Voted as the most favoured immersive and inspiring showroom installation by over 200 voting participants, ‘f l u i d’ aimed to unite people, place and sustainability while framing utopia (the 2023 Project theme) as a harmonious, reciprocally adaptive world.

“While conveying the core elements that drove our concept, we wanted to create an immersive experience that engaged peoples’ senses,” says the Plus team, which worked in collaboration with Saturday Indesign exhibitor, AXOR, to create the installation for its Abbotsford showroom.

“When viewed at a distance, the installation effectively acted as a single dynamic sculpture, which drew people closer and encouraged them to inspect the individual elements,” says Plus.

The floating installation has been constructed from bottlecaps, sourced and repurposed from the designers’ local cafes. Over 1,400 bottlecaps were sourced. “To start with, we created a 3D model of our idea so we could accurately map how to thread and hang each cap to achieve our desired effect,” says the Plus team. “Once we knew how many different cap types we’d have after collection, we adapted our design to accommodate each size in a way that embodies the flow and motion of water.”

Here ‘f l u i d’ not only highlights the role people and sustainability play in our everyday lives, it also reflects back on perhaps AXOR’s most powerful element, water.

“When viewed at a distance, the installation effectively acted as a single dynamic sculpture, which drew people closer and encouraged them to inspect the individual elements. As they did this, the bottle caps, audio loop and water projections evoked their senses of sight, sound and touch,” says the Plus team.

For the design team, working with AXOR really highlighted the timelessness and versatility of the brand. “They’re a bit like Rolex – prioritising excellent engineering to create long-lasting, adaptable quality rather than churning out excessive quantities of products with one specific purpose,” says the Plus team. “This approach naturally lends itself to sustainability, and we love that they’ve always stayed true to their values.”

The winning installation was one of 10 different Project collaborations that competed for the People’s Choice. It used a total of 826 small caps, 361 medium, and 291 large. A massive effort – and a few late nights – from Plus’ very deserving Melbourne studio.

Congratulations Plus Architecture and AXOR!

About Saturday Indesign 2023

Saturday Indesign, now in its 20th year, really encapsulates that spirit of connectivity that makes the design community so unique and, well, fun. It’s an event that brings people together – almost 2000 in 2023 in fact – and invites them into the ‘homes’ of Australia’s leading purveyors of design, to experience showrooms as activated brand environments. Through interactive installations, dynamic design discussions, product launches and sublime hospitality, 34 exhibitors across 26 locations brought Saturday Indesign to vibrant life, this year in Melbourne. Read the full Saturday Indesign event wrap-up here.

About The Project

The Project is one of the most highly anticipated features of Saturday Indesign giving architects, designers and other creatives an opportunity to work with exhibiting companies and their products to create installations, visual displays and interactive experiences within showroom spaces. The Project creates a never-before-seen experience exclusive to Saturday Indesign, where attendees can immerse themselves in tangible and immersive works.

Saturday Indesign
saturdayindesign.com

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Saturday Indesign (SID), now in its 20^th year, really encapsulates that spirit of connectivity that makes the design community so unique and, well, fun. It’s an event that brings people together, invites them into the ‘homes’ of Australia’s leading purveyors of design, to experience showrooms as activated brand environments. Through interactive installations, dynamic design discussions, product launches and sublime hospitality, 34 exhibitors across 26 locations brought Saturday Indesign to vibrant life, this year in Melbourne.

Defined by three major design precincts of the city CBD, Richmond and Collingwood, the 2023 edition of Saturday Indesign enticed 2000 architects, designers and design lovers out from behind the desk to grab a classic ‘SID’ tote (this year created with bag partners Living Edge), and catch jaunty SID-branded buses (made possible thanks to transport partner Neolith), to sleuth out the best products and meet with friends and future contacts in some of Melbourne’s finest design showrooms.

Here we’ll take you on a whirlwind tour through each precinct, calling out the highlights along the way.

Welcome to Richmond

This year Richmond was flagged as Saturday Indesign’s largest Melbourne precinct, offering event-goers a dense and appealing group of exhibitors to visit – all within an easy walk.

Filling visitors with excitement was the official launch of Australia’s Molteni & C flagship store, unveiling creative director Vincent Van Duysen’s ‘Living Concept – A Warm and Fluid Home’.

Across the road, Jardan revealed its latest collection, seamlessly integrating this into its pop-up Café Jardan. Close by was Mobilia, which toured its visitors through its flagship store, and rewarded one lucky person with a trip to the Milan Furniture Fair – what an excellent door prize!

Reece and Neolith invited guests into Reece’s Richmond headquarters, known as The Works, staged The Project with Fraser and Partners, inviting guests to step into a mesmerising VR adventure where they could be whisked away to a breathtaking utopian bathroom scape.

Didier was a major product highlight, presenting two new furniture collections, entitled TanGuor and Etiquette, as well as an expanded selection of pieces for its established Gunzel Range. At Design Precinct could take part in special workshops and fuel themselves on tasty morsels from Supercheese and Olinda Specialist Cellars Gin and Wine Tasting.

Attracting a block-buster crowd for its Darren Palmer talk was Camerich, while Cosh Living and Cantilever hosted an ‘Australian Designed and Made’ discussion with collaborators Travis Dean and Katie Forbs (Cantilever Interiors) and Justin Hutchinson (Kett) on the panel.

Living Edge never disappoints and this year was no exception, with its carpark transformed into a live garden party. People grouped around the Extremis-designed Panigiri table and live musicians entertaining people with Greek tunes. Tucked next door was Thinking Works which rewarded one lucky visitor with a trip to Clerkenwell Design Week in London. And Winnings programmed a day of delicious cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and a barbecue feast.

Can’t get enough of Collingwood

Teaming up with Santa & Cole, AJAR staged The Project with a series of land and air scapes sculpted by the warm light of Santa & Cole’s Tekiò pendant lamp. Also filling their showroom with creative inspiration was AXOR with Plus Architecture who staged an ‘fluid’ water-projecting experience that immersed visitors in a multi-sensory wonderland.

ecf HFA put the focus on product innovation, presenting latest offerings from renowned brands Jonas Ihreborn, Luxxbox, Framery, Sedus and +Halle.

In an expansive warehouse space above its usual quarters, Great Dane brought its unique style with long, blue snaking modular sofas, where visitors photographed themselves to go in the running for a delicately designed Verpan lamp.

Across the road at HAY, a colourful cubby house – indeed the Colour Crate House – constructed by the team from numerous multi-hued crates (constructed from recycled content) created quite the buzz among visitors.

The ultimate hosts, K5 Furniture was home to multiple in-depth conversations – including Masanao Hamaguchi speaking with K5’s Suzette Jackson on the values and design thinking of craft furniture from the Hida Takayama region in the Gifu prefecture of Japan.

At ownworld crowds arrived early for the packed-out Publish Me! Panel discussion, and finished the day with music and dancing with DJ Dowel Jones on the decks. Just around the corner, Tait turned on its outdoor hospitality, staging a ‘how to create a natural Australian garden’ workshop with Phillip Withers.

With plenty to touch and look at, Surface Gallery and Style Timber Floors teamed up with design studio Hot Black delving into dreams and fears to present a Utopia x Dystopia installation.

At the centre of Melbourne’s CBD design scene

At Winya Indigenous Furniture presented the Woolee Woolee Keetwanta – An Indigenous Art Projection, and dazzled guests with a performance by Meriam drag artist and reigning champion of Miss First Nation, Cerulean.

Always a popular CBD destination, SZW with Omvivo and e&s hosted a champagne and oyster hour with David Hicks and showed off pop-y pink bathroom concepts, as well as the latest kitchen and bathroom concepts.

At Signature Floors, guests observed artists wielding tufting guns to highly creative effect. Meanwhile, at Aspect Furniture, the company teamed up with Dunlop Foam, Camira Fabrics, Autex, Wise Wool, and Critical to put the focus on sustainable products and manufacturing processes.

HOW. teamed up with Autex Acoustics for this edition of Saturday Indesign, working with RMIT to stage The Project and in-depth discussions for attentive audiences.

At Brickworks, an exhibition of work by architectural photographer Derek Swalwell was on show, and a rich conversation around Growing Graduates Into Leaders proved to be highly relevant and engaging.

This year’s Saturday Indesign is a wrap – but the journey continues!

Did you love all the installations you saw at Saturday Indesign? Vote for your favourite Project for your chance to win.

Explore the Saturday Indesign Afterparty – an event to remember!

Get ready for next year’s Saturday Indesign, returning to Sydney for 2024.

We love seeing all your photos. Share your experience using #saturdayindesign, and see more highlights @saturdayindesign.

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That’s right – the Project is back this year and participating exhibitors have been hard at work collaborating with design’s most innovative minds to create work drawn from a theme of “utopias”. The Project is one of Saturday Indesign’s most enduring elements and is a fan favourite year after year. It enables participating brands to flex their creative muscles and add to their showroom experience by installing a temporary, bespoke experience that speaks to their brand identity and vision. 

More than just a physical creation, The Project is a testament to the power of collaboration, with brands working with architects, designers, artists and more to create something memorable, sustainable and evocative.

For 2023, Utopias has us counting down until September 2nd, with event day promising a series of Project submissions that will give us all a glimpse into a dream world that might just be the future of design. We’re thinking fields of flowers or installations with water, experimental design models or blueprints into sustainable futures – the possibilities are endless!

Ready to plan your Saturday Indesign experience around The Project? Read on and discover this year’s collaborations and get a sneak peek into just what they have planned or see examples from past Projects. 

Ajar x Santa & Cole

“The ancestral meets the avant-garde”

A series of highly technical structures dressed in handmade paper. Alone or in repetition, its luminous power can vary from a whisper to an exclamation. Tekiò, “adaptation” in Japanese, fuses ancient techniques with Dim to Warm LED technology, which allows the light to be regulated in intensity and colour temperature. Created by Anthony Dickens, this unique contemporary lamp is a contrast between the ancestral and the avant-garde.

Image courtesy of Ajar x Santa & Cole

Aspect Furniture

“Tomorrow’s Materials”

Venture on an innovative journey as Aspect Furniture joins forces with their internal design teams to pioneer the future of materials. Explore the uncharted realms of ‘tomorrow’s materials,’ pushing boundaries and redefining possibilities to craft a sustainable and visionary tomorrow.

Axor x Plus Architecture

“Moving Underwater”

Dive into an extraordinary water projecting experience that immerses you in a multisensory wonderland, where sight, sound, and touch unite to transport you to the depths of aquatic marvels, leaving you awestruck and refreshed.

Great Dane x Verpan

“Cloveleaf Giant Jigsaw”

“Get ready to embark on a creative experience with Verpan and Great Dane, as they invite designers to unleash their artistic prowess and reimagine the legendary Cloverleaf sofa by Verne Panton. 

Inspired by the concept of utopian togetherness, designers will have the opportunity to sculpt their own interpretations of the iconic Cloverleaf, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and exploring uncharted creative territory. Expect the unexpected as the collaborative spirit ignites a symphony of interpretations and witness the magic unfold as your peers come together to reimage this timeless masterpiece, crafting an immersive and captivating experience for all.”

HAY

“Build a World”

“Experience the ultimate eco-adventure as you unleash your creativity and build your sustainable haven using vibrant, coloured crates. In this immersive experience, you become the architect of change, transforming recycled materials into unique and inspiring structures that redefine eco-friendly living.”

HOW.Group & Autex x RMIT

“Framing Conversations”

Join the procces of 20 students as they enrich on an 8-week guided project, an integral part of the course assessment, where year three and honours students will immerse themselves in hands-on learning, fostering valuable skills and knowledge that will shape their academic and professional journeys.

Reece & Neolith x Fraser and Partners

“A “Virtual” World”

Step into a mesmerizing VR adventure where you don the goggles and find yourself whisked away to a breathtaking utopian Bathroom scape, where imagination knows no bounds and dreams become reality.

Signature Floors

“The Big Weave”

Unleash your creativity as everyone contributes their unique touch to the art of weaving, culminating in a magnificent collective masterpiece that showcases the beauty of collaboration and the power of individual expression coming together as one.

Winya x Indigenous Creators from Naarm and Nationally

“Decolonised Space”

“Winya’s utopia is a decolonised space and is designed in collaboration with Indigenous artists across Naarm and nationally. Decolonisation seeks to reverse the negative impacts colonisation has had on Indigenous people and the land, particularly through direct and active listening to First Nation’s Voices. Winya’s space centres and celebrates Indigenous voices in the forms of space making, cultural sharing, and artist activations throughout the duration of the day. This space celebrates art and culture in many forms with community coming together to create a space almost entirely developed by First Nations people. We invite visitors on a journey starting at the intersection of Flinders Lane and Queen Street, travelling down Queen Street and through our showroom located at 15 Queen Street. Non-Indigenous visitors are encouraged to learn from and celebrate our cultural educators and performers through “paying the rent”. 

Why do we “pay the rent”?

Read more https://paytherent.net.au/whypay/

Art produced by ENOKI

ENOKi (They/Them) is a proud Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta Blak Fulla based in Wurundjeri Country (Melbourne), they’re a multimedia artist with a main focus on digital media. ENOKi explores Blakness and Queer Identity themes in their practice and is heavily inspired by the ’80s, ’90s, and early ‘2000s artists, rap and hip-hop, and pop culture.”

PLUS more to be announced from Surface Gallery & Style Timber Floors x Hot Black!

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Saturday Indesign will be held in Melbourne, Australia on Saturday 2nd September. Registrations are free and provide access to the full daytime event including all participating showrooms, hospitality, talks, activations and free event transport.

Image courtesy of Winya x Indigenous Creators from Naarm and Nationally

To see all of these installations, and enjoy the full day of Saturday Indesign activations, Register now  for free. 

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Part of this transformation of the harbour city included  never before seen collaborative installations between exhibiting brands and creative partners as part of ‘The Project’. The Project is one of the most highly anticipated features of Saturday Indesign. A jewel in the crown of the SID program, providing architects, designers and other creatives the ability to work in conjunction with exhibiting companies and their products to create installations, visual displays and interactive experiences within showroom spaces. 

This year, The Project was themed around regeneration, prompting exhibitors, creatives and attendees alike to consider their role in a society which is reawakening after a pandemic-induced slumber. As we re-emerge, the stark realities of climate destruction, mass wastage, and a lack of true human connection are issues we as an industry need to address.

Every installation at SID provided attendees with the opportunity to interact with some of the country’s foremost design organisations and experience never before seen installations. Visitors had the chance to vote for their favourite The Project installation, and we are excited to officially announce the winner of The Project people’s choice: Kaolin Tiles in collaboration with ARM Architecture!!

People’s Choice winner of 2022 The Project Kaolin Tiles x ARM Architecture 

Cleverly designed by ARM Architecture and crafted by Kaolin, a circular patterned installation spoke to the visitor, where Regeneration became fully realised at a given point or moment in time. As a permanent fixture in Kaolin’s impressive new showroom, the scale, detail, interactivity and depth of meaning of the creation amazed attendees.

Mark Raggatt, Director of ARM Architecture, provided the following words on the project’s meaning and it’s response to the brief:

“To REGENERATE is to grow again, or bring new life and vigour, to be reborn. What more perfect theme could we be given after all we’ve been through.

How can we reflect on this recent past and see a new future? Can we hope to be reborn?

