ARCH POP – DESIGN
MASTER GRADUATION DESIGN PROJECTArchitect, Art Director and Graphic Designer
The design assignment arising from this exploration involves creating a series of small interventions in Amsterdam, commissioned by Bottega Veneta, an Italian fashion house led by Matthieu Blazy.
The design centres around four interventions inspired by Blazy’s recent fashion show notes, emphasising the theme of “An Odyssey” — a transformative journey that combines both internal and external aspects. Drawing parallels with Bottega Veneta’s heritage in leatherwork and bag designs, the assignment is conceived as a walk, aligning with the themes of temporariness, experimentation, shelter, and adaptability explored in the research. Echoing Blazy’s vision of Bottega as a bag company linked to journeys, the design proposal focuses on spaces of transition, emphasising temporariness.
The interventions include:
Inspired by Bottega Veneta’s past commissions for performance stages, this pavilion embraces Amsterdam’s clubbing culture. It is envisioned to be installed during the Lentekabinet festival, serving as a stage for music performances, a conversation pit, and an art display. The main design element for the pavilion is water movement, with the redirection and cycle of water informing the slants, boundaries, and materiality of the space.
Inspired by the brand’s affinity for nature, this exhibition in the Amsterdam Botanical Garden reconnects with the primal world of plants, minerals, and animals. The concept of rebirth and transformation informs the design, which is constructed as a mud- brick maze. The maze evolves as seeds embedded in the bricks sprout, changing the space’s appearance over time.
Reflecting Bottega Veneta’s theme of travel, this installation at the waterfront entertains both festival visitors waiting for the shuttle and passersby. The design concept centers on the movement of the wind. Flags, positioned to mirror the curvature of the station’s structure, create a space inviting people to walk through or sit around, serving both a functional and symbolic purpose.
This show set for the release of the new collection is staged at the Cuyperpassage, experimenting with the movement of the sun. A light reflector, adjustable to the sun’s angle, is placed across the river to capture and reflect sunlight back to the show venue, creating the surreal experience of two simultaneous sunsets.
The design of these spaces reflects the principles of my design manifesto, targeting specific audiences—festival attendees, show invitees, or Hortus visitors—to create environments that foster community through interaction and care. The aesthetic and practical aspects of the architecture are thoughtfully balanced, with modular elements for flexibility and cost-effectiveness, while still prioritizing beauty and inspiration. Like designer clothing, these spaces serve not only their functional purposes but also convey values and elevate the user experience. Their temporary nature informs material and typological choices, ensuring quality, sustainability, and ease of assembly.
These spaces are also presented as sub-editions of Arch Pop magazines, printed as their own standalone pamphlets. This format allows the design concepts to be shared and appreciated beyond the physical installations, offering a tangible, collectible representation of the artistic vision. These pamphlets serve as both a record of the temporary structures and an extension of the ideas they embody, making the design accessible to a wider audience and reinforcing the connection between architecture and the broader cultural discourse.