OMA/AMO amplifies shanghai silo with neon light installation for prada menswear show

for the 2020 spring/summer prada menswear show in shanghai, AMO — OMA’s research studio — has devised a light installation that seeks to amplify the industrial monumentality and rawness of minsheng wharf’s silo hall. the colossal and labyrinthine quality of the chamber is augmented with a linear catwalk slicing through the longitudinal axis of the space. guests are arranged in the central nave of the building in an amphitheater of circular seats that mirror the shape of the silos above.

all images courtesy of prada

previously used as storage for wheat and grain, the 80,000-ton silo warehouse of minsheng wharf is one of asia’s largest silos. described by AMO and prada as an ‘unintentional monument’, the building’s original character has been preserved as part of the installation — titled ‘illuminated vista’. an arrangement of neon lights outlines the hall’s industrial form and generates a glowing enfilade that shimmers in subtle pastel colors.

after the show, guests are invited to the silo’s seventh floor — intended for a one-night-only take-over. the area is organized around different performances that take place on multiple stages and informally throughout the event space. a lounge bar surrounded by continuous booths in black and acid green eco-leather that run along the perimeter hosts the dinner and an array of musical and theatrical acts before the opening of the club. meanwhile, a dramatic black lacquer 100% recyclable curtain wraps around the venue where a series of neon lights outline the shapes of the room, a reflection of the motif of the showspace below.

project info:

design: OMA/AMO
client: prada
event: 2020 spring/summer prada menswear show
location: minsheng wharf, shanghai, china