He made chairs float from the ceiling and created organic living landscapes that continue to fascinate us today: the Danish architect and designer Verner Panton (1926–1998) shaped post-war design like few others. To celebrate the centenary of his birth, the Vitra Design Museum will dedicate a major exhibition at the Vitra Schaudepot to Panton’s work. Showcasing the full breadth of his creative output – from iconic pieces like the »Panton Chair« to his lighting and textile designs – it will also feature his little-known architectural projects. A full-scale, walk-in reconstruction of the legendary »Fantasy Landscape« (1970) brings Panton’s revolutionary understanding of space and the spirit of the era vividly to life. The exhibition design transforms his sculptural, colour-rich worlds into an immersive experience. Drawing extensively on the Verner Panton Archive at the Vitra Design Museum, the exhibition invites visitors to rediscover a visionary designer – between Pop, utopia, and organic worlds of colour.

Image: Verner Panton, »Fantasy Landscape«, installation view of the »Visiona 2« exhibition, International Furniture Fair Cologne, 1970 © Verner Panton Design AG

Geoffrey Bawa (1910–2003) counts among the most influential architects in twentieth-century Asia. His more than two hundred projects shaped the architecture of postcolonial Sri Lanka, forming a remarkably diverse body of work encompassing hotels, private residences, schools, universities, factories, office buildings, and the country’s national parliament. Bawa is considered the father of an architecture of tropical modernism that responds sensitively to climate, landscape, and social context. He worked closely with local craftspeople, and many of his buildings continue to inspire generations of architects seeking to bridge traditional forms and modern design. In 2026, the Vitra Design Museum and M+ Hong Kong will present the first major retrospective of Bawa’s work. Featuring an unprecedented wealth of drawings, models, furniture, photographs, and films, the exhibition brings to life the captivating, sensory quality of Bawa’s architecture – from his early modernist works to the experimental and sometimes little-known projects of his later years.

An exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum and M+ in collaboration with the Geoffrey Bawa Trust

Image: Geoffrey Bawa, Kandalama Hotel, Dambulla, 1992 © Sebastian Posingis