CIFF Shanghai returns to the Shanghai Hongqiao National Exhibition & Convention Center, on September 11-14, 2024. This is the 54th edition of CIFF, the most important furniture design fair in China, and one of the leading ones in the world. The first edition of this design event in Shanghai took place in 2015, so the next one will be the 10th, as CIFF Shanghai also ran in 2020, despite the pandemic.
Discover CIFF Shanghai 2024
Design East Show 2023
The Shanghai show hosts over 1,500 exhibitors, representing the entire furniture supply chain. In fact, CIFF Shanghai features home, office and outdoor furniture, decoration, upholstery fabrics, and machinery for the furniture industry. There are more than 150,000 visitors from about 200 countries and regions worldwide.
Design in Shanghai
The design content of CIFF Shanghai is always very high. Since the first edition, CIFF has been hosting the East Design Show. The exhibition, curated by Zhu Xiaojie (a renowned interior designer), host students and young designers, and let them express themselves around a theme. In addition to students and young designers, several emerging brands exhibit here. This year, the exhibition will be called Creative Design Showcase, and the team of designer Zhu Xiaojie also curate it this time.
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East Design Show 2016
At CIFF Shanghai, one can see real living design trends. Many Chinese brands are now of international relevance, such as Camerich, HC28, Chic Casa, Teesure, Hik, Coomo, DAaZ, Mextra, Dou Home, and M°NACA. Imagination – Contemporary Design Life Exhibition will combine exhibitions and interviews to inspire creativity and discover the design of living trends.
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Armchair by Roderik Vos for HC28, CIFF Shanghai 2023
Great international architects at CIFF Shanghai
CIFF Shanghai also has a tradition of collaboration with international designers and architects. In 2019, for example, the conference “Architecture: from Alvaro Siza’s Modernism to the Digital Future” took place. The forum star was Alvaro Siza, the Portuguese architect who designed the China Design Museum of Bauhaus Collection, in Hangzhou, a building opened in 2018 that houses the Bauhaus Collection of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou (CAA). The forum, titled “Designed for Humans: From Alvaro Siza’s Modernism into the Digital Future,” organized by CIFF and Aedes Architecture Forum, brought together seven world-renowned architects.
Discover the contemporary office at CIFF Guangzhou 2024
Camerich Pavilion by studio Alvaro Siza Vieira, 2019
They were Sou Fujimoto, António Choupina, Anouk Legendre, Philip Feng Yuan-a professor at Tongji University; Martha Thorne, secretary of the Pritzker Prize; Mario Carpo, professor at University College London; and Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen, professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. The subject of the conference was production in a digital future.
Also in 2024, there will be an exhibition dedicated to Álvaro Siza, Siza Theme Exhibition, an exhibition on his design and architecture.
The exhibits at CIFF Shanghai
Several brands collaborate with international designers and architects, but Camerich, an internationally renowned company, takes advantage of CIFF Shanghai to explore topical issues in design and architecture, designing booths of great interest. In 2019 for example, it was the turn of the Siza Pavilion for Camerich, a more than 700 square meters pavilion named “Portuguese Elephant.” Besides the size, which was definitely large, what stood out in that project was the attention paid to the booth’s architecture, rather than the display of products.
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Camerich Pavilion by Alvaro Siza, 2019
First of all, to create a silent and rarefied atmosphere inside the pavilion, the outer walls were made of a material that insulated from heat and noise, covered with mineral wool and aluminum, with an additional silver layer that was both scenic and fireproof. The floors were made of natural oak, the walls were white plaster, and the rooms were revealed in succession, as in the courtyards of Chinese houses. In fact, the pavilion had seven entrances, which created different viewpoints. Similarly, the company chose to display only two products, illustrating the various stages of their creation, from design to fine-tuning.
Neri & Hu x Camerich Pavilion, 2022
In 2022, on the other hand, the world-renowned firm Neri & Hu designed a sustainable and recyclable stand for Camerich, as well as a very impressive one. A lattice of more than 1,000 bamboo canes drew a space where visitors moved freely. The structure could be expanded or narrowed as needed, and besides, bamboo is a particularly sustainable wood, that grows quickly and is suitable for many processes. The bamboo structure enclosed the walls on the outside, leaving only a tiny entrance. Inside, there was an articulated pathway, in a succession of corridors and islands with furniture products. The various islands thus became rooms, real domestic settings, reminiscent of a real home.
Design Eden: A New Paradigm
The next edition of CIFF Shanghai takes place from September 11 to 14, 2024. The claim of the next edition will be “Design Eden”, to emphasize the cultural and design component of the fair. Indeed, at CIFF Shanghai, design and business integrate seamlessy, and a community of 300,000 designers finds multiple opportunities for cultural enrichment and business opportunities.
Why visit
CIFF Shanghai is one of China’s most influential design and furniture events. In addition to the furniture exhibition, there are several side events, such as CIFF Select Show, which selects products with the highest design content. On the other hand, design Eden – Contemporary Design Trade Fair will welcome Chinese brands specializing in high-end design, brands known worldwide. In addition to design products, CIFF offers an extensive program of side activities, such as forums and seminars with Chinese and international guests. Finally, the Creative Design Showcase, curated by designer Zhu Xiaojie’s team, is an excellent opportunity to see emerging designers and brands up close.
CIFF Shanghai, September, 11-14, 2024
CIFF Shanghai is for professionals only
Size: 1,500 exhibitors, 150,000 visitors in 2023
Visit CIFF-sh.com website for more info
