June 2016/ With only a week until the curtain rises on Europe’s most important fair for collectible design, 46 leading galleries from around the world make final preparations to gather in Basel this year to show exceptional modern and contemporary furniture and objets d’art. Throughout the fair, Design Miami/ Basel presents a packed program of talks, events and special exhibitions that celebrate design in all its diverse applications, including booths showcasing Swarovski’s Designers of the Future, and the celebrated Design at Large display.

Berlin-based architecture practice Kuehn Malvezzi has teamed up with the Finnish design company Artek and Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat to produce a formally distinctive Collector’s Lounge.

Design works by Zaha Hadid have been a strong presence at the fair over the past decade. To mark the architect’s passing earlier this year, Design Miami/ Basel honors her with a special presentation by Zaha Hadid Architects showcasing her innovative work in the field.

For the first time, the fair will play host to a specialist in prestige vintage car design. At Design Miami/ Basel, Hess Classic will present masterpieces of Italian automotive innovation from the 1950s to the 70s. Guest curator of this year’s Design at Large program Martina Mondadori Sartogo – founder and editor in chief of Cabana Magazine – has collaborated on Design Miami/ Basel’s flowering 2016 graphic identity, inspired by the sumptuous patterns and textures that are a main feature of the magazine.

2016 will also see the return of the Design Curio program, showcasing forgotten curiosities, groundbreaking ideas and new areas of investigation at design’s cutting edge. More food-for-thought comes courtesy of Berlin bookshop do you read me?! returning to Design Miami/ Basel with a pop-up packed with all that is most beautiful in print.

Swarovski Designers of the Future Award/
This year’s Swarovski Designers of the Future Award is presented to a group of emerging new talents who were tasked with the challenge of designing for the future in a holistic, adaptable and personal way. German-Icelandic duo Studio Brynjar & Veronika aim to create unexpected moments of beauty using natural light almost in conversation with crystal; sound artist Yuri Suzuki will present a crystal ‘orchestra’ installation that explores sounds through crystal whilst creating interesting visual and light effects; and glass artist Anjali Srinivasan will offer an installation in which the visitor can interact with an elegant glass and crystal wave made up of touch crystals, standard crystals, Srinivasan’s own blown glass and sensor LED connectors.

Collectors Lounge/ Kuehn Malvezzi with Artek and Kvadrat/
Architects Keuhn Malvezzi have been commissioned by Artek and Kvadrat to create the Collectors Lounge at this year’s Design Miami/ Basel. The Berlin-based studio has a strong background in museum and exhibition design and their lounge will celebrate the interplay of design, art and architecture. The space will be dressed with Artek’s Kiki collection, upholstered in new fabric designs created by Raf Simons for Kvadrat. Designed by Ilmari Tapiovaara in 1960, the Kiki designs are based on a metal tube framework and were a favorite among Modernist architects in Finland during the 1960s. The upholstery is part of the the third textile collection created by the Belgian fashion designer for Kvadrat and explores the stripe in varying degrees of graphic boldness, drawing inspiration from Modernist furniture, pop and contemporary art, fashion textiles, and music.

Zaha Hadid Exhibition/
Collections and collaborations from Zaha Hadid Architects have been a distinctive presence at Design Miami/ over the years. To commemorate her formally and technically important contributions to the field of design, the firm will draw together pieces from a number of collections created by Hadid. The Liquid Glacial Collection, the Marble Collection for Citco and the Mew table for Sawaya Moroni will show the architect experimenting with ideas of fluidity, lightness, reflections and solidity in her choice of materials and form.

Hess Classic: 20 Years of Italian ‘Chefs d’Oeuvres’/
French automotive specialists Hess Classic present a special exhibition focusing on Italian car design from the golden era of the 1950s to 70s when studios such as Pininfarina, Gandini and Bizzarrini produced vehicles dubbed ‘sculptures in motion’ by LA’s Petersen Automotive Museum. From the Lamborghini Miura (considered the first ‘supercar’) to the more accessible charms of the Fiat 500 to the Ducati motorbikes of the 1970s, Hess Classic will show Italian vehicle design acquiring its signature flair in the two decades between 1957 and 77.

Design Miami/ Basel 2016 graphic identity/
This year the fair has collaborated with Cabana Magazine on a floral and geometric filled graphic identity. Founder and editor Martina Mondadori Sartogo sees Cabana’s trademark layered patterns and festive deployment of color as antidotes to drab minimalism. The fair is definitely feeling the #Cabanamood!