FROM 8-10 February 2022, the Surface Design Show (SDS) will return to the Business Design Centre in London. The design industry will once again be able to meet in person, be updated on the latest surface materials and designs, be enthused by its unique content, and be educated by the wealth of talented speakers who’ll be telling their inspiring design stories.
More than 120 exhibitors will exhibit, including 35 new talents. This UK event for architects and designers is getting ready to make up for lost time and is back with some much-loved areas as well as some new ones for visitors to explore.
Many exhibitors will bring to the show a range of new product launches, inspired by the show’s theme ‘Sense of Place’ with the goal of putting humanity and the planets wellbeing at the heart of all decision-making.
Smile Plastics which is introducing its coral dapple collection, a completely recycled and recyclable material made from would-be waste, such as discarded chopping boards, cosmetic bottles, and yoghurt pots. The aesthetics of the material reportedly has a hint of the look of marble with a ‘beautiful, mottled coral effect’.
While Armourcoat launches a new clay lime plaster called Clime, naturally sustainable Clime plasters have been responsibly developed to achieve beautiful matte stone surfaces while minimising environmental impact. Made from natural minerals with low embodied carbon, Armourcoat Clime plasters contain no cement or volatile organic compounds and are available in a wide range of natural colours.
Among the many flooring companies exhibiting are Maria Gasparian Studios, Arturo, The Colour Flooring Company, and Cora Wood Experience.
Say the SDS organisers: ‘Harlequin decorative bricks by Maria Gasparian Studio allows for various designs as the contrasting colours and glazed and unglazed textured surfaces creates gorgeous patterns. Arturo is a seamless, bespoke, and extremely durable floor with hundreds of RAL colours to choose from.
‘Corka by The Colour Flooring company is an award-winning take on a traditional flooring favourite. Innovative 100% cork flooring planks with a click system for easy laying, this climate positive material actually removes more carbon from the atmosphere than is used in its manufacture.
‘Forever 1919 by Cora Wood experience is a beautiful wood flooring design, the timeless beauty of wood celebrates nature with the uneven colours and weathered knots telling the history of the material.
‘Arturo is a seamless, bespoke, and extremely durable floor with hundreds of RAL colours to choose from which is perfect for areas with high footfall.
‘Surface Matter will be displaying its sweet material pop up shop stand. The stand is inspired by Surface Matter’s material studio in London Fields which is described by architects and designers as a ‘sweet shop for materials’. Visitors to the stand will find anything from LED lights sprinkled like 100s and 1,000s, to chocolate bars made of compressed paper composite Richlite and circular Plasiciet lollipops.’
Hosting debates, panels, trend forecasts, and insights into the latest surface design innovations, the main stage is at the heart of the show. There’ll be 16 presentations on the main stage during the two-and-a-half days of the show.
The opening night debate highlights a younger generation of architects and designers and is entitled climate change and future proofing.
New to the SDS is a series of Legends Live interviews where an industry personality meets and chats with their ‘legend’. Confirmed is Hamish Kilburn, editor of Hotel Designs talking to Conran’s Tina Norden and architect Phil Coffey meeting his legend Paul Monaghan of AHMM.
Colour and material forecasts are always popular at SDS and Hannah Malein, creative director at Colour Hive will be sharing her forecasts for spring/summer 2023.
Highlighting again at the SDS will be Light School and its content partner, Light Talks; together they’re the home of architectural lighting. Surfaces and lighting are natural friends – to bring out the best in the surfaces they need good lighting. For architectural lighting suppliers this is the opportunity to influence architects and interior designers in the role lighting can play in their future projects. This year’s Light Talks theatre will be organised in partnership with the Institution of Lighting Professionals and iGuzzini.
Visitors will also be able to enjoy the Stone Gallery, which in partnership with Stone Federation GB, brings to the SDS an exclusive preview of natural stone. The Stone Tapestry, curated by Squire & Partners, is a bespoke installation piece exploring innovative textures, light, colour, and pattern to create a tapestry of inspiring materials from around the world.
Italy’s Confindustria Marmomacchine will, for the first time, be bringing a pavilion of 10 natural stone companies to exhibit in Stone Gallery.
One of the highly anticipated and unique parts of the show is the New Talent section. Supporting new talent is key for the SDS. This year more than 30 participants will display a range of sophisticated and innovative designs, from textile designs featuring augmented reality to 3D tiles of eco resin and waste materials. Many of the participants this year also show a recurring focus of using natural materials and dyes.
New Talent is curated by Trendease International and held in Partnership with Canon UK.
Each year visitors also look forward to Surface Spotlight Live (SSL), a focal point of inspiration for designers to touch and compare the very latest material prototypes. Sustainability is the key for SSL as developers look to bring to market an extraordinary range of materials.
SSL will highlight the show’s ‘Sense of Place’ theme and will be curated again by trend and colour expert Sally Angharad and held in Partnership with CD (UK).
2022 will be the 10th anniversary of the Surface Design Awards so it’s therefore fitting that it received a record number of entries.
The awards was created to highlight the importance of surface design and surface materials in the design of buildings and to acknowledge excellence. The judges have selected 48 finalists from nine different countries and on the last day of the SDS the winners will be announced at a breakfast ceremony.
The finalists, including the new architectural photography award, will be featured on a display stand with the SDS.
www.surfacedesignshow.com
