Designed and built to meet the strictest Harrods and Heathrow T5 standards for security and safety, these jewellery showcases retain an elegant form and smooth, easy function whilst becoming an integral part of the re-designed Head Office boutique space to display the jewellery at its best.
MASTERPIECE LONDON
Based on the London garden squares, the design of this flexible lounge enables different events to be hosted concurrently, or for the whole space to be used as one. Our painstaking selection of textured materials, green-layered colour scheme with metallic detailing and bespoke lighting created a sumptuous feel in a relaxing space.
This exhibition incorporated AV sound stations as well as localised audio zones to reinforce the cultural connection between Hennessy and the grime music scene.
Archive Hennessy materials are woven into the story in our bespoke secure museum quality showcases, both freestanding and built-in to the listed venue.
These bespoke showcases incorporated invisible re-programmable electronic locks and tuneable LED lighting.
The jewellery was displayed on hidden mounts discreetly attached through the backdrop panel. All of this kept the focus on the jewellery itself.
Finished in their signature black stained ply, this cabinet was designed to be shipped easily between pop-up events without looking like a temporary display.
THE AMERICAN DREAM
Running alongside ‘The American Dream’ exhibition at the British Museum, this display engaged Morgan Stanley staff and clients in the impressive foyer of their London headquarters.
Images and multimedia screens completed the engaging experience.
We created this branded lounge space to promote LifeWtr to showcase the work of selected artists.
As part of the design of the space, we created bespoke furniture including benches, bean-bags, product displays as well as floating side-tables that incorporated mobile phone charging stations.
VIP LOUNGE
Each year, Ruinart, the oldest champagne house in the world, commissions an artist to create a new champagne-inspired artwork.
We created this sleek branded VIP event space using the sculpture created by Dutch artist Piet Hein Eek as a centrepiece.
The immaculate surface finish was achieved using printed walls, enabling us to even pre-determine the position of the screw holes to hang the shadow-gap graphics, meaning that installation was extraordinarily quick and efficient.
The finished result was a sophisticated space, which looked calm and collected for one or two guests, yet could easily accommodate many more for their champagne events.
This exhibition of original books and artefacts from the Shakespeare’s Globe’s archive was the centrepiece of Firsts London, opened by Stephen Fry.
Our design uses subtle oversized imagery to create the space within the vast Evolution structure and to provide a focused backdrop to the archive works.
As with the majority of our projects, we design, produce and install everything ensuring a very smooth client and visitor experience.
MASTERPIECE LONDON VIP LOUNGE
The Royal Bank of Canada asked us once again to design and produce their lounge at the entrance to the Masterpiece fair.
Handmade banquette seating with luxurious velvet-covered cushion pads created a chic and sophisticated environment to both appreciate art and do business.
All benches, tables and the bar were made to spec in our workshop and adorned with either gold metal, blue velvet or a terrazzo which gave a truly luxurious feel.
Large expanses of walling were expertly placed to create ideal display areas for the work of Canadian artists Shannon Bool and Mark Lewis, whilst two full-height gold perforated metal sliding doors added a feel of permanence whilst also giving some practicality to hosting private events.
ATELIER
Based on the drawing-boards and sketch-books of the featured international ateliers, the concept used a selection of materials within an elegant colour palette to give a luxury texture and feel.
A variety of displays were created to give flexibility across departments to give a strong and consistent theme throughout the store.
'OUR SHAKESPEARE' EXHIBITION
To mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, the British Library conceived an exhibition to engage the public and tell his story.
For its exhibitions, the British Library usually tenders separately for exhibition design, graphic design, construction, printing, lighting and AV installations.
For ‘Our Shakespeare’, 4D won the combined tender for all aspects of the exhibition. This not only made it a seamless and cost-effective result for the British Library, but also an integrated experience for exhibition visitors.
THE 2011 RIBA MANSER MEDAL
We are lucky enough to work with many clients with many different brand personalities.
Pop-up events give us greatest scope to create unexpected spaces like this for HSBC Private Bank.
‘KING FAISAL’ EXHIBITION
This exhibition celebrated the centenary of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia’s journey to Europe in 1919, telling the story of his travels to India, England, Wales, Ireland and France.
We worked alongside exhibition strategists Barker Langham and the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) to design and produce the cabinets, maps, photograph reproduction, object display and AV units.
Inspired by desert sand dunes, our combination of brushed copper, translucent voile, glass and sweeping curves guided visitors through each section of King Faisal’s journey. Personal artefacts, photographs and 3D maps traced his route as he experienced international diplomacy, family responsibility and modern industrialisation for the first time.
