An art gallery built in a shipping container, a virtual tour of a hotel rising in Williamsburg, a chair made from reclaimed wood from the Coney Island Boardwalk, and an interactive lounge inviting visitors to ink themselves and the furniture — dollars to doughnuts, if it’s designed and made in Brooklyn, it’s fugheddaboudit awesome!
Creative Kings County throbbed as vigorously as the East River underneath the Brooklyn Bridge at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Bklyn Designs exhibition in Greenpoint from May 6 to 8.
Area designers, architects, builders, developers, store buyers, industry influencers, educators, urban planners, and design-savvy consumers all flocked to the Brooklyn Expo Center to celebrate the borough’s rich design heritage, iconic style, and bustling creative community.
Visitors participated in drawing classes with professors from Pratt Institute, weaving sessions with the Textile Arts Center, live 3D modeling and printing from Gowanus-based Peru Meridian Studios, and a playable cornhole gallery by American Design Club.
Other offerings included a breakthrough playground from architect David Rockwell that encouraged unstructured free play, and a Maker’s Lab — a creative workspace where local designers and organizations held workshops and sessions.
Brooklyn brought its best game — as always! — said the Chamber’s head honcho.
“The Chamber is very proud of Bklyn Designs and that it offers such a wide range of participants from the creative economy in our borough,” said president and chief executive officer Carlo A. Scissura. “Everyone involved brings a unique perspective to the conversation on design, craft, architecture and the built environment.”
The innovation showcase began in 2003, and was one of the first design fairs to help put many Brooklyn makers and supporters on the map.
