © Triennale Milano

VISUALIZING HARD FACTS THROUGH SOFT FORMS

For her Shapes of Inequalities project at Triennale Milano, Federica Fragapane spent months researching ten dimensions of global disparity, including access to health care, educational gaps, racial and gender bias, and climate-related displacement. Each dataset was shaped into a visual narrative: abstract, non-linear, and, in some cases, deeply intimate. ‘Some of the subjects visualized in the exhibition touch me or have touched me personally; others are far from my own experience, and I tried to observe them and give them a shape, conscious of my privileged point of view,’ she tells designboom.

The results are not didactic, they are contemplative, even tender. The color palette, including muted reds, soft greens, cloudy purples, evokes the natural world more than the digital one. It’s intentional. ‘I often choose this organic approach when I work with data that has a living presence,’ Fragapane says. ‘It’s my way of paying homage to those lives and trying to convey that pulsating presence through form.’ This design ethos sets her apart from many working in the field of data visualization, which tends to privilege clarity, efficiency, and a particular kind of minimalism. Fragapane’s images, by contrast, invite readers to slow down. Their beauty isn’t an accessory; it’s a method. ‘Working with care on the aesthetics of my works is a way to invite people in,’ she explains. ‘A way to encourage them to look closely and read the stories I’m trying to tell through data.’

a series of 16 data visualizations | image by Alessandro Saletta and Agnese Bedini – DSL Studio © Triennale Milano

At a time when data is everywhere—weaponized on social media, simplified into clickbait, or buried in impenetrable PDFs—Fragapane’s work insists that data can also be gentle. Not less rigorous, but more empathetic. ‘I try to use what I know how to do to talk about topics I care about — that’s an extremely condensed way to describe the reasons behind some of my works,’ she notes. ‘I’m glad when others share them, use them in turn to highlight issues they care about, or when I see people discovering something new through my projects, even if those discoveries make them angry, just as they made me.’ In that way, Shapes of Inequalities becomes not just a series of visualizations, but an act of translation and of witnessing. It asks viewers to step inside statistics not as distant observers, but as participants. The data, as Fragapane insists, is not abstract, it is alive. Read our conversation with Federica Fragapane in full below.

distilling vast datasets into images | image by Alessandro Saletta and Agnese Bedini – DSL Studio © Triennale Milano

interview with Federica Fragapane

designboom (DB): Your works are included in the permanent collection of MoMA, while you have collaborated with Google, the UN, the World Health Organization, and many more. Can you walk us through your background and practice?

Federica Fragapane (FF): I work as an independent data visualization designer. This is a discipline I first encountered during my studies. I studied Communication Design at Milan Polytechnic, and I have been freelancing since 2015. What attracted me deeply at the time was the possibility of using visual elements to give a shape to information and make it more visible, and this is still the main aspect I’m interested in.

I often say that I see my job as an alternative version of a photographer: I am photographing angles of reality because I view the topics I explore as three-dimensional, complex, and irregular shapes, and I strive to capture portions of them through my work.

My presence and intervention are unavoidable, from the selection of data—the angles—to the forms in which I represent them. For me it’s important to reiterate two aspects: first of all, how data itself is not a neutral entity dropped from above, but the product of research and human actions that inevitably leave a trace, whether visible or intentional. And so, of course, does the visualization process. For me it’s very important to assert my presence and acknowledge that each drawing, while created with care and great attention to the accuracy of the information and sources, is also a reflection of my personal history.

I work with both complex data and very simple numbers. For example, one of my pieces acquired by MoMA tells the story of space waste: the visualization shows space debris classified by distance from Earth and by object type, and it’s relatively complex. But I also worked with very simple data, like the number of days since the Taliban banned teenage girls from school in Afghanistan and the death toll in Gaza.

