Europe is the place to be for architecture and design buffs this season. From the groundbreaking to the historical to the just plain curious, innovative products, structures, and decorative objects are the subjects of many new exhibitions opening up across the continent in the coming weeks. We’ve rounded up five such presentations—including an Alessi showcase in Cologne and a nod to renegade architects in London—sure to please you in person or inspire you from afar.
“Faire le Mur” at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
An homage to the rich tradition of wallpaper design, this show features a diverse selection of 300 ornamental and finely detailed wall coverings culled from the museum’s permanent collection, including the 1974 Falaises by Alain Le Foll, Zuber, and Cie Rixheim (shown). Careful—these stunning and awe-inspiring designs might just have you plotting out a new accent wall.
Through June 12, 107 rue de Rivoli; lesartsdecoratifr
“DAM Award for Architecture in Germany 2015: The 22 Best Buildings in/from Germany” at the German Architecture Museum, Frankfurt
In 1925, Walter Gropius was commissioned by the city of Dessau to build a cluster of semidetached houses for himself (then Bauhaus director) and a group of Bauhaus masters. In the years since its construction, the legendary compound has been home to László Moholy-Nagy, Wassily Kandinsky, and many others. Bruno Fioretti Marquez’s recent—and somewhat controversial—reconstruction of the site earned the Berlin office DAM’s Award for Architecture in Germany 2015. Marquez’s design and 21 other innovative structures are the subject of this show.
January 30 through May 8, Schaumainkai 43; dam-online.de
“Alessi Made in Crusinallo. The Beauty and the Mastery” at MAKK, Cologne, Germany
First presented during the 2013 London Design Festival at the Victoria and Albert Museum, this exhibition offers rare insight into the creative process of famed designer Alberto Alessi. Through prototypes, products, sketches, and short films, the show traces the evolution of Alessi designs.
Through April 3, An der Rechtschule; museenkoeln.de
“Creation from Catastrophe: How Architecture Rebuilds Communities” at the Royal Institute of British Architects, London
When fires, earthquakes, and other disasters destroy cities, communities have the potential not only to be rebuilt but to be completely reimagined. RIBA’s new exhibition explores this concept through proposals of alternative city plans from the restructuring of London after the Great Fire of 1666 to the floating schools and water communities in Lagos, Nigeria, (shown) after the 2012 floods.
January 27 through April 24, 66 Portland Place; architectureom
“Mavericks: Breaking the Mould of British Architecture” at the Royal Academy of Arts, London
Though separated by time, geography, and style, architects Zaha Hadid, Robert Smythson, Charles Robert Cockerell, and John Vanbrugh are bonded through their nonconformist, envelope-pushing ideas. The designs of these and other architecture “mavericks” are the focus of this new London exhibition. Pictured is Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, by Robert Smythson
January 26 through April 20, Burlington House, Piccadilly; royalacademrg.uk