We are not the first to ask these questions. Hans Holbein the Younger painted The Ambassadors in 1533. At the base of the painting is a dark smudge, an incomprehensible blemish it would seem but standing in just the right spot, looking from the perfect vantage point we would see a skull emerging from the painting. The skull is a perspectival anamorph a distorted image revealed only through the foreshortening of perspective created by our viewing.

The word anamorph is derived from the Greek prefix -ana meaning ‘again’ and the word morphe meaning shape or form – literally again-form or to shape again, or perhaps to REGENERATE.

Here, we placed a mirrored cone on the contorted Kaolin tiles, the reflection in the mirror reveals an undistorted checkerboard, this anamorph is called a conical catoptic or mirrored anamorph. But in this mirror is something else what seems like a white streak across the tile is regenerated as the word Eternity in the conical mirror.

Eternity is part of the folklore of Sydney. Arthur Stace woke at 4am most mornings to chalk Eternity on the streets of Sydney. Surely this Eternity is the hope of regeneration for the world – that this time it will all last forever. A hope that this regenerated reflection will linger in the mirror.”

Voting was tight, with seven other authentic and exceptional installations across the event footprint, The Project was an absolute star along the extensive design trail laid out by Saturday Indesign 2022. Here are some of the highlights: 

1. Stormtech x Squillace

Visitors were guided through the exhibition space by illuminated cubes containing Stormtech’s product off cuts, showcasing Stormtech’s practice of recycling and sustainability. Renewing and re-using products to reduce the environmental footprint is leading to growth and new versions of what has been. At the end of the path experience an immersive display was reached demonstrating growth, renewal and flexibility.

2. Anterior XL x Plus Architecture

Through various iterations, Plus Architecture and Anterior XL were able to develop a demountable structural system that is easily used to stack stone slabs, creating a piece that restores its sculptural qualities. It is a prototype that involves cutting up a stone slab, with the concept that after the exhibition, it can be taken apart and reused for other purposes if required.

3. Porter’s Paints x PTW

To replicate the psychological transformation of being “reborn”, Porter’s Paints and PTW decided to reference colour strategies from a variety of influences such as Johannes Itten, Joseph Albers, Sanzo Wada, experimenting with colour action, layering and in turn creating a journey of colour interaction.

4. Wilkhahn x Geyer

Geyer and Wilkhahn took visitors through a journey of the evolution of the workplace, a transcendental and experiential installation that connected past, present and future. Anchored in the exploration of Wilkhahn’s iconic FS line, which has seen iterations and regenerations since its launch in 1980, the project brought a mix of physical, visual and augmented reality mediums to represent the workplace multiverse.

5. SeehoSu x Hammond Studio

SeehoSu’s approach to “regeneration” demonstrated how effortlessly good design and sustainability can be achieved when nature, knowledge and craftsmanship is inherently embedded in each and every piece of their furniture.

Collaborating with the talented team at Hammond Studio, this The Project installation invited visitors to come and reconnect with industry peers in the iconic Molo lounge. 

6. Maker&Son x Liv Green 

This collaboration created an Indoor Forest at the Maker&Son Alexandria Showroom transforming the space into another world including an indoor forest experience complete with trees and bracken throughout. 

7. Ignite Fireplace x Billy Blue

Teaming with Ignite, the students of Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University regenerated the fireside experience with the best of Australian design and crafting.

Utilising the concept of DAY/NIGHT, they looked to challenge the role of the fireplace in the contemporary home by igniting the senses.

With Saturday Indesign returning to Melbourne in 2023, now is the time to express your interest in getting involved! Register your interest in participating in The Project here.

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Part of this transformation of the harbour city includes never before seen collaborative installations, that are on show for one day only. If you’re looking for a serious boost in creative inspiration, Saturday Indesign may just have what you’re looking for! 