Life Expectancy, part of Shapes of Inequalities | all visualizations courtesy of Federica Fragapane

DB: Visualizing information can take many forms, from text-based imagery to charts, interactive diagrams, or abstract graphics. Your approach has something unique in the way it employs soft forms, organic shapes, and vibrant colors to deliver hard facts. What kind of data do you mostly work with, and what is the role of aesthetics within your practice?

FF: There are indeed multiple modes of expression in data visualization, and I’ve worked with different visual languages myself. In some cases, I design simple, geometric charts—both interactive and static—that are more commonly associated with the traditional visual alphabet of data visualization. But as you mentioned, I also often use organic and soft shapes. The choice depends on the context and on the data.

I’ve worked for decision-makers, scientists, academics, the UN, and the European Union, and in those cases I’ve used the more conventional approach. But from the very beginning of my practice, I also started working on topics that are personally meaningful to me: migration, gender inequality, human rights violations. In those cases, I tend to use a different language.

I often choose this organic approach when I work with data that has a living presence, the presence of the people, and living beings, behind the numbers. It’s my way of paying homage to those lives and trying to convey that pulsating presence through form. Finally, for me, working with care on the aesthetics of my works is a way to invite people in. A way to encourage them to look closely and read the stories I’m trying to tell through data.

Unpaid care work, part of Shapes of Inequalities

DB: One of your projects that embodies this transformation of harsh, ugly numbers into soft, organic forms is Shapes of Inequality, now on view as part of the Triennale. Can you tell us more about it and how it fits into the overall theme of the 24th International Exhibition, Inequalities?

FF: For Shapes of Inequalities, I created a dedicated series of works: 16 data visualizations exploring 10 topics, some of the many faces of inequality. The visualizations present data on economic disparity, social mobility, gender and ethnic discrimination, the climate crisis, access to resources, life expectancy, and migration. The shapes I traced reflect the deep asymmetries, distances, and shifts in scale revealed by the data.

Over the past months, I’ve worked with harsh, ugly data, telling stories of both familiar and lesser-known realities. Some of the subjects visualized in the exhibition touch me or have touched me personally; others are far from my own experience, and I tried to observe them and give them a shape, conscious of my privileged point of view. My hope is that the forms I’ve created will encourage visitors to read them.

Inequality and Wealth, part of Shapes of Inequalities

DB: Beyond the visual aspect, what kind of impact do the images you create have? How do they contribute, or you you hope they contribute, to tackling inequality?

FF: I try to use what I know how to do to talk about topics I care about—that’s an extremely condensed way to describe the reasons behind some of my works. I’m glad when others share them, use them in turn to highlight issues they care about, or when I see people discovering something new through my projects, even if those discoveries make them angry, just as they made me.

Gaza

Barriers

Space Junk, part of MoMa’s permanent collection

Afghanistan

Iran

Environmental taxes data visualisation

Slums and Inadequate Housing, part of Shapes of Inequalities

Access to Resources: Literacy, part of Shapes of Inequalities

project info:

name: Shapes of Inequalities

designer: Federica Fragapane | @federicafragapane

exhibition: 24th Triennale Milano International Exhibition | @triennalemilano 24th International Exhibition

24th International Exhibition theme: Inequalities

dates: May 13 – November 9, 2025

location: Milan, Italy

watch designboom’s Art for Tomorrow talk in full here.

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In response to this year’s Triennale Milano International Exhibition theme, Inequalities, the Polish Pavilion becomes a sanctuary for both human and ecological bodies, exhausted by capitalism, climate crisis, and care work. Curator Katarzyna Roj and architect Aleksandra Wasilkowska share more about A Brief Vacation with designboom, their show that reimagines the ancient tepidarium as a contemporary chamber of collective rest. ‘Rest,’ Katarzyna Roj tells us, ‘is not something to outsource to individual willpower. It’s something we need a policy for.’

