InsideOut Interiors Biennale 2013 : a celebration of the found space

Abstract

Bell (Gigli, et al. 2007:ix) believes that “design that is good should be embedded within all that surrounds us in the unnatural world. Good design and good architecture improve all our lives - they are not just about decoration.” An understanding of what good design entails and a comprehension of the interior designer’s role within the built environment and public realm could anchor this belief. The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) established Design Frontiers: The Interiors Entity (DFIE) to define the interiors discipline for IFI stakeholders and the general public alike. The planned Interiors Biennale in 2013, the final phase of the DFIE, is intended to visualise this knowledge, actualising the global consensus as reflected in the IFI Interiors Declaration. The objective of the dissertation is to design a travelling exhibition for the IFI Interiors Biennale 2013. The study investigates exhibition design as a method of communicating the seven basic pillars of the interiors profession as described by the Declaration. A normative position derived from the event title, ‘designing from the inside out’, establishes the premise for the design approach. The project explores the temporary imprint that results from the relationship between the general (host structure) and the specific (installation). While acknowledging that the design cannot be completely site specific, the proposal identifies characteristics of ‘the universal exhibition host’ to obtain a set of constraints that inform the design of a travelling installation. A proto-site is identified within Johannesburg, embodying the universal specification. The site typology has the least impact on the design development with the event typology (travelling exhibition), and the design brief (IFI Interiors Declaration) driving the process. The investigation points to an adaptive solution: design for disassembly. This design philosophy influences the chosen construction and fabrication method as well as the selected material type. The design objective is not to curate the event, but rather to provide a flexible and innovative ‘kit of parts’ to facilitate the projected communication needs of the client (IFI).