AT the Design Shanghai event between March 27 to 30, a host of top designers gathered at the Shanghai Exhibition Center with limited edition pieces, exclusive product launches and world firsts across different design halls.

The 300 exhibitors were divided into contemporary, classic and collectible design halls.

Visitors had the opportunities to discover international design companies such as Fritz Hansen, Hay, Ibride, Moroso, Vitra and Seletti, as well as emerging Chinese design talent, including Frank Chou, Zai Ye Design and MZGF Furniture. This year also saw the launch of the Collectible Design Hall, the first time a platform has been created in China to explore the realm of limited edition design.

London-based gallery David Gill presented Zaha Hadid for Citco; Marcel Wanders for Baccarat, Christofle and Personal Editions; Arik Levy, with the Louise Alexander Gallery; US-based Gallery All; Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art; Carpenters Workshop Gallery, plus many others.

The event featured leading Western and Chinese designers and brands, with highlights including the unveiling of Chinese artist Wang Yuyang’s “Equip” sculpture for Swiss luxury brand Bally, Jean Prouve’s 6m by 9m Demountable House installation, Design Shanghai and AD Emerging Chinese Designers Platform showcasing young Chinese designers, and Fredrikson Stallard’s new “Prologue” installation for Swarovski, made of 8,000 Swarvoski crystal droplets. This year’s show had over 40,000 visitors.

Swarovski

“Prologue,” the latest collaboration between Swarovski and the acclaimed London-based designers Patrik Fredrikson and Ian Stallard made its debut in a brilliantly re-imagined form at Design Shanghai. Originally shown in raw steel and gold crystal at Art Basel 2014 (Hong Kong and Basel), “Prologue” is a circular sculpture measuring 4 meters in diameter with 8,000 Swarovski crystal droplets within a patinated steel frame.

Fredrikson and Stallard began working together in 1995 and have become internationally recognized as leading exponents of British avant-garde design.

They are well-known for their ability to translate their creativity into simple yet emotionally engaging furniture and product design. Fredrikson Stallard’s cutting edge, conceptually rigorous work is regularly praised in the design press and is much sought after by collectors.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for “Prologue?” What makes it unique?

A: To understand “Prologue,” you have to go back to the beginning which was last year in Hong Kong. We made another version of “Prologue” for the first time. It is intended to be a public sculpture and a representation of the sun — a very simple sample holding golden Swarovski crystal droplets within its flame.

As it traveled and came to Shanghai, we changed the story and the appearance of “Prologue.” For Design Shanghai, we recreated the work in galvanized steel and pale blue crystals to symbolize water because we want to highlight the Swarovski Waterschool program. (Swarovski Waterschools teach children and their communities the principles of sustainable water management and provides clean drinking water and water sanitation in schools and communities.)

Q: What’s the biggest challenge when you designed “Prologue?”

A: It was people’s opinions and the perceptions of what it was. What is so great about designing a piece like “Prologue” is that you can communicate on many different levels. Explaining and speaking to many people from different backgrounds is important to us. If the sculpture is shown in a gallery or museum, we speak to them with complicated and formed language. If you make sculptures for the general public, it might be more simplistic so that many people can relate to it. It’s important that everyone sees something special in it.

Q: Why did you decide to work with Swarovski?

A: First, Swarovski has fabulous materials with great color. But it is also very important for us that Swarovski gives us complete freedom to create whatever we want. We are able to express our ideas in the purist form.

Q: Could you share one of your exciting working experiences?

A: I think it was our first project with Swarovski — the Pandora chandelier, a project for the Swarovski Crystal Palace. The idea of the project was to reinterpret the classic chandelier. It has a very traditional empire chandelier form. We took the chandelier and literally exploded it. All 1990 crystals very slowly and gently exploded and after two minutes, gradually reformed a classic chandelier. It was incredibly difficult to do.

Temple House

At the fair, Make Architects launched its latest project for Swire Hotels, The Temple House in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. This is the third hotel in Swire’s House Collective portfolio, following The Upper House in Hong Kong and The Opposite House in Beijing.

Katy Ghahremani, Make partner and lead architect on the project, said: “The design was not a linear process. It was an iterative dialogue with Swire Hotels which made the process much more interesting. We looked at the design holistically, creating a dynamic relationship between external and internal spaces.”

Scheduled to open in June, the hotel embraces a typical siheyuan courtyard house design, with a sequence of courtyard gardens bordered by two medium-rise buildings.

mODERN dANISH

The Danish Consulate General and Innovation Center Denmark teamed up to present Modern Danish — a take on contemporary Danish living — at the fair, involving some of the country’s finest designers to create a balance of hip, urban, upcoming and innovative design, combined with Danish design icons.

“We put 14 Danish design brands in the Danish pavilion and five of those are not yet on the Chinese market. They are here to learn about the market and get feedback from the market,” said Commercial Consul Casper Freddie.

Room Copenhagen, Louise Roe Design Essentials, By Kato, VIFA and Askman Furniture were showcased along with aesthetic craftsmanship and modern classics such as Carl Hansen, Verpan, EgeCarpets, Paustian Furniture, Lindberg Eyewear, Jacob Jensen Design, Aida and Bang & Olufsen.

“We brought new and established designers together to Shanghai to create a Danish feel. We wanted to show Danish design balances perfectly between functionality and timelessness,” he added.

To show that Danish design has more to offer than beautiful furniture and interior accessories, they included electronics icon Bang & Olufsen, innovative loudspeaker brand VIFA and top quality eyewear company Lindberg.

The consulate said it hopes that the Design Shanghai exposure will help place the spotlight on Danish design in Shanghai.

Bally

Bally’s Modernist exhibition took center stage at Design Shanghai.

Visitors discovered a house and the exclusively commissioned piece of art, “Equip” displayed inside — together forming a tribute to Modernist design.

The 6m by 9m demountable house by Jean Prouve was designed in collaboration with Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret and is the latest chapter in a year-long project, evolving exhibition which celebrates modernity, functionality and innovation, said Bally.

Exclusive artwork “Equip” was created by Chinese artist Wang Yuyang. Wang is considered by many critics as one of the most talented and original artists of his generation through work characterized by intellectual humor coupled with emotional detachment.

DESIGN mvw

Innovative Shanghai-based design studio Design MVW unveiled its newest creations at Design Shanghai. Taking inspiration from natural forms and materials, Design MVW incorporates Chinese elements into today’s global lifestyle, aiming to balance function and aesthetics in unique and inventive ways.

Pure lines, lively forms and serene, elegant proportions define Design MVW’s latest collection. In the conception of the series of six pieces of furniture, the void represents the origin of a whole, according to the company, while the “solid” represents the visible part. The void structures the function and reveals the beauty of the whole, says Design MVW.