Beneath the vaulted halls of the Palazzo dell’Arte, visitors are invited into the transsanatorium, a sensorial refuge that rethinks how cities distribute comfort, challenging the structural inequalities that determine who gets to rest and who doesn’t. A Brief Vacation asks, who can afford stillness in the burnout economy? Through immersive installation, sculpture, scent, sound, and movement, the pavilion reflects on the distribution of peace and bodily care. Roj’s vision, together with Wasilkowska’s design, turns urban infrastructure inside out, reimagining it as a sanctuary where marginalized bodies, caregivers, migrants, and frontline workers, can pause, regenerate, and be seen. Rest, often seen as a luxury, is here reframed as a basic hygiene that demands public policy. ‘This profound fatigue,’ the curator continues, ‘is not only dedicated to humans but also to ecological systems and exhausted resources. We need to think about how we can build infrastructure of care for all of that.’ 

image by Jacopo Salvi, Altomare.studio

A Brief Vacation revives affordable hygiene rituals

The project, part of the 24th Triennale Milano International Exhibition, takes its title and its concept from Vittorio De Sica’s 1973 film Una breve vacanza, where a Milanese factory worker finds unexpected dignity and healing in a mountain sanatorium. ‘It tells the story of Clara,’ explains curator Katarzyna Roj. ‘A Milanese working-class hero who gets tuberculosis and is sent to a sanatorium in the mountains. There, she gets her own room, with good food, and with the whole infrastructure of care, she experiences a social uplift. And this became a starting point for us—to ask, who has the right to rest, especially in times of mass migration, war, and reproductive work?’  The pavilion builds on this cinematic starting point to ask who today is allowed to rest and who is excluded. For Roj, hygiene should not be left to the individual. ‘We need to think of rest as collective infrastructure, especially in the context of mass migration, ecological fatigue, and reproductive labor,’ she adds.

The Polish Pavilion, organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute with support from BWA Wrocław Galleries of Contemporary Art, builds on the legacy of spaces like Milan’s subterranean Albergo Diurno Venezia, once offering affordable hygiene rituals to working-class residents. Wasilkowska’s design revives this spirit through a transcultural lens, proposing a network of future urban grottos: small-scale sanctuaries responding to crises of heat, drought, and displacement with care. These spaces could integrate with metro infrastructure, capturing underground temperatures, filtering rainwater, and offering emergency sanitation services in overheated cities. ‘Usually when you build a metro, you excavate around one million tons of earth,’ says the Warsaw-based architect during our interview. ‘That soil is transported outside of the city. We want to reuse it, to build a healing mountain next to the station—with sanitary infrastructure inside, like a cross-section of the future?’ One such ‘healing mountain’ is envisioned as a layered grotto of transcultural bathing rituals and rest zones. ‘We’re not just asking who gets to rest,’ states Roj. ‘We’re asking how we build for it—across borders, species, and systems.’

Polish Pavilion becomes a sanctuary for exhausted bodies

The transsanatorium combines global sanitary typologies

The underground chambers draw from global sanitary typologies. The transsanatorium incorporates a transcultural matrix of public bath typologies. ‘My idea was: how can we think of public space for nomads and diasporas living in the city?’ explains Wasilkowska. ‘Inside the healing mountain, there’s a mikveh, a mezzakal from South America, Greek and Roman baths, a Japanese sento, and even a ghat from Hindu culture. It’s like a protopian-utopian mix, because cities today aren’t monocultures anymore.’

This pluralistic approach extends even to sanitary architecture. ‘Toilets, for example, should have squatting and sitting options next to each other, you never know who will come. I saw it at the Istanbul airport, and I really appreciated it,’ the architect argues. ‘Migration is accelerating, and we need to adapt our designs to the people who live in our cities, not some imaginary standard user.’

In the age of hustle culture and planetary exhaustion, A Brief Vacation also confronts deeper taboos. ‘Lying down in public space is forbidden in European cities—it’s a class issue,’ Wasilkowska adds. ‘This idea is also about redistribution of luxury. It’s cheap—built from waste—but it’s for everyone. You don’t have to travel to an expensive sanatorium. It’s right here, in the metro.’

