Paris Design Week 2024 lands momentum for its global quest and aspirations

As I write, the hot air balloon designed by Mathieu Lehanneur to carry the Olympic flame across the skies of Paris has yet to find its final destination. The city council hopes to preserve it at the Tuileries Garden as a legacy of one of the most spectacular and visible projects of the Paris Olympics 2024. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee argues that this high-tech creation, cleverly wrapped in the guise of a romantic cliché, should remain an ephemeral symbol — meant to endure only for one Olympic season and live on in collective memory as a poetic recollection.

While the tug-of-war between the two institutions continues, Maison&Objet and Paris Design Week have kicked off, seemingly riding the wave of the Olympic enthusiasm that recently swept the nation. The theme of this year’s design fair, Terra Cosmos, reflects and recollects both the spirit of the Olympics and the circular form of the balloon that symbolises it. Identified by the trend forecasting agency Peclers Paris, Terra Cosmos invites us to explore broader, transcendent horizons—the grandeur of space and the perception of Earth as a shared global experience that unites rather than divides. Following years of strong concentration on localism marked by the revival of traditional crafts, a focus on rural design and the celebration of region-specific projects, the mysteries of the cosmos and the metaphysical allure of universalism seem to have taken the lead this year. The observation is borne with the recollection of Maison&Objet’s previous themes too, which have consistently aimed to be inclusive, engaging diverse targets and industries. Meanwhile, the off-circuit events of the design week have remained more closely tied to the French cultural scene, which in recent years has been particularly focused on the themes of multispecism, the revival of traditional practices and the exploration of personal narratives.

In the majestic courtyard of Hôtel de Sully, a historic mansion that stands as a symbol of the Marais district and Paris, British designer Paul Cocksedge has been chosen by Maison&Objet to create the annual installation for the design week. Staying true to his dry and conceptual language, Cocksedge opted for an enigmatic installation, named Squeeze, that interacts with visitors and the architecture of the Hôtel de Sully. In the centre of the garden, a series of mirrors, obtained from the compression of reflective volumes and mounted on a circular iron structure, invites viewers to contemplate their own slightly distorted reflections, thereby encouraging them to question their identity and its relationship with the surrounding environment. It is improbable for a spectator to guess what thoughts come over each visitor as they gaze into their reflections. However, as I walked past the mirrors, seeing some absorbed in introspection and others snapping selfies, I concurred that the design installation proved at last successful in offering a new perspective on the Hôtel de Sully's architecture, inviting a deeper appreciation of its details.

Young designers, showcasing their work under the official Factory label, also made a mark in the Marais area. At Espace Commines, the hub for more renewed talents, the pursuit of metaphysical abstraction becomes evident, often through innovative uses of metal. Experimentation, after all, has always found a haven at Espace Commines. However, as is often the case, this tension of the responsibility of innovation on young designers does not always equate to quality. While some projects demonstrated stimulating conceptual insights, others fell into the trap of mannerism, merely reconfiguring the latest trends into captivating forms. Paris-based studio Waiting for Ideas employs metal tubing to create a minimalist chair design that, devoid of ergonomic features, highlights fluidity through simplicity in its design exhibition. Nearby, Jord Lindelauf's steel sheet monoliths and mirrors offer a blurred reflection, delivering a striking visual impact with minimalism. Similarly, Amca Oval, a brand that bridges fashion and design, presents two totems crafted from geometric steel modules. Jules Levasseur, on the other hand, transforms Terra Cosmos into a research domain with his project Les Pieds sur Terre, tying it to his ongoing exploration of working-class craftsmanship since 2015. "What parallels can be drawn between the working-class culture that inspires me and the infinite balance of the cosmos?" he questions. The answer emerges in a novel approach to co-manufacturing that seeks to harness local expertise, not to revive traditional aesthetics, but to collaboratively explore new potentials and technical languages.

This sense of coexistence and passion for participation was evident both in projects and events. With this spirit, the Tout-Paris of design— experts, personalities and socialites, according to the French saying—flocked to Lafayette Anticipations for a three-day design event organised by the Hall Haus collective in collaboration with Design AlUla, a regional project tied to the famous archaeological site in Saudi Arabia. The displayed artworks once again embrace an informal and global language, from Leo Orta's primitively styled, disjointed seating to Hall Haus' massive modular design sofa, reminiscent of interior designer Verner Panton's experiments and Italy's radical design movement.

At the Maison & Objet design festival, the Rising Talents format remains a pivotal platform for emerging designers, this year spotlighting talents from Scandinavia. Moving beyond the Nordic tradition and its functionalist roots, these designers ventured into creating bold and ironic pieces driven by personal exploration. In this context, the Terra Cosmos theme and its universalist questions took a back seat. "Ordinary things inspire us and many of our ideas come from the everyday things around us—cables, wires, neon lights—things we often take for granted. We just want to present them in a different context,” Frederik Weber of the Danish duo Frederik Gustav told STIR.

This perspective highlights a fundamental truth about design weeks: while overarching themes provide a common narrative, every surprising burst of creativity can always challenge it, redefining the common thread to elevate it to the next trend. This observation—or conclusion—remains steadfast, unaffected by the grandest of events and their seemingly common search for a universal connection.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position of STIR or its editors.)