A Trade Stand from a Trade Stand and a Trade Stand and a Trade Stand. Conceptualising Sustainability.

How to make a temporary construction sustainable? By renting a prefab trade fair system? Possible, but how to develop a separate identity, convey a three-dimensional message, an unmistakable signature using a combination of standard modules? How about rigorous minimalism? Or a completely empty space? Conceivable, with a few concessions to ambience and comfort. Recycling? Fair enough, but how to combine responsibility and rationality with emotion, style, modernity, ambience and aesthetics?

A large number of the elements making up the German Federal Chamber of Architects exhibition stand originate from an exhibition builder’s ‘reject warehouse’, and are basically offcuts from different exhibition stands. Every piece that is recycled in this way means a reduction in the consumption of energy and resources, as well as minimising transport thanks to central storage and assembly. The individual parts were combined in line with the stand dimensions and predefined function zones into a kind of 3D puzzle and then homogenised using ecologically viable paints. The stand’s collagen-like character remains deliberately visible in order to present the concept of recycling as a tangible presence. The lighting design by Bartenbach Lighting Laboratory was realised using borrowed and mostly second hand, energy efficient halogen lighting. Both light intensity and tone correspond with the different requirements of the various areas of use.