I led the Brand of the Allsteel showroom for the first 2 of the 3 years in a row Gensler designed their NeoCon experience. I had the advantage of knowing little about the traditions of the show so I approached the project with a fresh perspective. I felt it was most important to focus on the customers’ customer, not to show furniture as art objects or focus on the details of manufacture but to create vignettes to show how Allsteel furniture could help people work better.
The concept for the showroom was “A Day in the Life” where 4 teams at different specialized businesses worked together on a project. Areas of the showroom were arranged and appointed to show how each firm works differently, but the story of this day wove them all together. To further the sense of togetherness and the Midwestern family roots of the company, the logo wall was made of framed photos of employees today and going back to the founding like a collection of family portraits on the stairwell of your home.
Due to the project schedule, I had just one night to complete the chalk drawing wall mural. After a group gathered to hang hundreds of postcards for another installation we designed, I used timed projection to guide my drawing, create a tent with plastic and spray sealant over the chalk from 8 pm to 6 am the next morning.
ClientAllsteelYear2013