Following its success in London, the exhibition will tour to Paris and Dublin throughout 2020.
This contemporary art exhibition space was created to flexibly display a variety of format works - using a variety of lighting, including remote controlled light fittings where the ceilings are double height.
Along with a neat picture hanging system which enable exhibitions to be re-hung quickly without ladders and scaffolds.
The overall effect is that the art takes centre-stage.
“Cedric Morris: Beyond the Garden Wall” was an exhibition hosted and curated by Philip Mould & Company to celebrate the wonderful landscape paintings of this extraordinary artist.
We were thrilled to be asked to help design the first exhibition inspired by Morris' passion of travel and nature and began with an imposing entrance cut-out of his landscape painting, Diana’s Peak, St Helena, 1964. Designed and installed to accentuate mountainous peaks full of colour, the eye-catching display also fulfilled the sense of curiosity running through Morris’ work.
The vibrant theme of nature continued inside with a teal stand-alone wall dividing the room to enhance the space before leading the viewer around this room and into the next. A video projection room tucked away to the right featured a hidden projector to focus exclusively on film.
A bust created by Frank Dobson was displayed on an asymmetrical plinth in the centre of another small room and lit in a dramatic style, accentuating Morris’ importance and particularity.
The design, build and install included gallery windows, display walling, display plinths, wall signage, hanging fabric banners, description labels, information wall text, short-throw projectors and fabric wall prints.
MASTERPIECE
Continuing our collaboration with Philip Mould & Company, this year’s stand uses an imposing arched frontage to entice visitors into the space, whilst the muted palette of paint, fabric and wood give a soft and welcoming environment to be immersed in. A impressive curved battened wall creates a textured backdrop for the works whilst providing a hidden office space and access to the secure built-in showcase, highlighting their portrait miniatures.
The Goldsmith’s Company
Collaborating once again with the The Goldsmiths’ Company for the press launch of their annual fair, 2017’s event took place in the Alex Eagle Studio’s lower ground gallery in London’s Soho.
With its stripped back aesthetic, our challenge was to marry the different styles of ten silver and goldsmiths, whilst also showcasing a trailer for a film made especially for the fair by celebrated filmmaker Ujin Lin.
Bespoke made display tables upholstered in leather and cork gave a feeling of elegance and softness to a very urban space.
Alongside this was a special display of silver beakers titled The Silver Edit. Here we created a niche made entirely of mirrored panels, giving a spellbinding view in 360 degrees of each piece. By playing with the reflections created, the pieces had a feeling of floating within the space.
The style of the gallery is such that it takes on the atmosphere of the current exhibition.
With modern abstract works, the gallery has a very clear contemporary feel; with country florals, it takes on a more homely aesthetic.
Picture hanging and lighting are fundamental to quick re-hangs, but clever use of existing spaces provide good display space and neat storage.
TEFAF MAASTRICHT 2019
The colour theme was painstakingly chosen to enhance the display of each individual antiquity, whilst also creating a dramatic space. The bronze metallic frames help focus on these precious objects without glazing, and the luxury wrap-around textured black plinths help to ground smaller objects in this large space. Items are grouped using different methods of display so as not to create the usual ‘sea of plinths’, with smaller items secured in our built-in cabinets with electronic locks and invisible hinges.
Briefed with creating an inviting airy terrace space, we used clever design/styling to mask this temporary event marquee structure.
The Chelsea Barracks development is a modern take on the classic London garden squares, which we carried forward to their VIP terrace lounge.
MADE WITH LOVE
Based on the theme ‘Made With Love’ our brief was to create displays to suit departments throughout Harrods.
Inspired by the quality of marble to enhance the workmanship of the product on display, we worked with the structures of ice-caves and cellular contours to draw the viewer's eye to the product.
The neutral colours and subtle textures kept the product centre-stage.
To achieve our concept of the marble layering, we developed a technique to print our hand-painted watercolour marble veins to multiple hand-carved layers and build up the displays.
The resulting range of displays are precisely replicated across the store to ensure complete consistency throughout.
TEFAF MAASTRICHT 2019
Making best use of this otherwise awkwardly proportioned stand, we created a huge amount of hanging space at the same time as maintaining sophisticated vistas through our free-standing structures to artworks beyond.
The transparent quality of the structures creates a floating effect in the pictures, with the asymmetrical back-wall being in a travertine finish as the feature display space. The combination of perfectly calculated floorplan and well considered sight-lines made a highly functional stand flexible enough to re-hang as works are sold.
HIGH VALUE JEWELLERY EXHIBITIONS
4D Projects has designed exhibitions and auctions for Sotheby's Geneva for more than ten years. They feature extraordinarily high value jewellery with an increasing focus on gemstones.
