We Transforming Circular Economy Exhibition

Positioned at the intersection of sustainable design discourse and immersive exhibition practice, this installation by Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan demonstrates how spatial environments can embody philosophical principles through material and structural choices rather than relying solely upon didactic signage. The designers have transformed an industrial warehouse of considerable historical character into a contemplative journey through circular economy concepts, employing a vocabulary of lightweight metal frames and suspended textiles that speak to principles of dematerialization, temporary intervention, and eventual disassembly without permanent alteration to the host architecture. The technical achievement lies in the elegant economy of means: simple tubular steel frames create modular spatial units that can be reconfigured or relocated, while the textile canopies serve multiple functions simultaneously as environmental modifiers softening harsh industrial acoustics, as chromatic unifiers establishing visual coherence across the expansive interior, and as poetic metaphors for transformation and flow. The cerulean palette evokes associations with sky, water, and air—elemental resources central to ecological thinking—while strategic warm accents suggest energy, creativity, and human agency within natural systems. Compositionally, the installation rewards both distant overview and intimate encounter, with display tables positioned at comfortable viewing height encouraging close examination of exhibited materials. The preservation of the warehouse's industrial character, with its weathered concrete and exposed structural systems, creates meaningful dialogue between past industrial practices and emerging sustainable futures. Visitors might consider how this spatial experience shapes their understanding of material cycles, and whether architecture itself might be conceived as a temporary configuration within larger flows of resources rather than permanent monument.

A sustainable future is not a hypothesis, but a choice, which is jointly participated by everyone. In this journey, human beings are both producers and consumers. Therefore, the definition of the sustainable life style is up to the society. The trajectory of the future also defines the destination of this transformational journey. In the Taiwan Design Expo 2022, this circular pavilion itself is the future transformation through design thinking, material selection and modularization of exhibition components. The waste that may be generated during exhibition assembly is minimized.