Design Shanghai 2024: bringing innovative design from China and the West to the global stage

Design Shanghai, the 11th edition of Asia's largest international design event series, will be held from June 19 to 22, 2024, at the Shanghai World Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over the past 10 years, Design Shanghai has established itself as one of the world's leading design fairs, attracting manufacturers, design brands, industry leaders, architects, collectors, interior designers and design enthusiasts. This year, more than 100,000 visitors are expected during the four days of the event.

New to the show this year is Hall 4: 'New Materials and Applications,' which will showcase innovative materials from global brands, complementing the existing three exhibition halls dedicated to Furniture and Lighting Design, Kitchen and Bathroom design and Living & Lifestyle. Among the exhibitors, international brands such as the Italian leader in wood dyeing TABU, the world’s leading synthetic fibre manufacturer Aquafil, the international lighting group L&S Lamps, the ceiling solutions provider Armstrong, Covestro producer of high-quality polymer materials, the synthetic textile Alcantara and the surface specialist Schattdecor stand out. This pavilion will be a meeting point for materials designers, engineers, product designers, architects, interior designers and artists, encouraging inspiration and the exchange of innovative ideas.

Reflecting on the event's growth and future, Zhuo Tan, Event Director of Design Shanghai, remarked, 'Design Shanghai has gone from strength to strength over the last ten years. We have persuaded a large number of overseas brands to join this emerging market in China. Additionally, we help Chinese brands communicate and export to the outside world, striving to change everyone's perception of Chinese design. In the next ten years, we will continue to do this, and at the same time, we will use more energy to convince the overseas media and overseas market. I believe in Chinese design and Chinese creativity. I look forward to witnessing more innovations and breakthroughs brought by 'Design Shanghai' in June this year!'

As a central component of Design Shanghai 2024, Hall 3 Living & Lifestyle will feature upholstery products, soft furnishings, fragrances, accessories, textiles and tableware, as well as carpets, wallpapers, paints and artworks. Due to its popularity in 2023, this hall has been expanded and improved, showcasing European brands such as Belgian high-end luxury home fragrance BAOBAB, Italian fragrance design brand Dr. Vranjes, Danish home accessories brand Reflections Copenhagen, Italian national treasure blown glass lighting and accessories brand Venini, British porcelain brand Wedgwood, German porcelain pioneer Meissen, Hungarian national treasure porcelain Herend, as well as Turkish glassware Nude. Additionally, Chinese ceramic brands like crystal craft brand Jingzhan, banquet porcelain brand Guoci Yongfengyuan, LIANGMU, TINGHOME, MU16 and Huaqianwu Ceramic Art Studio will be exhibited.

Kitchen and Bathroom Design Hall 2 will feature high-end brands such as Poggenpohl, Siematic, Leicht, Laufen, Villeroy & Boch, ASKO, Liebherr and Porcelanosa, presenting innovations and efficient design solutions.

Hall 1, Furniture and Lighting Design, will bring together high-end international brands and outstanding independent designers, creating a modern space design journey that blends art and design. Brands featured include the Italian furniture brand EMU, French Lalique known as the 'Sculptor of Light', Italian lamps and decoration brand Icone Luce, outdoor furniture Ethimo, furniture and lighting brand Gervasoni, innovative Italian lighting Masiero, Italian furniture brand Monography, Japanese furniture brand Karimoku and the Shanghai and London-based design practice Stellar Works. Local Chinese brands such as ziinlife, Solution, U+, original outdoor home brand VINEKO, Seed Design's lighting, the outdoor home brand KUN DESIGN and Rough will also be present, showcasing their new designs.

The 2024 edition of Design Shanghai will continue celebrating Eastern and Western design concepts through curated exhibitions and installations. In Hall 4, the 'Rong Casting Design Exhibition' will present the 'Integrated Casting Design Exhibition,' exploring traditional Chinese handicrafts. The Rong Design Library focuses on deconstructing traditional crafts and exploring their future. This year's theme, 'Casting,' involves 46 designers and artists examining the relationship between technology and contemporary design.

The TALENTS initiative, curated by Frank Chou and launched in 2020, will continue in 2024 with the theme 'Quest the Question.' This programme supports young designers in addressing and solving design challenges, promoting innovation and rational decision-making.

Neooold (Hall 3), curated by Chen Min, takes 'Art Extension' as its 2024 theme. The exhibition, designed by line+ and directed by architect Meng Fanhao, will feature works from artists like Alao Bakker, Makoto Suetomi and Hans Tan, showcasing covering ceramics, metalworking, weaving, lacquer and other traditional crafts and modern art.

As the exclusive top-tier partner of Design Shanghai since 2020, Audi participates in the prestigious event again this year with its forward-looking design driven by cutting-edge technologies. Through an immersive booth installation themed “The Language of Light,” the Four Rings articulate their progressive vision for future premium mobility and demonstrate how they are setting new standards in intelligent and electric mobility with advanced lighting technology. Already a pioneer in intelligent lighting design, the Four Rings are taking their expertise to the next level with the world’s first active digital light signatures in their latest masterpiece created specifically for China – the Audi Q6L e-tron. As the technological spearhead of the Audi portfolio with a new progressive BEV design language, the Audi Q6L e-tron is bound to surprise and delight Chinese customers with market-specific features that convey the essence of Audi’s “Vorsprung durch Technik” DNA.

The Kohler Exquisite · Design Shanghai Design Forum (Hall 2) will focus on 'Designing New' with the theme 'The New Universal Language of Design.' Esteemed speakers include Aldo Bakker, founder of Aldo Bakker Studio; Jay Osgerby, co-founder of Barber Osgerby; Luke Pearson, co-founder and Director of Pearson Lloyd; Masataka Hosoo, President and CEO of Hosoo Co., Ltd.; and Paul Cocksedge, co-founder of Paul Cocksedge Studio, discussing the global language of design.

This year's new addition, the 'Sustainable Design China Summit,' launched in 2022, aims to lead sustainable development in China. From June 19th to 21st, the third summit will debut at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre (Hall 4), running alongside 'Design Shanghai.' The summit will delve into a comprehensive exploration of six core themes: 'Retail Renaissance: Mall Culture and Sustainability'; 'Well+good: The Rise of Positive Impact Hospitality & Eco-travel'; 'The Economics of Climate Change'; 'Beyond Buildings: Urban Sustainability and Smart Cities'; '3D Printing: Transforming the World of Design and Architecture'; and 'Future Space: Where Technology and Sustainability Meet'.

For more details, please contact design@bacchus.agency.

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