Milan 2015: Tokyo-based Schemata Architects created an exhibition stand for Swiss furniture brand Vitra made from Japanese wooden pallets for Milan's 2015 Salone del Mobile design fair (+ slideshow).

The space at the Rho Fairground venue featured plinths made from pallets to create different heights, stacked pallets as walls, and the original pallet racking system of wire crates redesigned for the stand.

Colour was applied to the surface of certain pallets to denote different parts of the stand.

"We composed the space by stacking wooden pallets to express repetition as inspired by Vitra’s collection, and partially cast epoxy resin to create distinctive surface finish," said Jo Nagasaka of Schemata Architects.

The design was conceived to break the norms of stand design and create a new visual language for exhibitions. Its warehouse aesthetic, complete with a forklift truck, intended to reflect the temporary nature of the annual fair

"Conventional exhibition styles, such as enclosure style, gallery style, and white-cube style, impose viewers to see from predetermined points of view," he said. "On the contrary, this exhibition space allows each viewer to select his or her own style of viewing, which communicates a transformation of Vitra’s stance."

Japanese wooden pallets are built to a standard size of one metre by one metre, providing a repeating module that formed the basis of the design, enabling different parts of the stand to be customised.

"We adopted a DIY style, in which each designer could experiment and develop the best way to display his or her product," said Nagasaka.

The pieces on the display included Ronan and Erwan Bourourllec's Belleville Chair and Table, the Polder Sofa and Compact by Hella Jongerius, and the Mariposa Sofa by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

This year's Salone del Mobile took place from 14 to 19 April.