Illuminated Vista. 2020 SS Prada Men's Show by OMA-AMO

Prada chose OMA-AMO to design its "SS20 Menswear" in the colossal and labyrinthine stage of the Silo Hall of Minsheng Wharf—the show space is augmented with a linear catwalk slicing through the longitudinal axis of the space. Guests are arranged in the central nave of the building in an amphitheater of circular seats that dramatically mirror the shape of the silos above.

After the 2020 Spring/Summer Prada Menswear fashion show, guests encounter a programme of specially-curated audio and visual performances, comprising dance, music, light and sound installations, occupying seven distinct environments.

2020 SS Prada Man's Show by OMA-AMO. Photograph by Orange Image Shanghai

The proposal by OMA-AMO features themes of duality, shared identity and reflection unite the disparate and distinct performance pieces, interrupting and disrupting the venue and gradually guiding the audience through in an exploration of the unique, immersive spaces. These ephemeral chambers have been specially-created on the 6th and 7th floor of the Silo, entirely mapped with a panorama of light by UVA, for one night only.

The soundscape for each performance piece is curated by Craig Richards, who also performs a back-to-back DJ set with the highly acclaimed Ben UFO in a specially-designed club space as conclusion to the evening.

Description of project by OMA-AMO

For the 2020 Spring/Summer Prada Menswear show, AMO devised a light installation that amplifies the industrial monumentality and rawness of the Silo Hall of Minsheng Wharf.

The colossal and labyrinthine quality of the chamber is augmented with a linear catwalk slicing through the longitudinal axis of the space. Guests are arranged in the central nave of the building in an amphitheater of circular seats that dramatically mirror the shape of the silos above.
An arrangement of neon lights outlines the industrial form language of the hall, enhancing the intricate geometries, generating a glowing enfilade that shimmers in subtle pastel colors. Models walk along a path that expands as far as the eye can see, almost disappearing in the immense architecture of light.

Asia’s largest silo – a former storage for wheat and grain – the 80,000-ton silo warehouse of Minsheng Wharf is a powerful reminder of industrial heritage, an unintentional monument. Mindful of its history, at intervals, the installation of the 2020 Spring/Summer Prada Men’s show and events is disrupted by reminders of roughness and industry, embedded in the fabric of the building. These retain the original character of the building, the echoes of a past.

After the show, the guests are invited to the 7th floor of Minsheng Wharf where an ephemeral venue hosts an exclusive dinner and several music acts and installations. Intended for a one-night-only take-over, the space is organized around different performances that take place on multiple stages and informally throughout the event space.

A lounge bar surrounded by continuous booths in black and acid green eco-leather that run along the perimeter hosts the dinner and an array of musical and theatrical acts before the opening of the club. A dramatic black lacquer 100% recyclable curtain wraps around the venue where a series of neon lights outline the shapes of the room, a reflection of the motif of the showspace below.

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Location set up concept

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OMA/AMO. Partner.- Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli

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Design team

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Giacomo Ardesio, Lina Jaidi, Giulio Margheri, Jenny Niklasch, Alexandru Tintea, Chuchu Wu

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Client

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Prada

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Dates

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2019

OMA. Office for Metropolitan Architecture

Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) is an international practice operating within the traditional boundaries of architecture and urbanism. AMO, a research and design studio, applies architectural thinking to domains beyond.

OMA is led by eight partners – Rem Koolhaas, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van Loon, Shohei Shigematsu, Iyad Alsaka, Chris van Duijn, Jason Long, and Managing Partner-Architect David Gianotten – and maintains offices in Rotterdam, New York, Hong Kong, Doha, and Australia. OMA-designed buildings currently under construction are the renovation of Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) in Berlin, The Factory in Manchester, Hangzhou Prism, the CMG Times Center in Shenzhen and the Simone Veil Bridge in Bordeaux.

OMA’s completed projects include Simone Veil Bridge in Bordeaux (2024), LANTERN in Detroit (2024), Mangalem 21 in Tirana (2023), Aviva Studios – Factory International in Manchester (2023), Apollolaan 171 in Amsterdam (2023), Buffalo AKG Art Museum in Buffalo (2023), Toranomon Hills Station Tower in Tokyo (2023), Taipei Performing Arts Centre (2022), Audrey Irmas Pavilion in Los Angeles (2020), Norra Tornen in Stockholm (2020), Axel Springer Campus in Berlin (2020), MEETT Toulouse Exhibition and Convention Centre (2020), Galleria in Gwanggyo (2020), WA Museum Boola Bardip (2020), nhow RAI Hotel in Amsterdam (2020), a new building for Brighton College (2020), and Potato Head Studios in Bali (2020). Earlier buildings include Fondazione Prada in Milan (2018), Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow (2015), De Rotterdam (2013), CCTV Headquarters in Beijing (2012), Casa da Música in Porto (2005), and the Seattle Central Library (2004).

AMO often works in parallel with OMA's clients to fertilize architecture with intelligence from this array of disciplines. This is the case with Prada: AMO's research into identity, in-store technology, and new possibilities of content-production in fashion helped generate OMA's architectural designs for new Prada epicenter stores in New York and Los Angeles. In 2004, AMO was commissioned by the European Union to study its visual communication, and designed a colored "barcode" flag, combining the flags of all member states, which was used during the Austrian presidency of the EU.

AMO has worked with Universal Studios, Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, Heineken, Ikea, Condé Nast, Harvard University and the Hermitage. It has produced Countryside: The Future, a research exhibited at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York; exhibitions at the Venice Architecture Biennale, including Public Works (2012), Cronocaos (2010), and The Gulf (2006); and for Fondazione Prada, including When Attitudes Become Form (2012) and Serial and Portable Classics (2015). AMO, with Harvard University, was responsible for the research and curation of the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale and its publication Elements. Other notable projects are Roadmap 2050, a plan for a Europe-wide renewable energy grid; Project Japan, a 720-page book on the Metabolism architecture movement (Taschen, 2010); and the educational program of Strelka Institute in Moscow.

Ippolito Pestellini LAPARELLI

Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli joined OMA in 2007 and is based in Rotterdam. A partner since 2014, Ippolito’s work at OMA/AMO has a focus on preservation, scenography, and curation. Currently Ippolito is leading the transformation design of the 16th century Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice, the renovation of Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) in Berlin and the design of Repossi’s flagship store on Place Vendôme in Paris. Recent work includes Monditalia, a multi-disciplinary exhibition focused on Italy, at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale; scenography for the Greek theater of Syracuse in Sicily (2012); and the co-curation of Cronocaos, OMA’s exhibition on preservation at the 2010 Venice Architectural Biennale. Through collaborations with different brands including Repossi, Galleries Lafayette, Knoll, and Prada his activity extends to research, product design, temporary installations, and publications. Since 2010, Ippolito is responsible for a range of AMO projects with Prada, including the stage design for the brand’s fashion shows and special events, and the art direction of videos. He contributes to exhibition design for Fondazione Prada, with projects such as When Attitudes Become Form: 1969/2013 and Serial Classics (2015). Ippolito holds a Master of Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano.

Published on: June 20, 2019

Cite: "Illuminated Vista. 2020 SS Prada Men's Show by OMA-AMO" METALOCUS. Accessed

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