MONTREAL DESIGN WEEK
A curtain that becomes movement, a table that brings people together, a mirror that multiplies perspectives. The scenography of the 2026 Index-Design Fair embodies the theme In(ter)disciplinés, that of a design that rejects categorization. Conceived by Humà to mark a double twentieth anniversary—that of Montreal as a UNESCO City of Design and that of the firm itself—it transforms the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal into a porous space where practices intersect, collide, and respond to one another.
CLIENT :
Index Design
LOCATION :
Montreal, QC
YEAR :
AREA:
2025
37,500 pi2
DISCIPLINE :
DESIGN GRAPHIQUE, DESIGN D'INTÉRIEUR
PHOTO/3D:
Eve Moukarzel, Lorelei LAffeter, F-O Paquin
For the very first Montreal Design Week, Index-Design entrusted Humà with the complete scenography design for its trade show, including space layout, exhibitor signage, and the event's visual identity. Bringing together more than 70 exhibitors and 2,500 industry visitors, the show takes place for one day at the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal, between the river and the city. Suspended curtains, magnetic signage strips, a communal table, and repurposed furniture create a fluid layout where visitors can freely navigate between disciplines, without ever losing sight of Montreal's iconic skyline.
THE PROJECT'S SPECIFICITIES AND CHALLENGES:
Translating a concept as abstract as In(ter)disciplinés into concrete spatial gestures was the first challenge of the mandate. It was also necessary to orchestrate a scenography capable of accommodating more than 70 exhibitors of diverse types—creators, materials, furniture—while maintaining a unified visual identity and signage that could be moved and reused from one exhibitor to another. The requirement for reuse added another layer. The benches of the communal table, salvaged from a heritage sugar shack, were already in their second life cycle, and all the furniture had to be able to continue its journey beyond the event, echoing the firm's 20th anniversary.
INNOVATION, DESIGN, AND ORIGINALITY:
The response unfolded through several complementary gestures: transparency, fluidity, sharing, and reflection. Long white curtains, created by House of the Rock, evoke the wind and the city's insularity while hinting at the river beyond. Signage made of magnetic red strips, developed with Lamcom, moves and reconfigures itself according to the needs of each kiosk. The communal table, crafted by Benjamin Beauregard from recycled benches, and the café adorned with a work by Camille Lescarbeau and Ogive Art, become meeting places where paths intersect. A flower chair designed by William Cloutier of Umano studio anchors the central space, surrounded by Lamcom mirrors that multiply gesture and light.
