Curated by Swiss designer Nadja Stäubli, the “Chroma” installation at NYCxDesign invites visitors into a multi-sensory journey of color, craft, and collaboration. From interactive sculptures to a bespoke scent, the exhibit celebrates the playful side of Swiss design while fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue.
A multisensory design ecosystem
Located within a dedicated exhibition space, Chroma unfolds as a visual and spatial narrative. As visitors move through the installation, a color gradient transitions from cool to warm, a subtle choreography that mirrors cyclical patterns in nature: day and night, summer and winter, intimacy and distance. “The hot and cold theme reflects natural and emotional cycles: a day, a year, the seasons, our relationships, our health, even geography,” Stäubli explains.
This abstract concept becomes tangible through material contrasts, interactive objects, and rich textures. The show features a dynamic collection of works, including contributions from acclaimed Swiss design collective Atelier Oï. Among them: a “breathing” floor lamp that gently expands and contracts, an acoustic pendant lamp, and a delicate, suspended paper installation that recalls Japanese origami.
Sculptures to touch, sit and play with
In collaboration with Brooklyn-based studio Twoseven, Stäubli also created three interactive sculptures that invite visitors not just to observe, but to engage. These sculptural pieces can be sat on, walked around, and physically explored, turning the act of visiting into one of active participation. Each sculpture is clad in carefully selected textiles, including materials produced by Swiss fabric innovator Jakob Schlaepfer, whose high-tech tulle also adorns the space in layered, cloud-like formations.
Carpets designed by Sula, alongside a minimalist bench and shelf by Röthlisberger, complete the visual landscape—at once eclectic and harmonized by its underlying narrative of emotional and environmental flux. “There is a tactile openness in these pieces,” Stäubli notes. “They are meant to be lived in, not just looked at.”
Sound, scent, and social exchange
What truly elevates Chroma from an exhibition to a fully immersive experience is its inclusion of sound and scent—two senses often overlooked in design installations. Swiss company DSM-Firmenich, a global leader in fragrance innovation, developed a custom scent for the show: subtle yet persistent, grounding the viewer in the emotional tone of the space.
The auditory dimension, meanwhile, comes from a site-specific soundscape by artist Sebastiao Loopes, which modulates with the mood of each zone. Together, the scent and sound create an enveloping atmosphere that moves the visitor from passive appreciation to total sensory immersion.
Outside the main installation, iconic Swiss brand USM Modular Furniture crafted a lounge and social area, complete with bar and side tables, offering a complimentary environment for pause and interaction. It’s a nod to hospitality and communal design values—where the audience is not just a viewer, but a guest.
A platform for dialogue and performance
Beyond its visual and sensory offerings, Chroma served as a platform for cross-disciplinary exchange. The Consulate General of Switzerland and Swissnex hosted a design talk within the space titled “Design by Collaboration: Crafting Across Disciplines,” bringing together creatives from various sectors to discuss the future of international design partnerships.
Rounding out the experience was a site-specific dance performance by New York City-based artist Caroline Dartey, whose choreography responded directly to the shapes, textures, and rhythms of the installation. The performance echoed the cyclical and sensory themes that run through Chroma, turning design into motion and sculpture into narrative.
The softer side of Swiss design
In the global imagination, Swiss design often conjures images of rationality, neutrality, and precision. With Chroma, Nadja Stäubli and her collaborators offer an alternative vision: one of emotion, play, and sensory curiosity. Rather than stripping design of its expressive potential, the installation adds layers of fantasy and feeling—reminding us that good design can delight as much as it can solve.
As the creative industries continue to break down silos between disciplines, Chroma stands as a compelling example of how interactivity, cross-cultural dialogue, and material innovation can converge to create something both accessible and deeply poetic. “Swiss design has always been about quality and precision,” says Stäubli. “But it’s also about imagination. With Chroma, we wanted to share that joy.”
