transparent elements adorn ‘fashioned from nature’ exhibition design by studio 10 in china

studio 10 has completed the spatial design for the ‘fashioned from nature’ exhibition, hosted by the sea world culture and arts center in shenzhen, china. co-curated by the victoria & albert museum(V&A), the china silk museum, design society along with guest curator edith cheung, the exhibition consists of two sections to narrate the complex relationship between fashion and nature since the 16th century, with reflections as well as an emphasis on environmental sensitivity and preservation, in both western and eastern societies. 

all images courtesy chao zhang

with nature as the subject and garden as the theme, the design by studio 10 forms an abstract yet poetic interpretation and comparison of the eastern and western views of nature, as well as the evolution from classical through contemporary garden spaces. the first section of the exhibition is named ‘fashioned from nature’, focusing on the correlation between fashion and nature from the 16th century until now, while the second section, titled ‘fashioned from nature in china: then and now’ is an echo of the topic in the east.

in this newly developed design, studio 10 hoped to ‘explore the similarities and differences of the natural views embodied in eastern and western gardens’. with this in mind, the entrance archway is clad with tyvek which, when backlit, faintly reveals the vine-like fibers and forms an abstract ‘green corridor’. through this corridor, guests can access the first section of the exhibition, housing the classical period of the english section. translucent fabrics are used to create an abstract ‘western’ classical garden, which is highly geometric, axially symmetrical, and perspective-driven while connecting circular spaces and showcases of different sizes. 

then comes the last ‘garden’, formed by an array of acrylic tubes — the modern material implies that the exhibition narrative is approaching modernity, when people began to contemplate and reflect on the relationship between fashion and nature. here, the layout follows a more contemporary approach, the space instantly opens up, from classical confined circular showcases to one continuous, free-flowing display area, echoing the flexible layout of contemporary landscape and spatial design.

the chinese section serves as the final part of the exhibition, taking shape as a pill-shaped plan enclosed with translucent fabric, leaving only a slit for the entrance. visitors can vaguely see whilst wandering within this space, while curiosity accumulates. in this section, the design follows a natural approach – there is no axis or fixed linear circulation. a translucent ramp settles within the interior, just like a mountain trail or stream meandering down from the sky, free and winding. the models dressed in showcased pieces are placed on the ramp as if they are walking down a hill.

within the entire exhibition, visitors can roam around the space intuitively and freely, as if they are in a natural setting. the design uses lightweight and translucent materials such as fabric, TPU, tyvek, etc. to weaken the interposition of physical space and the existence of entity. expressing eastern and western, classical and modern garden’s abstract and poetic views through ‘void’ and ‘transparency’, the architects intend to encourage visitors to ponder and reflect upon the relationship between human and nature, from a fashion as well as a broader perspective.

project info:

name: ‘fashioned from nature’ exhibition

curator: design society, victoria & albert museum (v&a), china silk museum

guest curator: edith cheung

design consultant: studio 10

principal-in-charge: shi zhou

design team: cristina moreno cabello, an huang, jiaying huang, meishi zhao, xin zheng, jiaxiao bao (project assistant), feifei chen (project assistant)

graphic design consultant: sanyi_lab

construction drawings consultant: shennan design

lighting consultant: jojo lighting

location: sea world culture and arts center, L1 main venue, 1187 wanghai road, shekou, nanshan, shenzhen, china

area: 1280 sqm (13778 sqft)

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.