BIID Announces Plans for 50th Anniversary Installation at 2015 Annual Conference

The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) has announced plans for a unique installation, which is being curated for this year’s BIID Annual Conference. 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the BIID and to celebrate this landmark, the conference will feature a specially designed installation: ‘Fifty Years of Designing Interiors: the BIID and its Members Since 1965’.

The BIID is delighted to welcome The Urban Electric Company as the sponsor of this inspired and celebratory installation.

The Urban Electric Company is design and manufacturer of fine, hand-crafted lighting.  Now more than a decade old, the company services an international client base of top interior designers and architects in the residential, hospitality and contract segments. The company’s designs regularly find placement in high-profile homes, restaurants and historic restorations from Beverly Hills to the Seychelles and consistently garner acclaim from top design publications such as Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Interior Design and World of Interiors.

Commenting on the sponsorship Laura Pelzer from Urban Electric Company said:

“We are very excited to be part of the 2015 annual BID conference as sponsor of this unique 50th Anniversary installation and to help the BIID celebrate this landmark year for the institute. The installation looks set to be a fitting collaboration from BIID members both past and present, marking a truly innovative and inspiring 50 years of designing interiors.”

The installation will be a reflective display of the BIID, its members and their work since 1965. It will be exhibited in The Florence Room at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on the day of the BIID conference, Thursday 18th June. The installation is being curated by students from the MA Curating Contemporary Design course at Kingston University.

Using exclusive materials from the archives of the BIID and its members - interior designers and professional partners - the installation is a unique collection of memories and interiors, telling the story of the institute from its beginnings. Designed as a timeline covering each decade from BIID's foundation in 1965, the installation will also provide a snapshot of how the interior design profession has evolved during the past 50 years.

This year, the annual BIID conference entitled “Who Do We Think We Are?” will explore the forces, both internal and external, that are changing the interior design profession. This theme will be explored in depth at the conference, which promises to be a day of engaging discussion and thought-provoking debate.

Eva Woode, on behalf of the curating team, comments:

“With the theme of this year's conference focusing on how the interior design profession is changing, we wanted to take the opportunity of the BIID's 50th anniversary to also look back over the five past decades, and question how the institute and the interior design profession has changed. From the wonderful archives of the BIID and its members, we've brought together a selection of memories and highlights which will further inspire and inform conference guests.”

For more information on the BIID Conference, keynote speakers, and more, please visit www.biid.org.uk/whodowethinkweare. Tickets are on sale now.