Depot
Commissions
We are commissioning studios to design The Design Depot at Shed 10.
For 2027 the Depot is not a hall people walk through on the way to somewhere else. Every space inside it has a job to do. Somewhere to arrive and hand over a bag. Somewhere to take a call between sessions. Somewhere to eat, to sit down with a book, to buy something worth owning. Each one has to work properly, and each one has to be worth the time spent in it.
For 2027 the Depot is not a hall people walk through on the way to somewhere else. Every space inside it has a job to do. Somewhere to arrive and hand over a bag. Somewhere to take a call between sessions. Somewhere to eat, to sit down with a book, to buy something worth owning. Each one has to work properly, and each one has to be worth the time spent in it.
The spaces
Eight are scoped.
→ Concierge and arrival, where tickets are scanned and bags are stored, and where the photo moment sits
→ The entrance, the transition from foyer into the hall
→ The café
→ A pop-up workspace, for an impromptu catch-up, a call between talks, or finishing a set of plans without going back to the studio
→ A library
→ A workshop and breakout space
→ A retail shop, for design objects
→ The Interior Awards display
The list is not the limit. A scent, a sound environment, a lighting condition, a rest space, a wayfinding system, or something that does not have a name yet. Propose it.
What we provide
NZDW covers production support and handles pack-out. Where a build needs material or manufacturing, we work to broker a partner to supply it. If you would rather bring your own supplier, tell us who.
Floor area, power and load limits are agreed space by space, so tell us what you need rather than designing to a constraint we have not set.
Under the 2027 theme, Restore + Reimagine, we have a strong preference for builds that are demountable, reused, or made from material with a life after 9 March.
Who is in the building
Sunday 7 March runs the Lexus Lunch and the wider Sunday programme. Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 March run the Design Conference. Three days of designers, architects, specifiers and studio principals, in the building for a full day at a time between sessions.
What to submit
Two pages is plenty.
→ The concept
→ Which space, or the one you are proposing
→ What it gives the person standing in it
→ Budget, itemised, including your fee
→ What you need from us: floor area, power, storage, freight, install labour, lead time
→ Your team, and two previous projects
How it is judged
No jury. Every finished space is judged by the people using it, on a people’s choice vote across the three days. The winner is announced during the closing speech at the Lexus Soirée.
Dates
Expressions of interest close Wednesday 30 September 2026. Concepts are due by the end of December, with production planning from January. Pack-in is Saturday 6 March 2027 and the Depot is live from 7 to 9 March.
