A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th

Postponed twice, due to the Covid19 pandemic, it’s finally decided that Design Shanghai opens at the end of November 2020, and will span from the 26th to the 29th of this month. The event is taking place in a new location: the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and the Convention Center.

This choice means Design Shanghai will be 40% bigger than its previous edition, and this year it will feature more than 400 brands and a partnership with Audi.

Audi will present “window for the future”, an installation that forms a multifaceted setting for Audi’s Q4 e-tron concept, embodying the brand’s vision of tangible harmony between sustainability and electric driving excitement. Marc Lichte, head of Audi Design, commented as follows

“There has never been a more exciting time to be a car designer. Right now is the best time to rethink […] automobile design – in short to take car design into the future”

In addition, there will be two new sections:

  • Objects and accessories
  • Talents

in addition to

  • Contemporary Design
  • Classic & Luxury
  • Kitchen & Bathroom
  • Workplace
  • New Materials and Applications

This is how Zhuo Tan, who is the Director of Design Shanghai, comments on the event

“Although we have experienced unprecedented circumstantial challenges and postponement, we are now fully prepared and ready to go. We have received support from many brands and designers both in China and abroad, which is a testament to the industry’s confidence in the Chinese market. This year’s show is larger than ever, and we believe that Design Shanghai

will be the most high-profile design event in China and Asia this year. Not only do we hope that the show will share with a wide audience the latest design trends, but more importantly, we will also use this opportunity to bring together designers from various fields and regions to discuss how design may provide solutions to public health problems”

The event confirms to be a very important platform for international brands, with a loud presence especially from countries that are traditionally strong and iconic in design realities.

To begin with, Denmark, strong leader of the Scandinavian design, of course Italy, mastering  globally  for its volume of exports and exclusive status of the “made in -“,  to continue with United States, France… but it absolutely does not stop here.

Now, without further ado, let’s give a look at what’s new and what’s coming back for every section, highlighting some brands:

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN

Denmark:

Danish family-owned brand Fredericia will present a variety of products that embody the spirit of Nordic design and aesthetic, whereas AYTM, established in 2015 by Kathrine and Per Gran Hartvingsen, will debut with the SS20 collection.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Fredericia
A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
AYTM

Italy:

Among Italian brands, Zanotta will showcase home furniture that balance artistic elements and technology, while Marmo will focus its selection on stylish and accessible home furniture and accessories that reflect authentic and dedicated craftsmanship.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Zanotta
A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Marmo

United States:

Sun at Six, a wooden furniture brand from the US, pays its tribute to the traditional Chinese technique mortise and tenon.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Sun at six

France:

Ligne Roset will present a wide range of beautiful furniture products

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Ligne Roset

Spain:

Andreu World will highlight a series of wooden furniture and Gufram will return with its iconic Domestic Sculptures such as Bocca chair and Metacactus.

China:

HOUSE of WANG, a lifestyle boutique that recently opened in Beijing, will bring a selection of works by international designers ranging from Sé Collection, Nada Debs, Behan Gray to Lee Broom

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
House of Wang

“Norwegian Presence”  curated by Design and Architecture of Norway (DoGA) is a very interesting new entry and is introduced to Design Shanghai for the first time in 2020. This section aims to expand on the theme of sustainability and will do this by featuring brands that include, among the others, decorative paints specialist Jotun.

Nordic design has two more emerging brands from Denmark: 101 COPENHAGEN and NORR11, that together with 101+ will present a selection of furniture and home products that embody the wabi-sabi spirit fusing Eastern aesthtetic and Scandinavian design.

Last but not least, WOWDSGN represents Finland: WOWDSGN is a Nordic design collection brand for home furnishing, and at Design Shianghai, it will bring a Finnish representation titled “Design in Life”, illustrating a personalised and exquisite experience with the products.

CLASSIC AND LUXURY

This section is hosting Visionnaire for the first time. Italian brand for which design is a philosophy, Visionnaire will present products by famous Italian designers such as Alessandro La Spada, Mauro Lipparini, Draga & Aurel, Gupica and Michele Astolfi. Also from Italy, Domus Aurea will launch the LIANG lamp designed by Steve Leung in collaboration with Swarovski Christal Palace and a tearoom series with Medea 105.

Brand of choice for high end, luxurious sofas and chairs all made in Britain, Duresta will showcase luxurious upholstery that truly exemplifies the British artisan heritage they represent since 1938.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th

KITCHEN AND BATHROOM

German luxury kitchen brand AXOR will dedicate its debut to the latest collections in collaboration with Chinese designers Jamy Yang and Zhang Lei.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Axor

Gorenje teams up with French designers Philippe Starck and Ora Ito to create a series of colourful appliances for the show in Shanghai, while Japanese brand Cleanup will showcase kitchen cabinets mede of medical standard stainless steel.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Cleanup

OBJECTS & ACCESSORIES

This is one of the new sections at Design Shanghai, and it will feature Turkish glassware brand Nude. Revol, Robert Welch, Umasqu presented by Ideal Casa.

Mastership of Iittala will arrive from Finland, while Belgium is represented by Gommaire.

WORKSPACE

The workspace section at Design Shanghai has evolved as people spend more time in home offices. So some of the latest trends and innovation in office furniture will get the proper spotlight, and again Italian leading office furniture maker, ESTEL, will demonstrate how to designate work and leisure areas at home by using different colours and materials.

Technogym will showcase aerobic and functional fitness products along with complementary cloud service and Belgian RENSON, specialised in natural ventilation systems and sun-protection systems, will introduce sustainable solutions that are balanced with confort and design.

Italian environmental materials pioneer Tabu and French brand Tarkett will both launch new products at Design Shanghai.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Tabu
A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Tarkett

DOMESTIC DESIGN BRANDS

China is getting recognition abroad and Design Shanghai, being one of the largest industry events in design, of course continues to support domestic brands and designers by creating a platform for exchange and exposure.

For this year’s Contemporary Design section, there will be a space dedicated to Chinese designers, which is a very fair decision. There will be numerous brands, of course, eg Mario Tsai Studio, that will present a light and music installation that goes by the name “Colosseum”.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Mario Tsai

Ugan Concept will release the 2020 Saddle collection: chair, table, lamp, shelf and flooring products.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Ugan Concept

UFOU will bring its iconic adjustable desk and other functional products for home office and lighting brand

will integrate the oriental humanistic spirit into contemporary design and will showcase some new poetic and elegant products.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Leedarson
A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
Leedarson

RK Furniture will display a well-balanced home space, blending inspirations from different cultures, attention given to its handmade rugs, while 2-LA design, founded by Xiaoxi Shi, interested in exploring relations between art, mathematics, and design, will bring functional artistic pieces such as the Knot Table, and Sansui Aroma.

A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
2-LA knot table
A new bigger Design Shanghai 2020 opens November 26th
RK-furniture

There will also be returning Chinese brands, such as SEEDDESIGN for lighting, and KUNDESIGN for outdoor furniture, and 8 hours and WUU with more furniture.

TALENTS

Finally, the new talent section will include emerging and young designers from China. Ziinlife, SEEDDESIGN, Wenlot, Liminal Collection, 8 hour e Xiang Shang, lovie are just a few names we can mention, together with already mentioned Mario Tsai Studio.

SEEDDESIGN is a lightning products brand that balances practicality and minimalism. Ziinlife is a multiple award winning brand that will present the new minimalist Euclid Tea Table, made of a transparent glass top and a wooden base.

Wenlot is an emerging brand founded in 2018 with a design firmly rooted in Chinese craftsmanship and tradition. Inspired by the 1970, and focused on Design in China and Made in China.

Liminal collection exhibits at Design Shanghai for the first time, but was present at London Design Festival in September 2019. This brand creates sustainable products to enhance the quality of life in urban spaces. 8 Hour, instead, is a returning brand at Design Shanghai, and is inspired by daily life and balance. Crossroad is the theme for their new collection and reflects the aesthetics of the brand.

Love promotes designs that brings joy and harmony into the domestic space with simple and playful pieces. This brands aims to integrate the needs of humans and their pets.

Last but not least, Xiang Shang is a ceramic brand founded in 2013 in Jingdezhen, the ceramics capital of China. The theme they present is ‘wù’, Chinese word for “fog” in reference to the gradient glade that adorns the pieces.

With more than 400 exhibitors, Design Shanghai shows to be a very interesting and inspiring event with a global appeal and an important place in the reality of interior design, lightning and accessories. Surely one of the main design events in the world, together with New York, Los Angeles, Milan and London.

All pictures courtesy of Design Shanghai 

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Flora MC

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Flora MC

Flora MC is correspondent from Italy for NYSG since September 2018. Passionate about design, technology, with focus on made in Italy, Flora has lived in several European countries where she specialised in communication online, both visual and written and is a polyglot. She studied cultural mediation and European affairs in Italy, visual communication, web design, and original production in Sweden, and commercial photography in the US.

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