3 highlights from the Design Biennale Zurich

The fourth edition of the Design Biennale Zurich opened on 1 September. Until 19 September, you can explore various installations in the Old Botanical Garden that revolve around this year's motto "Shift". Rocking benches, curtains made from old awnings blowing in the wind and stools made from parachutes that once flew: These are just three of fifteen ideas from young Swiss designers who have dedicated themselves to small and large changes.

1. a breath of fresh air with old textiles

Laurent Hermann Progin has questioned how we can utilise materials and recycle used fabrics from old sun blinds. They usually end up in the rubbish bin as soon as the edges are damaged. Yet they are waterproof and very robust. In order to preserve them, the man from Freiburg assembles even the smallest remnants into a new curtain, playing with colours and patterns.

The designer attaches the curtains to a pergola, turning them into a temporary open-air space. "Visitors can also pause for a moment," says Laurent. While they walk between the colourful lengths of fabric, they can still look outside - the gaps that are created between the lengths during weaving allow this to happen. At the same time, light and air can penetrate. For his installation, the fashion designer draws on traditional weaving techniques and applies them on a new scale. In doing so, he transfers techniques from the fashion industry to the interior design sector.

2. a look into space on old wheels

Designing products, furniture and spaces that create familiar yet unconventional narratives is what designer Livia Lauber sets out to do when she designs. Her installation "Round & Round -Thinking on circularity" for the Design Biennale also combines the familiar with the new. It consists of five different stools made from old tractor tyres and finished with different covers. Among them: a robust paraglider that used to soar through the air. Or climbing ropes that once saved people from free falling.

The experimental stools do not represent a finished product, but rather convey the many possible applications of circular design principles. "The ultimate goal of a closed material cycle is to avoid waste by continuing to use products and materials for as long as possible," says Livia. In the conventional upholstery industry, many foams and adhesives are used that prevent individual components from being reused. That's why she uses materials and techniques that make it easy to remove the covers from the tyres.

At the same time, the seating furniture should invite you to linger and engage with nature, says the designer. "Once your thirst for knowledge has been quenched and you are lying relaxed on one of the circular loungers, your gaze glides into the sky, which we share with numerous fellow human beings and other living creatures."

3. a recyclable three-in-one solution

Yael Anders actually designs small ceramic objects, stationery, jewellery and illustrative works. For the Design Biennale, she has designed a piece of furniture for the first time that transforms from a bench or hammock into a swing with a "shift". It consists of a recyclable metal frame and a fabric made from Bananatex - a fabric made from naturally grown abacá banana plants. "There is an undulating movement through the seat that changes the positions of everyone present," says Yael. "The more people sit on the fabric bench, the greater the 'shift' that can be felt throughout the body."

The dynamic bench is intended to put visitors in relation to each other so that they can experience the significance of the "Common Grounds". It symbolises collectively used spaces and is intended to help bring together ideas on topics such as the use of public space. This is why there is also a QR code on the sign next to it. This takes those seated to a website that encourages discussion. The illustrator later collates the comments, images and drawings left behind in a collective mood board.

The Design Biennale is an important part of the largest Swiss design festival "Zurich Design Weeks", where studios and shops open their doors and established brands and newcomers exhibit their work. You can find more information about the varied programme, guided tours and workshops on the website.