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Design Shanghai @ Shanghai Xintiandi

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Date: May 30 to June 8, 2025
Location: Shanghai Xintiandi

From May 30 to June 8, 2025, Design Shanghai @ Shanghai Xintiandi returned with the theme "Playful Bloom". This year's showcase explored the vibrant relationship between urban spaces and human experiences, celebrating Shanghai's creative energy as a global design hub. It featured immersive installations that blend art, design, and the aesthetics of everyday life, offering fresh perspectives for both locals and visitors.

 

Design Shanghai @ Xintiandi Design Festival 2024 Official Video

2025 Installation:
 

Fake Holiday

Designed by: DYDS Studio

Inspired by Roman Holiday, "Fake Holiday" is a playful and poetic public art installation that transforms everyday office objects — desks, keyboards, time clocks, and mice — into interactive art pieces that offer comfort and whimsy. Set on a rolling grassy field, the installation reimagines office spaces scattered across the landscape, as though white-collar workers have accidentally found themselves on a spontaneous escape. The cow and horse-shaped rockers are not just playful elements, but opportunities for visitors to relax and reconnect with their childlike wonder.

The installation carries a simple yet powerful message: even under pressure, we have the right to smile, dream, and stretch out. We should take moments to relax, let our imaginations run free, and breathe deeply.
 

A. Check-In Zone

A. Check-In Zone

A themed installation that helps visitors shift from the commuter mindset to a playful, grass-filled work space.

B. Office Zone

B. Office Zone

 Visitors can explore desks scattered across the grass, uncovering poetry and sounds through the unusual interactions of everyday office items.

C. Playground Zone

C. Playground Zone

With cow and horse-shaped rockers and nature-inspired installations, this area invites visitors to leave behind their work roles and enjoy the freedom to relax and daydream in the sun.

2025 Installation:
 

CycleBloom

Designed by: MBRS Design and Research Studio

CycleBloom reimagines industrial waste as public art, transforming discarded shared bikes into living installations that blend metal and greenery. This installation responds to the challenges of urban waste and the growing disconnection in public spaces, using a "disassemble - regenerate - coexist" approach to redefine material value and rekindle community ties. Scattered across plazas, corners, and walkways, the installation creates a path of "discovery and chance encounters," encouraging people to rethink and reconnect with their surroundings.

 

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