GRAS created the central stand for the inaugural Scotland: Craft & Design pavilion, which celebrated the best in Scottish contemporary craft at London Design Fair 2016. Working to a brief set by our clients, Craft Scotland and community interest group Emergents, we produced a monolithic display element that showcased the work of 22 emerging and established designers and makers from across Scotland. The custom-made stand immediately attracted the attention of visitors to the exhibition, with its physical mass and integrated lighting drawing people towards the centre of the space and encouraging them to explore the various works on show.

The white display landscape undulated rhythmically, providing each artist with their own distinct platform whilst maintaining a sense of connection and cohesion. It was important that no single exhibitor was promoted above any other, and that the visitor was offered an honest view of Scottish makers without hierarchy. Beneath this faceted landscape, the ruggedness of Scotland’s terrain was captured in the sculpted finish towards the base. Despite its distinctive features, the plinth was steadfastly subservient to the work of the exhibitors, serving only as a simple yet sculptural backdrop.

The central mass formed a coherent focal point that visitors could walk around to view the various works and learn stories about how they were made. A canopy with integrated lighting positioned above the base directed illumination onto the pieces, creating the effect of a glowing nucleus at the centre of the room. This bold and attractive display element was surrounded by benches from which visitors could contemplate the exhibition and spend time chatting to the designers, makers and events team.