Camped Out

The Vitra & Camper Pop-up Project made its debut this summer on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany. A joint venture between Vitra, a Birsfelden, Switzerland, furniture design company, and shoe brand, Camper (Inca, Spain), the pop-up, comprising two ring-shaped structures inside a domed building, operates in conjunction with the “Making Africa” exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum.

The pop-up was designed by the architect Diébédo Francis Kéré, of Kéré Architecture (Berlin), and conceived as a platform for experimenting with new retail concepts. For example, visitors to the store are able to access digital information about specific shoe models. A scanner takes precise measurements of a customer’s feet, and the resulting data helps determine the optimal fit for a pair of shoes. Customers are then able to order a customized insole based on their exact foot shape. The scanned data can also be used for future online purchases from Camper.