VITRA design museum exhibition peers into the future of our energy landscape

Designing the Future of Energy at Vitra Design Museum

From 23 March to 1 September, 2024, Vitra Design Museum presents the Transform! Designing the Future of Energy exhibition, illuminating the pivotal role of design in our transition to renewable energy. From sleek solar houses to wind power stations that dance with the breeze, the exhibition shows how design is reshaping our energy landscape. Renowned architects and designers including Charles and Ray Eames, OMA, C.F. Møller Architects, XTU Architects, CRA Carlo Ratti Associati, Marjan van Aubel, and others contribute to the showcase, aiming to ignite inspiration and spur action.

CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati, Helsinki Hot Heart, 2021 © CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati

Exploring the Intersection of Personal and Political Energy

At the heart of this exhibition at Vitra Design Museum (find more here), lies a fundamental question: How can design propel us towards a future powered by renewable energy? The answer, it seems, lies in the synergy between scientific ingenuity and human-centered design. Designers act as mediators, translating complex technologies into accessible solutions that seamlessly integrate into our lives.

As visitors journey through the exhibition, they’re invited to explore their own power – both physical and political. Pedaling on stationary bikes, they witness firsthand the energy required for everyday activities, prompting a deeper reflection on our energy consumption habits. From historical posters advocating for nuclear power to contemporary protests against fossil fuel dependency, the exhibition traces the evolution of our energy policies and the power of individual activism.

XTU Architects, X_Land, Rendering, 2020 © XTU Architects

Innovative Solutions and Future Visions

But it’s not all about activism; it’s about innovation too. In the Energy Tools section, visitors encounter many prototypes and experiments aimed at living off-grid. From solar-powered apparel to hydrogen cookers and wind-powered street lamps, designers are pioneering new ways to harness renewable energy in our everyday lives. The exhibition also spotlights transformative architectural and mobility solutions. Buildings like the Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim and the Plus Energy Quarter P18 in Bad Cannstatt showcase the potential of energy-positive structures, while projects like the Covestro Sonnenwagen herald a new era of solar-powered transportation.

The final section of the exhibition invites visitors to envision the future of our energy landscapes. From innovative energy storage solutions to visionary projects like the Eneropa, which reimagines energy production on a global scale, the exhibition challenges us to think beyond the present.

Ultimately, Transform! Designing the Future of Energy underscores that the transition to renewable energy is not just a technological shift; it’s a cultural and societal transformation. Designers and architects are not merely shaping objects and spaces; they’re shaping our collective future.

Charles and Ray Eames, Solar Do-Nothing Machine, 1957 © Eames Office / LLC

Marjan van Aubel, Sunne, solar powered lamp, 2022 © Marjan van Aubel Studio

TAKK, The Day After House, 2021 © José Hevia

Léon Félix, Helios, 2019 © Léon Félix, Sara de Brito Faustino

Team Sonnenwagen Aachen, Covestro solar car, 2019 © Sonnenwagen Aachen e.V.

Pauline van Dongen, Solar Shirt, 2015 © Pauline van Dongen, Photo: Liselotte Fleur

Hamburger Energiewerke, Energy Bunker, 2015 © Hamburger Energiewerke/Sumesgutner

Leon Tukker, Nova Nakhon Sawang, 2019 © Leon Tukker

Andreas Treuer, SPS-Earth-Sun, 2022 © ESA/Andreas Treuer 2022

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ECAL / Fleur Federica Chiarito und Matteo Dal Lago, RR Reuse, 2023 © ECAL / Arthur Seguin

ECAL/Jule Bols and Sophia Götz, Pneuma, 2023 © ECAL / Marvin Merkel

Tobias Trübenbacher, PAPILIO, wind powered street lamp, 2021 © Tobias Trübenbacher & Nikolai Marcinowski

HydrogenCooker designed by Stefan Troendle in collaboration with EPFL, 2022 © Stefan Troendle Photo: Hikaru Hori

Marjan van Aubel, Ra, solar powered Tapestry, 2022 Photo: Pim Top © Courtesy Marjan van Aubel

Christa Carstensen, HARVEST/SOLAR, 2023 © Christa Carstensen Photo: Arvid Riemeyer

Nuclear power? No thanks logo in twenty four languages, 2023 © Smiling Sun

mischer'traxler, The Idea of a Tree, 2010 Photo: Andreas Sütterlin © Vitra Design Museum

O-Innovations Limited, O-Wind, 2018-2023 © O-Innovations Limited

A rainbow assortment of Hoffman 706 Trans-Solar Radios, released in 1958 Photo by Karl Wagner / Museum Of Solar Energy, from the Bill Burkett private collection

Solarville — SPACE10, 2019 © Solarville — SPACE10, Photo: Irina Boersma

Janine Graubaum ONOMOTION GmbH, E-Cargobike ONO © Janine Graubaum ONOMOTION GmbH

Energym, gray RE:GEN, 2023 © Energym 2023

OMA, Eneropa Map, 2010 © OMA

project info: 

name: Transform! Designing the Future of Energy 
location: Vitra Design Museum, Charles-Eames-Str. 2, D-79576 Weil am Rhein
dates: 23 March – 1 September 2024