The pavilion’s central chamber features a sculpted daybed by artist Olaf Brzeski, soundscapes by Antonina Nowacka, and custom fragrances by Monika Opieka, aiming at sensual immersion. ‘We want people to lie down, to slow down, to notice their body in space,’ notes Roj. 

a brief vacation reimagines the ancient tepidarium as a chamber of collective rest

challenging the structural inequalities that determine who gets to rest and who doesn’t

Roj’s vision, together with Wasilkowska’s design, turns urban infrastructure inside out

a sanctuary where marginalized bodies can pause, regenerate, and be seen

rest, often seen as a luxury, is here reframed as a basic hygiene that demands public policy

the project takes its title and its concept from Vittorio De Sica’s 1973 film Una breve vacanza

Polish Pavilion builds on the legacy of spaces like Milan’s subterranean Albergo Diurno Venezia

the transsanatorium incorporates a transcultural matrix of public bath typologies

custom fragrances by Monika Opieka aim at sensual immersion

A Brief Vacation confronts deeper taboos

Wasilkowska’s urban proposal could integrate with metro infrastructure

project info:

name: Polish Pavilion, 24th Triennale Milano International Exhibition | @triennalemilano
exhibition title: A Brief Vacation

location: Triennale Milano, Milan, Italy

dates: May 13 – November 9, 2025

curator: Katarzyna Roj | @krojczy

architect of transsanatorium: Aleksandra Wasilkowska | @shadowarchitecture

sculptor: Olaf Brzeski | @olafbrzeski

composer: Antonina Nowacka | @antoninawidt

olfactory artist: Monika Opieka | @olfaktorie_bottanicum

photographer: Łukasz Rusznica | @lukaszrusznica

choreographer: Alicja Wysocka | @alfa_omegi

graphic designer: Agata Bartkowiak | @agatabe

support: Maciej Bujko

organizer: Adam Mickiewicz Institute | @culture_pl

co-organizer: BWA Wrocław Galleries of Contemporary Art | @bwawroclaw

director, AMI: Olga Wysocka

deputy directors, AMI: Olga Brzezińska, Piotr Sobkowicz

production and coordination: Joanna Andruszko, Tytus Ciski, Natalia Gedroyć, Klaudia Gniady, Tomasz Koczoń, Barbara Krzeska, Malwina Malinowska, Julia Marczuk-Macidłowska, Agata Opieka, Karolina Padło, Marcin Pecyna, Michał Sietnicki, Joanna Sokalska, Francis Thorburn, Julia Wójcik

co-financed by: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, Municipality of Wrocław

partners: Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Milan, Polish Cultural Institute in Rome, PFR Nieruchomości (part of Polish Development Fund Capital Group)

photographer: Jacopo Salvi | @jacopo_salvi, Altomare.studio | @altomare.studio

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It’s a very pink day for Gustaf Westman and his collection of camping gear and playful objects for the Mercedes-Benz CLA. The Swedish designer is the second act of the car company’s Class of Creators initiative after Ice Spice’s molten chrome car. Let’s go back to March 13th, 2025: we’re in Rome, Italy, the city where Mercedes-Benz unveils the CLA for the first time. A few hours before that, designboom sat down with Gustaf Westeman for an interview, ahead of his art pieces’ debut. It’s a gloomy day, but the photos he shows us are all bright and pink.

‘My sketch process is making a kind of function, so you can use the vehicle in another way,’ the designer tells designboom. ‘Basically, it’s a car that has a picnic table at the rear that you can slide out and even sit on. It also has a tent on the car’s roof where you can sleep. It’s life-size. Let me show you.’ It’s exactly how he describes it: the Mercedes-Benz CLA shines in pink with a glossy surface, and right above it is a cupola-shaped tent that the vehicle can bring anywhere. These were only sketches when we met. In the evening of May 22nd, 2025, two months after our interview, Gustaf Westman shows the real-life models at the Protein Studios in London’s East End.

