IHGF is amongst Asia’s largest gifts & handicrafts fair, held biannually (Spring & Autumn edition) and is organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida. The fair is spread across 60 acres of land (24 hectares) approx. Every fair has a primary theme around which the whole fair is designed, one of the most important components within the theme is the façade of the entry, which is approximately 100m long and 20m high and is intended to become the most imageable reference of the fair.
For the IHGF 2018 Autumn show, the theme was “Colours of India” which centred around diversity and craft intended to bring out the unified image of country. The country has a variety of language, culture, cuisine, fashion and off course handicraft. The variation is not only from state to state, even within a state you can entire art form changing as one changes the district. This variation in parts look very different but together they form a chronicle of the complete spectrum.
This narrative was later translated to the façade in the form of a spectrum itself, here every colour represented one form of handicraft.
Constructed with metal frame and covered by stretched fabric, there is a sense of ephemerality to the entire structure, making it light and easy on the eyes at the same time. The frame was supported on scaffolding and wrapped the building itself, symbolising the engulfing nature of the culture which it denotes. Since the translation of theme into the design is both literal and metaphorical, the lighting had followed suit. Lighting intended to do one simple thing, to show what is not visible at day, about the same structure.
Being a temporary structure, with very high movement in and around the structure, few challenges where eminent like Lighting infrastructure to be integrated with the façade as much as possible and since the event was for 5 days and these fixtures are rented by the day, the budget was an important constraint. The design became a prominent selfie point for the attendees of the fair. Making it one of the most desirable locations on the entire campus.