We have designed exhibitions for many of the most expensive jewels ever to come to auction, transforming a 5-star hotel space into a contemporary, sophisticated branded environment and incorporating our bespoke high-security showcases.
TEFAF MAASTRICHT
As part of the design process, our three dimensional art-hang ensures that no time is wasted during tight set-up schedules.
By controlling every aspect of the stand, we can ensure the client has the perfect tool to increase sales during the fair.
MASTERPIECE LONDON
Hancocks are famous as the creators of the Victoria Cross and more widely as a dealer in collectable jewels since 1849. More recently, however, its own design jewellery has come to the fore.
Our brief was to create a modern stand that demonstrated their contemporary success story without losing sight of its rich heritage.
The design incorporates our specially designed and built showcases incorporating the latest LED lighting and keyless digital locking system.
The use of wash lighting above and below the cases as well as tension wires add dramatic effect while maintaining a focus on the spectacular jewellery and objets d'art.
Gill Wing are a gallery exhibiting unique jewellery. Established over twenty years ago, they are renowned for showcasing the most unusual and beautiful contemporary pieces.
Their newly designed space is light, refreshing and elegant. We took style and ecological betterment into account for this revitalised gallery space and made use of the entire front window, introducing a ‘greenhouse’ cabinet that can securely display jewellery pieces and act as a stage for dramatic displays.
To compliment the content of the gallery, we designed modern plinths and furniture, with clean edges to co-ordinate and compliment the gallery’s elegant curation. This included wall cabinets with cream and sooty coloured marblesque surfaces and silver speckled terrazzo surfaces.
There is a bespoke sofa, upholstered in a sea-blue velvet and a pull-out table, making for a efficient but relaxed consultation area.
All cabinets make use of electronic locks and specially designed LED lighting.
FAIR DESIGN OVERVIEW
The BADA Fair is the showcase for the UK's leading specialists in fine art, design and antiques.
Located in the heart of Chelsea, the fair has been running for more than twenty years.
4D Projects were asked to redesign the fair including exterior appearance following through inside the fair, colour schemes, stand design, restaurant and café design and brand messaging.
We work with agency clients to create displays and environments for a wide range of brands. We add value through integrated design and production to ensure that our clients deliver beautiful spaces on fixed budgets and tight timescales.
TEFAF MAASTRICHT / TEFAF NEW YORK / MASTERPIECE LONDON
Taking inspiration from the architecture of Wartski's original Regent Street shop designed by Sir Denys Lasdun, our design uses freestanding structural elements constructed in modern corrugated PVC. This allows light and movement to be seen through, creating a spacious stand with a light, airy feel.
Finished in bronze and lined in silk, our bespoke-made showcases incorporate the latest LED lighting and electronic keyless locks which enable there to be no visible hinges or fixings keeping the focus entirely on the jewellery itself.
WARTSKI
Wartski specialises in the work of Carl Fabergé, creator of the fifty famous Russian Imperial Easter Eggs. One of these eggs, amongst eight believed to be lost, was found by an American precious-metal dealer who had bought it for $15,000.
Kieren McCarthy, Wartski's Fabergé specialist, authenticated the egg and had it publicly exhibited at the company's London boutique.
4D Projects' exhibition design was inspired by photographs of the historic past of this exquisite 8.2cm high jewelled egg, worth over £20 million.
The design of these very prominent central London window displays give viewers a taste of what Caviar House offers.
Being visible to both pedestrians and traffic, the design works on two scales to attract attention from a distance, yet offer a luxurious feel when viewed close up.
Our choice of materials and finishes adds to the feel of luxury, with pops of colour used to highlight product within the display.
Clients often come to us with unusual ideas for smaller projects, which need creative and practical skill to bring them to life. Acting logistically, we achieve what is creatively needed, keeping to budget.
MASTERPIECE LONDON
To display some outstanding English furniture, we produced enormous floor plinths and wall plates in order to fulfil the exhibitor’s desire of creating a clean and modern look.
The matte sprayed metal finishes contrasted beautifully with the rich tones of the wood.
Careful consideration was put into the method of manufacture, resulting in a trouble-free install and minimised build time on-site.
MASTERPIECE LONDON VIP LOUNGE
The 2017 VIP Lounge for the Royal Bank of Canada was designed to have a contemporary gallery feel. Privacy was achieved with louvred walls creating intriguing views into the space and to the Edward Burtynsky artworks.
Beyond this space was the more intimate lounge area with bespoke fitted furniture - perfect for clients to take a break from the bustle of this busy fair.