all images courtesy of Gustaf Westman

Collection with ‘star’ plates and hotdog tray

The Gustaf Westman spin on the Mercedes-Benz CLA is family-friendly and perky. The stowable picnic table at the rear slides in and out of the chunky pink car. There are two benches on both sides, then the sliding table between them. Just below the Mercedes-Benz insignia, there are four tubes that pop out of the car, serving as the wine glass holder for the diners. The pink Mercedes-Benz CLA and its pink tent aren’t the only ones in pink. Gustaf Westman has made an entire collection of it for the Class of Creators. There’s even a pink roll-up backpack that, once unfolded, reveals lots of plates, cups, and some trays for hotdogs (yes, the ones with buns). It also doubles as a picnic blanket. Once laid out, it has nine distinctive squares, reminiscent of bubble wrap but without the circular form.

Picking up one of these circular plates, which is a recurring theme in the designer’s repertoire, it’s so clear that the design is patterned after the car company’s iconic emblem star. That’s good, though, because there are three sections for food, so diners can eat three different meal types at once. Other than that, the designer pays more attention to the rounded edges of the plates. ‘When you look at the CLA’s base, it has the same base as the plates. I wanted to work with that base because it’s really nice. So, I used the existing lines around the Mercedes-Benz car and extruded them to make them chunky and fluffy,’ he explains to designboom.

picnic table at the rear that users can slide out and even sit on

Gustaf Westman’s vibrant colors for Mercedes-Benz CLA

That chunky and fluffy feel reappears in the hotdog tray. It’s a thick but cute slab, like a jolly-looking charcuterie board, with multiple pockets to hold hotdog buns on. ‘I just like how they kind of capture the shape, and then they disappear. They have no endings, which gives these objects a life,’ Gustaf Westman shares with us. As our conversation moves forward, the designer says this is his first time venturing into the automobile world. 

Even so, the design approach isn’t so different from when he creates homeware and other party-ful objects. ‘It’s more that it takes longer to understand what I want to do. I have to understand the Mercedes-Benz CLA first before starting to design the collection,’ says Gustaf Westman.  In the end, he has achieved that enlightenment, and it pours through his ever-bright use of colors. It’s a staple of his works, and one that he’s not looking to change. 

the Mercedes-Benz CLA shines in pink with a glossy surface and a cupola-shaped tent on its roof

‘I see these colors as helping you understand the shape. I like the idea that you can understand an object in a second. Then, I also don’t want the color to make you feel too much because I want you to focus on the shape,’ he tells us. For the designer, the muted and hushed-down shades give a mysterious feeling, and he’s not looking for that. It’s easy then to look at Gustaf Westman’s works, including the playful collection for the Mercedes-Benz CLA. They’re light and attuned to happy inklings. The shades recall the time between spring and summer, the airy afternoon in a garden or park, after lunch and before the sun begins to set. 

Our conversation with the Swedish designer is coming to a close. Before we get up, he says he has tried playing with AI tools because it’s fun. He thinks it’s bad, though. He hasn’t used it in any of his designs, and he has no foreseeable plans to adopt them. ‘I could just go on Pinterest if I want to see and do those kinds of things,’ he says. Is he on Pinterest all the time? ‘I try not to be,’ he replies. It’s a platform that lets users organize their pinned images in a digital board, and that’s not him. He’s chaotic, he says, and by definition, it means disorder. We disagree, then, because in Gustaf Westman’s purchasable collection for Mercedes-Benz CLA, it’s anything but chaotic.

view inside the tent on the car’s roof

there’s even a pink roll-up backpack

once unfolded, the backpack doubles as a picnic blanket

view of the hotdog tray

the CLA exterior lines inspire the tray’s design

Star Plate with the car company’s emblematic star

there’s enough food space on the Star Plate

portrait of Gustaf Westman during the CLA unveiling in Rome, Italy | image © designboom

the designer holding his winged mirror in London

project info:

designer: Gustaf Westman | @gustafwestman

company: Mercedes-Benz | @mercedesbenzusa

initiative: Class of Creators

The post it’s a pink party with gustaf westman’s camping gear and picnic table for mercedes-benz CLA appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

