discover designboom’s top 10 installations of 2024 by our readers

As we continue our review of 2024’s biggest design stories, we take a look at some of the most exciting installations that crafted immersive multisensory experiences within the public realm. Interactive pieces such as Karolina Halatek’s immersive light sculpture in Tirana, and SpY’s luminous traffic cone set up on the columns of the Aula Academia at Ghent University, are amongst our top 10 installation picks of 2024 submitted by our readers. Highlights include Mathieu Nouhen’s land art installation in France, MARS Studio’s interwoven strings of light glowing in Shenzhen, and ZXD Architects’ enveloping rope net structure stretched over a pond in Changshou Village, which bridged the concept of rural revitalization with contemporary art installation. Varying in materiality, spatial configuration and conceptual exploration, bold designs transformed urban and rural settings all over the world. Here, we spotlight the TOP 10 installations submitted by our readers featured on designboom in 2024. 

5-YEAR-OLD’S SKETCH TURNS LIGHT MAST INTO LUMINOUS BIRD’S NEST INSTALLATION IN ESTONIA

image courtesy of Velvet

Once a major submarine shipyard established before World War I, the Noblessner port in Tallinn, Estonia has now been transformed into a seafront quarter open to the public and the sea. At its heart, a large, elegant, illuminated bird’s nest crowns a former lighting mast, combining metal and light art. Aptly titled Nest, the installation was commissioned by real estate developer Merko Ehitus Eesti and realized by Estonian design agency Velvet in collaboration with lighting design studio UN-LIKE. Crafted from repurposed materials, the sculptural piece breathes new life into a long-unused structure that once littered the environment. Its conception is inspired by five-year-old Stina Onemar’s vision of a bird’s nest adorning the rusted mast, realized to enliven the urban space and instill an appreciation for old and disused industrial objects.

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SPIRAL LAND ART BY MATHIEU NOUHEN CONJURES MYSTICAL UNDERTONES IN RURAL FRANCE

image courtesy Mathieu Nouhen

Artist and architect Mathieu Nouhen transforms an agricultural plot in France into a land art installation with archaic and mystical undertones. Titled Fossile, the temporary artwork reveals a spiral arrangement of stakes, evoking the form of a fossil and symbolizing the only vestige remaining of man’s imprint on this landscape. ‘It is the passage of man that creates strength, abnormality, absurdity. We symbolize a present or past presence. It is a form turned towards humans, but also towards the other inhabitants of this agricultural land, those who will witness the change,’ shares Nouhen. 

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MARS STUDIO’S ISLE OF LIGHT INSTALLATION WEAVES AN URBAN ISLAND OF SHIFTING COLOR IN SHENZHEN

image courtesy of MARS Studio

At the invitation of Glow Shenzhen Organizing Committee, MARS Studio designed a vibrant set of installations to illuminate Futian District Citizen Square. Isle of Light is composed of four curved steel structures with staggered heights and ups and downs, unraveling into a spiraling semi-enclosed form. Intricately woven strings form a thin, hazy display surface, creating a miniature ‘urban island’ set against a backdrop of shifting light and shadow.

In the cyclonic field of light and lines, the installation tries to explore the distance between people, urging visitors to reflect on interpersonal relations. The circular spatial layout, resembling rising mist, envelops visitors and resonates softly with the light. Each spiral component symbolizes a unique individual, and in their continuous circling and overlapping, they prompt encounters and exchanges between strangers and friends.

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KAROLINA HALATEK’S LUMINOUS INSTALLATION TERMINAL IN TIRANA DRAWS ON NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

Karolina Halatek’s Terminal in Tirana is an immersive light sculpture permanently installed in front of the Mother Teresa Hospital in Albania. Drawing from the profound recollections of patients encountering near-death experiences, the site-specific installation creates a space where art, spirituality, and science intersect. The structure is composed of a single polyethylene cylinder, illuminated from within by solar-powered LED neons, inviting visitors to step into an otherworldly experience reminiscent of those near-death experiences — a transcendental journey through a dark tunnel towards an enveloping, radiant light. Accessible from both sides, the installation is placed as a crown jewel at the center of the landscaped site. The interactive piece encourages viewers to immerse themselves in the transformative power of light, offering a glimpse into what might lie at the threshold of life.

