TED TALKS PUZZLE LOUNGE
VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE
vancouver, BC

designed by alex kirkpatrick
on behalf of production canada

for TED Conferences

  • Every year at the TED Talks in Vancouver, the auditorium is surrounded by an exhibit floor where attendees mingle at bars, hang out at lounges, and look at displays or exhibits.
    With the puzzle lounge they were looking to do two things: display puzzles curated by the Art of Play Wonder Emporium, and create quiet spots for introverts to tuck a way and have a quiet conversation. Maybe crack a cryptex in between sessions.

    https://www.artofplay.com/

    I knew the exhibit floor would be bustling throughout the set up, and we wanted to prioritise installing the giant puzzle pieces to dominate the available vertical space and draw attention to our exhibit. So I tailored the design to embrace the needed efficiency by turning all the pieces into their own travel crate. Referencing road cases created a DIY aesthetic to the booth and gave a smooth, minimalist framing to the colourful displays.
    I staged the shelving units against the venue wall, to bring people into the space, and framed the 20’x40’ exhibit footprint with low rise benches with lots of entrances and exits so it was a really easy and inviting space to use.