Fundamentals
Commissioned by: Hermès
Year: 2021
Dimensions: 375 x 97 x 183 cm
Materials: Hempcrete, aluminium, brass, beech wood, rammed earth, acrylic, cork
Aluminium structure in collaboration with: Make Eindhoven
Photography: Ugo Carmeni
Press release 21-05-2021
The French house Hermès - known for their exceptional artisanal collections and their creative window displays - has commissioned Studio Mieke Meijer to design a window in celebration of the 17th Biennale Architettura di Venezia.
During the Biennale, architects from across the globe descend on Venice in order to exhibit their latest solutions and innovations. This year they will be responding to the theme of the Biennale; ‘How will we live together?’ The event is an internationally-renown demonstration of creative and impactful responses to urgent global matters.
Studio Mieke Meijer began their project by identifying the values that resonated most with the theme of the biennale, Hermès as a brand, and their own studio. These were; a responsible use of resources, quality/longevity, design for repair/disassembly, and the use of natural materials. Each of these values were then translated into a three-dimensional architectural structure with the final constructions intended to be representations of sustainable building innovations.
The group of structures was designed with a pre-determined afterlife, thereby avoiding the creation of any waste at the end of the project. Taking responsibility for the complete lifecycle was important to Studio Mieke Meijer as they recognize that a temporary window display may be considered ephemeral. Instead, the ‘Fundamentals’ display directly addresses issues of disposability and waste. It can be considered a material bank; products, components and materials temporarily gathered together for the purpose of display, waiting to go on to a useful afterlife.
‘Fundamentals’ is the second commission by Studio Mieke Meijer for Hermès. In 2019 the studio designed the concept and the visual identity for an instore workshop to showcase the construction of the Kelly bag; one of Hermès’ most iconic products. The objective of the workshop was to create a recreational, inspiring and enriching experience in which participants discover the beauty and intensity of the leather craft.
