Returning to London’s Business Design Centre between 10-12th February 2015, Surface Design Show is the only event in the UK that focuses solely on interior and exterior surfaces. With an 80% increase in exhibitor uptake the breadth of new products to discover in 2015 will be impressive.
Since its inception in 2005 the show has become a key destination for industry people to see, touch and explore the latest materials for interior and exterior applicatons. At Surface Design Show, visitors can gain new insights and network with like-minded designers, architects and suppliers.
The 2015 event is already proving to be a huge success – all of the ground floor and mezzanine has been filled with key exhibitors leading the organisers to extend the show to the BDC’s balcony area to meet the demand for space.
There will be over 120 top quality exhibitors including Mundy Veneer, specialist within the veneer industry and the exclusive UK distributor of Tabu products, CD (UK) which for over 30 years has been the sole distributor of Corian in the UK, Knauf which specialises in limestone, lime, chalk and cement-related products and Spectral, a lighting company whose luminaires have received coveted international awards, including iF and Reddot.
Surface Design Show is also delighted to be welcoming new exhibitors to the show including RAK Ceramics, the world’s largest ceramics manufacturer, Hi Con, a leading European brand of high-performance concrete whose properties are used to create super thin balconies and staircases, and Jotun, the world’s leading manufacturer of paints, coatings and powder coatings which have been used for a number of prestigious international projects including the Eiffel Tower, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
“This year we’ve seen an 82% increase in sales which proves that Surface Design Show is getting bigger and better year on year. It’s great to see the enthusiasm of all those involved, the inspiration it provides and the creativity that comes out of the show”, says event director Christopher Newton.
There will also be a packed programme of events and entertainment including the preview evening’s live debate on Tuesday 10th February. The ever-popular PechaKucha evening will take place on Wednesday 11th February and will provide an informal and fun presentation of inspirational slides for the onlooking architects and designers.
BIM4FitOut, a special-interest group to the Government BIM Task Group – which represents the finishes and fit-out sector – will again be organising an engaging workshop at the show. New event highlights to the show include ‘Materials Speed Dating’, the 2015 version of Future Thinking, hosted by
Materials Council which is an interactive way to be quickly introduced to new surfaces and finishes and in turn meet the perfect materials match.
Light and surface are inseparable partners; the interplay between light and surface can change a building’s interior or exterior dramatically creating breathtaking results. Hosted within Surface Design Show, and presented by Light Collective and the Institution of Lighting Professionals, is Light School, an area dedicated to lighting.
Light School consists of three parts: The School Room, Product School and the School Newspaper, all of which are designed to educate and inspire visitors about the latest in lighting design and lighting products. Sponsored by iGuzzini, there will be more than two days of lessons in the School Room featuring hands on demos with top UK lighting designers who will be taking on the role of lecturers.
Global Color Research will also return to the show. Following the success of the 2013 and 2014 Trend Wall, the influential consultancy and creators of colour forecasting publication Mix magazine, will work with acclaimed surface designer, Giles Miller, to present Colour Collaborations.
The exhibit, located in and outside the Business Design Centre is designed to inspire and give insight, focusing on the vital colour and material trends for 2016 and their importance within design.
Part of the success of the show is the commitment to recognising excellence with the Surface Design Awards. The awards recognise examples of progressive design and the use of innovative surfaces in projects both in the UK and internationally. Categories cover projects in retail, commercial, housing, public building, light and surfaces and temporary structures.
Launched in 2013, the awards have grown quickly both in stature and the number of entrants. This year, 181 projects were entered, a record number increasing by 62% with a third of entries from overseas, making it the UK’s leading award scheme to identify innovation in surface design.
The awards presentation will take place on Thursday 12th February at the BDC on the last day of Surface Design Show.
Registration to attend is free for professional visitors via the show website.
Surface Design Awards 2015
Thirty five projects from around the world have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2015 Surface Design Awards.
The Surface Design Awards recognise examples of progressive design and the use of innovative surfaces in projects both in the UK and internationally. This year 40% of the finalists are projects from outside the UK covering 11 different countries.
Finalists
Commercial Exterior Surface
For Eloise, Vita Manchester, Grandioso
Commercial Interior Surface
Drift, The Buckley Building, I Mesh
Housing Exterior Surface – Finalists
Kew House, Forest Mews, Ulappatori
Housing Interior Surface
Aves Embroidered Wallpaper, Long Sutton Studio, Dubai Private Residence, Cascade House
Light & Surface Exterior
The Arts Space, Lost Light
Light & Surface Interior
Innovation Corridor, Castor & Pollux, Marconi House
Public Building Exterior Surface
London Aquatics Centre, Guys Tower External Retrofit, Techno Prisme Storage Depot, Spotlight Youth Space, Sainsbury’s Welcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at UCL
Public Building Interior Surface
Wale Street Chamber, Yang Design Museum, Ospedale Giovanni XIII Chapel, Tate Britain, TE Mirumiru
Retail Interior Surface
Matches Fashion.com, Butlers Chocolate Café – T1, Gifts of London
Specialist Wood Inlaid Flooring at Penhaligon’s flagship store, Hong Kong
Temporary Structure
Box 459, Fingers Crossed, APP 017 NURP 40 WT 194