Textures and surface finishes played an important role in creating a luxury feel, with simulated skylights adding light to the space in a playful way.
CHRISTMAS WINDOW
Interpreting Christmas differently for each client involves designing to suit their brand and their brand personality.
Core to all the designs is to catch the viewer's eye, drawing them to the store, with the product displayed in a clear and appealing way.
TEFAF MAASTRICHT 2019
The design of this stand creates a captivating display of an exceptional pair of Joseph Wright paintings. By positioning these paintings at the back of the stand, visible from the front and framed by the textured portico, visitors are immediately drawn into the space where the subtle change in lighting and acoustics focuses on the works. With flexible spaces to display other pictures, as well as a hidden art-store, the stand design enabled the gallery to present a large quantity of works with space to breathe.
L'HEURE BLEUE
These one-off creations enhance the brand’s heritage of timeless craftsmanship and luxury.
Each bespoke display picks up on the key elements of the fragrance, complementing the design of the product and presenting it to its best.
With a bottle costing up to £40,000, the display is akin to that of a work of art.
CHARLES DICKENS: THE LOST PORTRAIT
We worked closely with the experts at the gallery to design, build and install this exciting exhibition telling the story of how this lost treasure was rediscovered and its importance to the art and literary world.
The dramatic window design drew record numbers through the door of the gallery and the Victorian theme continued throughout the exhibition.
Lastly, we provided a cinema room where visitors could watch specially made films on the portrait.
SWATCH
The archive of Marlyse Schmid and Bernard Muller, designers of the Swatch watch, contains more than 4,000 pieces including watches, prototypes, technical plans, artwork, drawings and letters.
Our challenge was to exhibit the collection in a way that demonstrated their importance at the same time as reinforcing the functional aesthetic of plastic and metal.
The individual wall-mounted showcases curved out to surround the viewer in the Swatch world of quality design, engineering, pop art and fun fashion.
NEAL STREET FLAGSHIP STORE
The Natural Shoe Store wanted to re-design its client retail experience whilst maintaining its eco-philosophy.
Stripping back the original space enabled us to design the store as well as the furniture and fittings as a whole.
Using wood, leather and cold-rolled steel alongside displays made from re-crafted salvage furniture, we provided a relaxed but energising environment and individually designed displays to beautifully showcase the shoes.
TEFAF 2017
This dramatic stand uses strong geometric patterns to draw visitors into the space. Inspired by a piece of the client’s jewellery, the dynamic design was used to encase high-security showcases keeping the focus of the display on the jewellery itself.
The construction is such that it can be shipped and reconfigured for art fairs around the world.
MASTERPIECE LONDON
We are lucky enough to work with many clients with many different brand personalities.
Pop-up events give us greatest scope to create unexpected spaces like this for the Ivy Restaurant.
UNILEVER
To celebrate the opening of the newly rebuilt ‘100VE’ building overlooking the Thames, the brief was to create an engaging exhibition to highlight the long history of the site since the land was re-claimed from the river in 1767.
With access to extensive archives, the exhibition included architectural models, plans, historic aerial shots and other photos, artifacts from previous incarnations on the site, as well as a series of audio clips neatly built into the displays.
Huge projected images showing the current building project formed an impressive backdrop to the exhibition.
FRIEZE MASTERS
A common problem when designing stands for book dealers is how to attract non-book experts to this fascinating subject.
By creating individual displays instead of runs of shelves we were able to showcase each work, giving space to explain a little of the specific story behind that piece.
Removable prints at the back of each stand created a flexible display that could be rotated, allowing for a greater number of items to be shown during the fair.
GREEN BOX PROJECT
This Beck’s Green Box Project is a global fund set up to inspire, celebrate and financially support independent talent in art, design, music and fashion.
The launch involved an interactive app leading to physical clues building up into the invitation to the event.
CHRISTMAS WINDOW
Our brief is to use unexpected materials in unexpected ways to create sculptural, eye-catching displays.
Our designs entice an international audience starting from the creative concept, through rigorous prototyping, to production here in London for each of the worldwide stores.
We are very careful not to design to our own house-style but to be inspired by the brand personality and values of our clients.
This enables us to really work together with our clients to create spaces which communicate their core messages effectively.
THE LSO IN THE CITY
4D Projects created an outdoor installation in Broadgate Circus in the heart of the City of London, based around the amazing photographs of the London Symphony Orchestra taken by Alberto Venzago.
Enlarging the photos to 3x6m meant that office workers overlooking the space could experience the installation.
Within the space, visitors could completely lose themselves in the power of the music and scale of the images.
The exhibition was then re-built overnight in the Sage Centre, Gateshead.