Runway Built from Stars
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Installation was a spatial installation designed for a runway in Budapest. The project began with an exceptionally limited university budget. The aim was to create a strong visual backdrop from very little, inexpensive material.
Thin HDF sheets were bent into self-supporting star modules. The system was lightweight, quick to assemble and reusable. Planbureau developed the solution from concept and prototyping through production support.
Client
Industry
Product
Location
Timeline
Servces
MOME and Mercedes-Benz
Fashion / Events
Runway Installation
Budapest, Hungary
1 month in 2019
Concept Development
Space Design
Prototyping
Production Support
Strong Impact, Minimal Budget
The project was defined by an exceptionally limited budget. The runway still needed a strong and photogenic spatial backdrop. The solution had to use very little, inexpensive and easy-to-handle material.
The structure also needed to assemble quickly and store easily. Reuse across multiple events was another requirement. The brief became the creation of a distinctive installation that would support the collections without overpowering them.
Flat Sheet, Self-Supporting Space
The main challenge was turning a thin flat sheet into a stable spatial structure. HDF is flexible and relatively fragile on its own. The form therefore had to work with minimal fixing.
Planbureau tested bending, connections and self-supporting behaviour through prototypes. Three sheets were joined into a star-shaped cross-section. The geometry subtly referenced the Mercedes three-pointed star without reproducing the logo literally.
A Wall of Star Modules
The final system used self-supporting star modules made from three bent HDF sheets. Each unit stood without a separate supporting frame. Arranged side by side, the modules formed a rhythmic, undulating runway wall.
The system was lightweight, quick to install and easy to dismantle. Its lacquered white surface also worked as a projection screen. Light and moving imagery could therefore give the same structure different visual characters.
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