While every installation at SID provides attendees with the opportunity to interact with some of the country’s foremost design organisations, Saturday Indesign gives the entire industry the chance to come together to collaborate, experiment and learn what makes the Sydney design scene one of a kind. With a number of local, regional and international brands on show, SID is an unheralded opportunity for the design world to come together

‘The Project’ is one of the most highly anticipated features of Saturday Indesign. A jewel in the crown of the SID program, The Project provides architects, designers and other creatives the ability to work in conjunction with exhibiting companies and their products to create installations, visual displays and interactive experiences within showroom spaces. 

This year, The Project is themed around regeneration, which prompts exhibitors, creatives and attendees alike to consider their role in a society which is reawakening after a pandemic-induced slumber. As we re-emerge, the stark realities of climate destruction, mass wastage, and a lack of true human connection are issues we as an industry need to address. When we think of regeneration, all things natural and handmade come to mind. We think of seasons and AI, robotics and life cycles, old buildings brought back to life, of ground-breaking innovations, of communities reconnecting and movements of sustainability. Grab a sneak peek of some of these collaborations below.

1. Stormtech x Squillace

Be guided through the exhibition space (hosted within the Caroma showroom) by illuminated cubes containing Stormtech’s product off cuts, showcasing Stormtech’s practice of recycling and sustainability. Renewing and re-using products to reduce the environmental footprint is leading to growth and new versions of what has been. At the end of the path experience an immersive display is reached demonstrating growth, renewal and flexibility.

2. Kaolin Tiles x ARM Architecture

Cleverly designed by ARM Architecture and crafted by Kaolin, behold a circular patterned installation speaks to the visitor, where Regeneration becomes fully realised at a given point or moment in time.

3. Anterior XL x Plus Architecture

Through various iterations, Plus Architecture and Anterior XL were able to develop a demountable structural system that can be easily used to stack the stone slabs, creating a piece that restores its sculptural qualities. It is a prototype that involves cutting up a stone slab, with the idea that after the exhibition, it can be taken apart and reused for other purposes if required.

4. Porter’s Paints x PTW

To replicate the psychological transformation of being “reborn”, Porter’s Paints and PTW have decided to reference colour strategies from a variety of influences such as Johannes Itten, Joseph Albers, Sanzo Wada. The pairing plans on experimenting with colour action, layering and in turn creating a journey of colour interaction.

The creativity doesn’t stop there, look beyond The Project and navigate through your Saturday Indesign experience by following the trail of installations planned for the day.

Seating Gallery

Presented by Steelcase, the seating exhibit begins with the introduction of one of the company’s latest innovations, and a story about the circular economy. The exhibit then proceeds to a visualisation of an increasingly popular workplace and culminates in a visual overview of the Steelcase Seating Difference.

PLUS – an exclusive, secret promotional code will be given out to attendees!

JANUS et Cie’s Garden

Step into JANUS et Cie and be transported into a garden oasis. Experience their luxurious range of outdoor furniture in situ as you picture the garden of your dreams.

‘Shaping our Future’: An exhibition by Space Furniture

Shaping our Future is an installation in which Space takes a closer look at our design collection through the lens of ethical and sustainable practices. It’s the start of a journey that focuses on the role we play in business and as individuals in shaping the world we want.

An Indoor Forest at Maker&Son

Experience a unique showroom transformation as the team at Maker&Son create an indoor forest experience complete with trees and bracken throughout.

Jumping Photoshoot

Get your own viral Instagram moment at Maker&Son, where a custom shoot space will be set up to make you part of the Maker&Son world.

E-WASTELAND by Zetr and Walter Knoll

This installation challenges how long we’ve dealt with archaic power and data delivery systems and present the latest ‘25’ offering by Zetr.

Attending Saturday Indesign is free, skip the queue on the day and register your attendance online now!

Key event details:
Saturday Indesign 
21 May, 2022
9am-5pm 
Key design locations across Sydney 
Free to attend! Register now!

We can’t wait to see you at #saturdayindesign however don’t forget that May 21st is also the federal election. Saturday Indesign recommends registering for a postal vote to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the design action.

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