There are places that make you stop merely because they invite it. As put into words by CMP Design, Griante is one of those places: a small lakeside town suspended between mountain and water, where life slips by in shimmering reflections. It’s here, that the Italian studio found the soul of their creation for the furniture brand Pedrali, revealed during Milan Design Week 2025. Griante stands as a chair, a lounge, and an armchair, bringing to life a product that with its tactile and woven design celebrates Italian craftsmanship, natural materials, and timeless comfort. designboom had the pleasure of joining the design trio at Salone del Mobile for a discussion, unravelling with them the story behind the chair that was born by the lake, but designed for the world. 

‘The town of Griante sits in a sunny, open position — so much so that its toponym is thought to derive from the French riant, meaning ‘smiling.’ Lake Como is our landscape of choice: we love it, and its sparkling beauty amazes us every time. For us, sitting outdoors almost always means doing so to contemplate the lake. And so we imagine that those who sit in Griante will experience the same pleasure — sitting in the sun, alone or with company, on a bright blue day, with a beautiful view in the background,’ begins CMP Design, taking designboom on a mental escape to Como.

CMP Design reveal Griante for Pedrali, reinterpreting the concept of woven seating in industrial production | image © Omar Sartor, art direction studio FM Milano; set design & styling Studio Milo

all images courtesy of Pedrali 

the chair, armchair and lounge versions of griante in milan

CMP Design, the Italian studio known for stitching together storytelling into functional forms, has spent two decades crafting design narratives that connect object and place. During Milan Design Week 2025, Michele Cazzaniga, Simone Mandelli, and Antonio Pagliarulo presented Griante — a collection of woven chairs, armchairs, and lounges that celebrates twenty years of Pedrali’s establishment of its wooden division, weaving the past and the present together. Where indoor elegance flirts with outdoor ease, the Italian furniture company adds Griante to a portfolio of deep-rooted expertise in Italian craftsmanship, industrial precision, and a passion for creating design pieces that bind tradition and contemporary living.

‘Traditionally, woven chairs are made by weaving directly onto the finished and painted frame. In the Griante project, we made this process industrially producible by separating the bare structural components from those to be covered,’ they tell designboom. ‘The artisanal process remains essentially the same: the weaver applies the same care when working with a disassembled frame, but it’s more practical and comfortable than handling a fully assembled chair. The idea of deconstructing the woven chair came from closely observing the weaver’s work and understanding the practical aspects of wood production at Pedrali.

the collection includes two different versions: one designed for indoor and one for outdoor spaces | image © Omar Sartor, art direction studio FM Milano; set design & styling Studio Milo

the 5×5 belts of the handwoven seat and backrest

A nod to Pedrali’s philosophy, Griante reinterprets the idea of woven seating, overlaying traditional handcraft with precise industrial production. The defining feature is its soft, handwoven seat and backrest, made in Italy from fully recyclable polypropylene yarn belts. These belts aren’t just practical; they offer a three-dimensional texture, divided into five tubular sectors, able to adapt with minimal variations that can cover the entire surface. The natural palettes like the shades of brown, beige, green, anthracite grey, and a pale lake-like blue, only elevate the way the light hits the pattern, bringing a soft but distinct notion to the surface. 

‘The aluminum frames of the seat and backrest are covered with a weave made from a mono-material, recyclable polypropylene yarn belt. The polypropylene yarn selected offers excellent resistance to sunlight, retaining its color unchanged even after many seasons of outdoor exposure. It also has outstanding durability against atmospheric agents, along with a slightly textured, irregular feel that diffuses light, giving it a matte, pleasant-to-the-touch finish. Additionally, the tape we designed is divided into five soft, tubular sections, which allow it to adapt to changes in shape and wrap easily around the frames,’ describes CMP Design.