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ZXD ARCHITECTS STRETCHES LARGE WOVEN NET ACROSS POND IN RURAL CHINA, INVITING REST AND PLAY

image by Zhang Chao

ZXD Architects has completed the Soft Square in the rural Changshou Village, Shenzhen, bridging the concept of a public space with contemporary art installation. A large woven rope net structure is stretched over a pond in front of the historic Hakka Houses, offering a unique setting for tourists and villagers to relax and connect with nature.

The space was previously leased as a private fish pond, with its natural shoreline replaced by stone, concrete, and stainless steel railings to ensure safety for pedestrians and vehicles. These modifications disrupted the pond’s appearance and role in the village, clashing with the rural settings and creating a sense of detachment. The architects’ intervention restores spatial and cultural connection as part of a broader rural revitalization effort, complementing the newly established theatre commune.

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PINK ACRYLIC BUBBLES BY NAOONAOO COMPOSE UNDULATING INSTALLATION ALONG SUZHOU’S WATERFRONT

Architecture and art studio Naoonaoo unveils Barbie Mountain, a public installation in Suzhou’s Huqiu District, designed to revitalize a once outdated commercial area near a residential community. The installation features 40 pink acrylic bubbles that aim to bring a sense of new romance and imagination to the waterfront of the city. Traditional Taihushi rockeries and stone pagodas of Suzhou inspire this project, reinterpreting these historical forms through the use of five types of prefabricated acrylic modules. Anchored by a central steel spine, the modules shape an undulating landscape that blends with the surroundings.

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ORANGE TENSILE MEMBRANE ATTACHES TO CURVED STEEL PIPES SHAPING EDDY PAVILION IN SHANGHAI

image by Zhu Qingyan

Atelier Zeros designs Eddy Pavilion for the Head of Shanghai River Regatta and the HiTIME estate. Positioned at the intersection of the Suzhou and Huangpu Rivers on Shanghai‘s northern Bund, the pavilion benefits from its vibrant surroundings and a historic architectural backdrop. The design aims to capture the energy of rowing competitions, highlighting the collective achievements of participants while also reflecting Shanghai’s architectural heritage.

Drawing from the interaction between rowers and water—particularly the eddies formed by oars in motion—the designers employed computer algorithms to generate three Möbius strips that shape the pavilion’s structure. Each strip represents individual athletic effort, while their interconnectedness represents unity and collaboration. The installation creates an abstract whirlpool along the Suzhou River bank, shaping a unique circular visual pathway.

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SPY WRAPS NEOCLASSICAL COLUMNS IN GHENT WITH 1984 LUMINOUS TRAFFIC CONES FOR LICHTFESTIVAL

1,984 luminous traffic cones embrace the columns of the Aula Academia at Ghent University, casting an ethereal orange glow over the Belgian city. Kicking off the sixth edition of the Lichtfestival Ghent, CONES by Spanish artist SpY disrupts the assumed solemnity of the historic architecture through an unconventional and thornily subversive aesthetic re-envisioning of its front. By day, a stark orange intervention captivates the urban street front, while by night, the artwork bathes Voldersstraat in a warm blanket of light, transforming it into an immersive visual spectacle.

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KRAKEN INSTALLATION MADE OF RECLAIMED WOOD SPREADS ITS TENTACLES IN LYON

image courtesy of UV LAB

Le Kraken by UV LAB emerges as an ephemeral monumental installation gracing the central esplanade of the historic site housing Les SUBS and Lyon‘s ENSBA Fine Arts University. Spanning 25 meters in width, towering 15 meters high, and extending 180 meters in tentacles, Le Kraken commands attention. Built over six weeks using 1000 sqm of reclaimed wood, it represents the collective efforts of 30 professionals and students.

This imposing wooden structure evokes a sense of awe, transporting viewers to another epoch or perhaps an alternate history. Despite its chilling presence, the Kraken invites interaction, drawing visitors to explore its labyrinthine form and uncover its mysteries.

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INTERACTIVE TABLE SOCCER INSTALLATION BY LAAB ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL PLAY AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

image by Otto Ng

LAAB Architects presents Harbour Cup, an interactive artwork showcased at the Science in Art exhibition along Hong Kong‘s Central Harbourfront promenade. Blending sports, science, and art, the installation offers a unique and engaging experience. Inspired by the traditional table soccer game, Harbour Cup introduces a twist—there are no goals and no fixed teams. Players must negotiate and decide whether to compete or collaborate, transforming a familiar game into a platform for reflection and communication.

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