Over 160 exhibitors, 35 emerging talents, 18 talks, 50 speakers, installations, prizes, new product presentations. It’s the Surface Design Show 2022, the fair of reference for the indoor-outdoor surface industry, from 8 to 10 February at the Business Design Centre in London. The leitmotif this year is Sense of Place, a theme that puts mankind and protection of the planet at the center of all decision-making processes.
The Italian contingent, with 34 exhibitors, features names like Antolini, showing stone varieties along with materials that reproduce the precious grain of marble; Pininfarina, which with Corà promises to amaze everyone with Miraggio, a parquet that suggests the encounter between the waves of the sea and sand, thanks to the combination of parts in wood and inserts in Laminam ceramic.
Then there is Bencore, presenting its increasingly sustainable collections like Ecoben Wave Green Cast, the honeycomb with a core in recycled cardboard, combined with an acrylic surface.
Zambaiti takes the stage in England with two lines for the world of contract: Eterea Collection, 3D digital print panels and embossed wallpaper, which each graphic design has been developed by a different studio, such as Metrogramma Milano, CaberlonCaroppi, Alfonso Femia and Aldo Cibic; while the second line, Project, stems from an idea of the Zambaiti CreativeLab, with the architects Eleonora Sassoli, Gianluigi Landoni, Emanuele Svetti, Andrea Auletta and Roberto Semprini, addressing intriguing themes like classicism, neo-Baroque and metaphysics.
The brands from Italy also include Alpi, Grassi Pietre, Margraf, Nerosicilia, Pimar, Puricelli.
Not just products, but also conferences with over 50 speakers, and Legends Live, moments in which sector experts interview their “legends,” like the lighting designer Sally Storey interviewed by Theresa Dowling of FX Magazine, Tina Norden of Conran and Partners interviewed by Hamish Kilburn of Hotel Designs, and Paul Monaghan of AHMM in conversation with Phil Coffey of Coffey Architects.
As for the installations, Stone Gallery, in collaboration with Stone Federation GB, provides an overview of stone varieties, including the participation of Confindustria Marmomacchine with 28 Italian brands; and the Stone Tapestry, curated by Squire & Partners, is an installation that explores patterns, lights, colors and motifs to create a tapestry with materials from all over the world.
One of the hottest sections is New Talent, coordinated by Trendease International in partnership with Canon UK, a showcase where 35 up-and-coming names exhibit innovative projects and materials, from textile design in augmented reality to 3D tiles in ecological resin and scrap materials.
