Project

Guest of Honour

Client

Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair

Year

2020

Type

Exhibition

Description

As Guest of Honour at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair, Doshi Levien was invited to create a 200sqm installation for the entrance hall of the Stockholmsmässan convention centre. The commission took the form of an exhibition of works within an architectural setting, offering a rare opportunity to bring the spirit of the studio to Stockholm and to share its love of materials, space, form and colour.

The exhibition translated Doshi Levien's philosophy and creative process into a spatial experience, showing a progression from prototype to finished design. The exterior suggested a studio mock-up or backstage theatre set, constructed with an exposed wood structure. By contrast, the interior featured thin plywood elements shaped into smooth, interconnected archways. Resolved designs were placed alongside prototypes and drawings, forming an environment whose atmosphere was inspired by the monumental churches of Palermo, such as San Cataldo.

Credits

Exhibition photos: Jonas Lindström

(Fig 1)

BEHIND THE STRUCTURE

Doshi Levien wanted to display a transition from creative process to finished design. The exterior was like a studio prototype or a behind-the-scenes theatre set, designed with an exposed wood structure.

(Fig 2)

BRINGING THE STUDIO TO STOCKHOLM

The aim was to carry the spirit of the studio into the exhibition, translating the philosophy and creative process of Doshi Levien into a spatial experience.

(Fig 3)

AN IDEA BEAUTIFULLY TRANSLATED

The interior of the space was a smooth seamless connection of thin plywood shaped into cavernous, interconnected arch ways. The studio minimised the environmental impact of this temporary building by using as little material as possible, achieved through the use of structure and skins made of natural materials that were either recycled or re-used.

(Fig 4)

STOCKHOLM GUEST OF HONOUR

Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien take a rest after setting up their installation for the 2020 Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair. Levien is sitting on a limited-run printed leather version of Chandigarh. The pattern draws on the distinctive brise-soleil of Chandigarh’s buildings, translating those architectural forms into a graphic textile homage to the city’s atmosphere.

(Fig 6)

A QUIET MONUMENTAL SPACE FOR DESIGN

Resolved designs were shown alongside their finished counterparts, with drawings on the walls revealing the first thoughts set down on paper. The atmosphere carried the quiet, monumental presence of Palermo’s churches, such as San Cataldo with its barrel-vaulted forms, creating a space that invites calm attention and gentle curiosity.