Say Hey To Design Miami's Tent This Year, by formlessfinder

The very high designy design fair that runs concurrent to Art Basel, Design Miami has commissioned young, avant-garde New York design firm formlessfinder to create the fair tent's entrance this year—a much prized annual commission that's sort of like Miami's little version of the Serpentine Pavilion in London. Anywho... the self-described 'conceptual "formless" architectural practice' helmed by Principals Garrett Ricciardi and Julian Rose positions itself as anti-image and pro-sustainability, embracing what they refer to as "the raw, the unprocessed, the unstable, the ephemeral, and the degradable." And what's the perfect medium to do all of that which is conveniently in abundance in Miami? Sand!

Actually, we're running out of sand, but still... the design duo's pavilion entrance for Design Miami 2013, is named "TENT PILE" because it's basically a pile of sand and a tent, but it accomplishes two careful balancing acts. It manages to perch a custom-designed cantilevered aluminum roof (no pre-fab party tent here) on the tip of a 500 ton pyramid of sand. And, it exemplifies formlessfinder's design aesthetics and architectural principles while paying homage to Miami's unique location and design vernacular - topping our famous natural resource with a structure reminiscent of post-war tropical modernism.

Besides pushing its geographical boundaries – collocating with Art Basel in Switzerland in June as well as with Art Basel Miami Beach in Florida in December – Design Miami is known for commissioning designers for their pavilion entrance who think outside the box – literally and figuratively. Past designers have included an international who's who of cutting edge architects who set the stage for the design delights within the pavilion – 20th and 21st century furniture, lighting and fine art objects from the world's leading design galleries (ironically, none from Miami this year). Traditionally, the winner of the tent commission would also be named Design Miami's Designer of the Year, an annual award which was discontinued this year. Visitors to Design Miami will find formlessfinder in fine form as they pass through the pavilion entrance, hopefully engaging in the collectivity that the firm advocates and, no doubt, tracking sand absolutely everywhere.
—Marlene Sholod

· formlessfinder's TENT PILE for Design Miami 2013 [Design Log]
· Design Miami to feature pile of sand [dezeen]