Cooper Hewitt Exhibitions

Our installation designs for four exhibitions at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum mediated displayed objects with the existing historic interiors.

“Henry Dreyfuss Directing Design” (1997) documented both the evolution of Dreyfuss’ own work and the emerging profession of industrial design. The exhibit used simply proportioned white panels to display the objects, distinguishing them from the mahogany-lined interiors of the museum.

“Skin: Surface, Substance + Design” (2002) was made of undulating platforms and walls that provide partitions and evocative surfaces for display. The panels created a dynamic backdrop for a diversity of fashion, furniture, and objects.

The survey, “Glass of the Avant Garde: From Vienna Secession to Bauhaus” (2001) focused lighting highlights each glass object, casting shadows onto translucent panels to emphasize the underlying form of specific pieces.

“New Hotels for Global Nomads” (2002) presented a collection of architectural projects, art and industrial objects examining different modes of temporary domestic space. It also included our proposal for the “New York Nature Hotel,” a seasonal tower made of construction scaffolding, combining vertical living with an open experience of the outdoors.

Collaboration with the Cooper-Hewitt staff of curators, lighting designers, graphic designers, and fabricators was essential to the success of each project. These exhibits led to an invitation from the Cooper-Hewitt to design a new permanent collections gallery.