At ISH, a German trade fair well-known for setting bathroom- design trends, Marmite Sp. Zo. o. rolled out a double-deck exhibit crafted almost entirely of white marbled laminate to showcase its lines of washbasins, shower trays, and bathtubs. "The monochromatic color palette was probably a risk at a show where there were no doubt tons of white fixtures," said one Exhibit Design Awards juror. "But here it's highly successful." To implicitly reflect its use of natural composites, Marmite charged Smart Design Expo Sp. Zo. o. with designing a stand inspired by white dolomite caves. "Marmite asked us to create an innovative concept that presented its brand in an inspiring and intriguing way," said Marzena Michalska, designer and art director at Smart Design Expo. Massive 23-foot-tall sloping walls arranged at surprising angles interrupted sight lines to create a dynamic atmosphere. Walking around each turn felt like entering an unexplored grotto where black lamps hung low over product displays like stalactites. At the heart of the exhibit, a pair of white tubs sat atop a bed of dolomite rocks, as if resting on a cavern floor. Above the tubs, suspended lights emerged from a hole in the ceiling, giving visitors the impression of standing below yet another cavernous room. Robust white support pillars were surrounded by thin Plexiglas poles to resemble clusters of natural cave columns.

The minimalist setting helped draw attention to the sparse bursts of color resulting from the few graphics in the company's corporate red hue and a smattering of pewter, bronze, and black basins that stood in stark contrast among the white elements and fixtures. Marmite reaped plenty of attention from judges with its caverninspired strategy, proving that some design risks, like caves, are well worth exploring. E