Old-school design: Dift creates pop-up hotel and exhibition

23 : 10 : 2014 Arts-pitality : Biennale Interieur 2014 : Ikea

Kortrijk, Belgium – Take one abandoned school due for demolition, add some of the world’s most respected designers and furniture brands, and the result is Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only, a pop-up exhibition and hotel.

Espoo, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only Espoo, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only
IKEA, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only IKEA, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only
Artifort, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only Artifort, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only
Boss & Ydee, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only Boss & Ydee, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only
Arbijt, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only Arbijt, Dift’s Eyes/Nights Only

Dift, a creative, branding and experience agency, developed the project for the Biennale Interieur 2014, a showcase of contemporary design for the home. Dift invited brands such as Ikea and Artifort to the former school to redesign the old classrooms as hotel suites.

The rooms are open as exhibitions to visitors during the day and closed for private use from 9:00pm. A two-hour period in the mornings allows for cleaning and tidying before the rooms are opened to the public once more.

The Arbijt room designed by Olivier Roels was built as a raised wooden structure, broken up by gauze panels into different zones for sleeping and dressing, while the Old Master’s Room has been kitted out by Antwerp store Espoo using minimal Scandinavian pieces and potted plants.

The Biennale Interieur 2014 is open from 17 to 26 October. Read our Art-spitality microtrend for more on how brands are using hospitality as an artistic medium to attract consumers in a post-Airbnb society.

Discover More Daily Signals
Can mixed-reality theatre re-invent the stage?

Daily Signals

Can mixed-reality theatre re-invent the stage?

An Ark, a mixed-reality theatre experience at The Shed in New York, is exploring how digital technology can transform live performance while preser...
Immersive Theatre : Media : Entertainment
Prada excavates the past to shape menswear’s future

Daily Signals

Prada excavates the past to shape menswear’s future

Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada’s autumn/winter 2026 menswear collection presented at Fondazione Prada in Milan, Italy, was an exercise in layered arc...
Fashion : Luxury : Society
Stat: Youth employment anxiety rises as AI threatens entry-level roles

Daily Signals

Stat: Youth employment anxiety rises as AI threatens entry-level roles

A growing majority of young people in the UK are entering work with deep anxiety about their career prospects, according to new research from the K...
Workplace : Society : Statistic
Will.i.am launches Trinity EV as AI-first solution for urban mobility

Daily Signals

Will.i.am launches Trinity EV as AI-first solution for urban mobility

Musician and entrepreneur Will.i.am has launched Trinity, a single-passenger, three-wheeled electric vehicle (EV) that is designed around an AI agent.
Mobility : Technology : Sustainability
Gap creates chief entertainment officer role to drive fashiontainment

Daily Signals

Gap creates chief entertainment officer role to drive fashiontainment

Gap Inc has appointed Pam Kaufman as its first-ever chief entertainment officer, a newly created role designed to develop a ‘fashiontainment’ platf...
Fashion : Entertainment : Media
Stat: Nearly a third of children starting school are struggling with basic analogue skills

Daily Signals

Stat: Nearly a third of children starting school are struggling with basic analogue skills

Nearly a third of children starting reception in England and Wales are struggling with basic analogue skills, revealing a widening gap between home...
Screen Time : Technology : Child Development
How building Bishoftu Airport positions Ethiopia as African travel epicentre

Daily Signals

How building Bishoftu Airport positions Ethiopia as African travel epicentre

Ethiopia has broken ground at Bishoftu International Airport, a new mega-hub designed by Zaha Hadid Architects that aims to become the largest avia...
Travel : Infrastructure : Airport
Miffy Mood Lab uses blind-box mechanics to turn emotion into retail engagement

Daily Signals

Miffy Mood Lab uses blind-box mechanics to turn emotion into retail engagement

Miffy Mood Lab has opened at the official Miffy store in London, celebrating the release of Mr Maria’s Miffy Colourful range while experimenting w...
Retail : Emotional Experiences : Mystery Box
Stat: Menopause symptoms improve with community-led fitness programme

Daily Signals

Stat: Menopause symptoms improve with community-led fitness programme

Peloton and Respin Health have released new findings from a targeted study examining women’s health during perimenopause and menopause, revealing t...
Menopause : Women's Health : Wellness
The North Face fuses ancient art with performance gear

Daily Signals

The North Face fuses ancient art with performance gear

As Lunar New Year approaches, The North Face is celebrating both the Year of the Horse and its 60th anniversary with a limited-edition collection t...
Fashion : Luxury : Sports
You have 2 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN