Located inside the iconic Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome in the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, the Camper Pop-up Shop pioneers a new form of retail shopping by combining the best attributes from in-store and online shopping through a mix of virtual, sensory, and communal interfaces. The design had to adapt to the existing geodesic structure without competing with it. The solution consisted in creating two concentric layers of self-bearing shelves, located within a dome like a Russian doll. The shelves, conceived as interactive walls, are lightweight composite timber panels organized in a varied way to create voids, recesses, and passages of different sizes and characteristics. The spacing of the wall elements allows for a visual and acoustic permeability, promoting a sense of discovery, exploration and chance encounters between visitors. The handcrafted aesthetic of Camper is highlighted by using materials and processes that are indicative of shoe fabrication such as braided cord.

The installation coincided with the exhibition ‘Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design,’ a traveling exhibition that reflects the energy of a new generation of designers, architects, and artists in Africa.