LDF: Land of automobiles

28 : 09 : 2016 Studio Swine : Fordlandia : LDF 2016

London – Studio Swine has recreated an area of the Amazon rainforest once colonised by Ford.

  • Fordlandia was founded by Henry Ford in 1928 and subsequently abandoned in 1934
  • Studio Swine has imagined what the city would be like if the project had succeeded
Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK
Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK
Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK
Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK Fordlandia by Studio Swine as part of London Design Festival, UK

The exhibition space at Fashion Space Gallery is designed to resemble a dystopian vision of an imaginary Fordlandia resident’s living room.

Ford set up the city for practical and aspirational reasons in the belief that it would provide a cheap and reliable source of rubber for his automobile business, while also functioning as a utopian model that could revolutionise all future American cities.

The exhibition is a collaboration between architect Azusa Murakami and artist Alexander Groves, who visited the area to source materials native to Fordlandia. Cushions made from the skin of the pirarucu, a large Amazonian fish, and a table made from ipe hardwood, or Brazilian walnut, feature alongside chairs made from ebonite, once used for car batteries, made to evoke the automobile manufacturer’s role.

The Big Picture

Learn more about the value of speculative design in our True Lies column and check back in the coming days for more reviews of London Design Festival.

Discover More Daily Signals
Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Daily Signals

Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Luxury hotel group Rosewood is repositioning itself as a lifestyle and cultural leader, with a focus on storytelling and experiential travel.
Luxury : Hospitality : Rosewood
Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, insights and engagement d...
Culture : Beauty : Fashion
Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Daily Signals

Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Adults are spending less time on social media, following a peak three years ago. By the end of 2024, those aged 16 or older were spending an averag...
Media : Technology : Statistic
Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Daily Signals

Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Ulta Beauty has launched UB Marketplace, a new online platform introducing more than 100 emerging beauty and wellness brands to its website and app...
Beauty : Retail : Ecommerce
Travel platform Curated Spaces is powered by trusted tastemakers

Daily Signals

Travel platform Curated Spaces is powered by trusted tastemakers

Travel start-up Curated Spaces has launched a booking platform that puts personal style, trusted recommendations and curated experiences at the hea...
Travel : Hospitality : Digital
Stat: Gen Z women are shaping a new liberal majority in the US

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z women are shaping a new liberal majority in the US

New polling highlights a sharp political gender gap within Gen Z, positioning young women as the most liberal demographic in the US, according to a...
Youth : Politics : Gen Z
Heineken transforms Seoul’s rooftops into social sanctuaries

Daily Signals

Heineken transforms Seoul’s rooftops into social sanctuaries

Heineken is transforming Seoul’s empty rooftops into vibrant social spaces as part of a new campaign combatting urban loneliness and removing barri...
Culture : Drink : Loneliness
Feeling introduces transdermal energy patch to combat daily fatigue

Daily Signals

Feeling introduces transdermal energy patch to combat daily fatigue

Manchester-based wellness brand Feeling has launched a transdermal energy patch designed to address persistent fatigue in individuals who maintain ...
Health : Wellness : Supplements
Stat: Gift cards become inflation-era solution for festive shoppers

Daily Signals

Stat: Gift cards become inflation-era solution for festive shoppers

As inflation continues to put pressure on spending, gift cards are set to dominate this year’s festive period in the US. According to Blackhaw...
Retail : Consumer Spending : Inflation
Yōjō harnesses vagus nerve technology for everyday wellbeing

Daily Signals

Yōjō harnesses vagus nerve technology for everyday wellbeing

Yōjō is a new wellness eco-system using non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS), biofeedback and human coaching to help people calm their bodie...
Health : Wellness : Technology
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN