Invited to collaborate with a prominent Chinese furniture manufacturer, we conceived an installation for the main entrance of Design Shanghai, where the brief centred on sustainability and the presentation of the company’s new collection.

The idea emerged during a drive through the countryside outside Shanghai, where fields of fallen and withered trees suggested an unexpected image for an exhibition pavilion. Rather than concealing decay, we chose to elevate it—transforming discarded nature into the central architectural gesture.

Thirty-five wilted birch trees, each approximately two metres tall, were recovered from a nearby field. Suspended upside down from a minimal powder-coated white steel framework, their branches descended toward visitors entering the pavilion, forming an inverted forest that blurred the boundary between installation and architecture.

To extend the environmental narrative beyond symbolism, each tree was treated with a NASA-endorsed photocatalytic coating and illuminated with UVC-accentuated spotlights. Activated by light and air circulation, the installation continuously contributed to purifying the surrounding environment throughout the exhibition.

Furniture from the manufacturer’s new collection—alongside selected pieces from our own—was positioned within the forest of branches, while all horizontal surfaces were constructed from recycled particle board.

Consistent with our collaborative philosophy, we persuaded the client to avoid dominant branding. Instead, the design itself became the message: a quiet yet powerful demonstration of a company aligning its production with ecological responsibility.

The pavilion was nominated for Best Design Pavilion at Design Shanghai and later for the German Design Award for Design and Sustainability.