the main feature of Griante is the handwoven seat and backrest made in Italy | image © Omar Sartor, art direction studio FM Milano; set design & styling Studio Milo

Its outdoor version features a wooden chair crafted for open-air spaces, using teak that carries the warmth of sun-soaked wood, while being weather-resistant and oil-treated. For the indoors, a favourite of CMP Design, Griante is presented in bleached ash wood, keeping the same honest materials and tactile, woven surfaces. This lighter shade brings polished sensibility to dining rooms and lounges. Both are FSC® C114358 certified, supporting responsible forestry. Cylindrical turned legs, oval armrests tapered where they meet the back legs, and discreet aluminium seat supports are thoughtful details that elevate Griante’s modest silhouette into something quietly refined.

‘The Griante project was conceived from the start as an outdoor chair, stemming from a line of research we began with Guinea, where we explored the possibilities of creating outdoor seating with wooden components. Unlike Guinea, Griante is made entirely of wood, with the seat and backrest in aluminum handwoven with polypropylene yarn belt. This of course results in lightweight, weather-resistant, rust-proof elements, suitable even for marine environments,’ explains the design studio.‘The light tone of ash wood, combined with the natural, lively irregularities of teak, softens the formal rigor that defines both the chair’s shape and its woven pattern. It reconnects us with something ancient and universal, shared across cultures. There’s a special pleasure in the touch of wood — a sense of completeness that doesn’t need embellishment or technical virtuosity. The woodworking is simple and minimal: cylindrical turned legs and an elliptical-section armrest, soft in its restraint.’

the square geometry of the weave further amplifies the generous proportions of the seat

Designed to live under pergolas, beside tables heavy with wine glasses, or by restaurant terraces catching the last glint of daylight, Griante slips between indoors and out. Its structure is strong yet light, built to be disassembled with ease, combining artisanal skill with smart mechanical assembly. The shells are woven separately before added onto the wooden components, following a constructive logic that CMP Design laid out with careful consideration. This leads to a manual artisan operation that is also preserved, while simultaneously inserted into a sustainable industrial process where bulky frames are avoided. Griante invites sitters to slow down, to linger, to feel as if they too are looking out over Lake Como.

‘The weaving of Griante is always done on disassembled, independent frames, which are then put together with the other chair components. This construction approach, where each element remains distinct both practically and visually, makes this easy to understand, resulting in what we like to call “intelligent dissassembly”. This feature becomes a defining characteristic of Griante, and the reason it is more sustainable than other, similar-looking products. Once taken apart, every part can be fully recycled. We’ve been collaborating with Pedrali for 13 years, so we’ve come to know the production line very well. We respect the craft that goes into each of our products, the artisans and the process, as well as the company’s ethos, which is why we also design the deconstruction process as well,’ explains CMP Design.

Griante’s fully recyclable polypropylene yarn belt and soft, three-dimensional texture ensure comfort and weather resistance

From the production line to the fully recyclable polypropylene yarn, in the end, what makes Griante truly timeless isn’t a stylistic choice or a strategic decision made around a table. For CMP Design and Pedrali, each project carries the weight of being the last, infused with experience, curiosity, joy, and a touch of risk. Griante is a reflection of this approach: an object that feels both rooted and open, designed not for passing seasons but for the long rhythm of life — much like the waters of the lake it’s named after.

‘Timelessnes is an attitude that we try to cultivate in our studio, in the sense that we try to design every project as if it is our last. It is this combination of experience, experimentation, joy and risk that makes the project an act of devotion towards humanity. That being said, there are many possible directions in which the collection could evolve — both in terms of function and materials. We’ve already started developing these ideas, and we hope that in our next interview, we’ll be sitting on one of these new versions!’ concludes the design studio. 

the colors of the weave give to the chair an accurate aspect that evokes natural landscapes

project info:

name: Griante

brand: Pedrali | @pedralispa

designer: CMP Design | @cmpdesign

The post CMP design’s griante weaves pedrali’s italian craft, fully disassembled frames & lake como appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.