Grand Designs Showcase

Following the success of our initial collaboration with Poggenpohl, ViDERE was invited to support the brand at Grand Designs Live exhibitions between 2012 and 2014, incorporating bespoke aquariums into a series of award-winning kitchen displays.

The exhibitions provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate how aquariums can be seamlessly integrated into contemporary living spaces, helping visitors reimagine the role of nature within the modern home. Positioned within fully functioning kitchen environments, each installation showcased the aquarium as both a living ecosystem and a design feature, capable of bringing movement, colour, and atmosphere into everyday spaces.

Beyond their visual impact, these projects presented a number of technical challenges unique to temporary events. Unlike permanent installations, each aquarium had to be designed, transported, installed, stocked, and operated within a compressed programme whilst maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental stability.

Successfully delivering these displays required extensive planning and preparation. Temporary life support systems were developed to ensure water quality remained stable throughout each exhibition, whilst detailed logistics, livestock management, and contingency procedures were implemented to safeguard the health of the animals before, during, and after the events.

The experience proved invaluable, helping develop many of the practical skills and operational procedures that continue to underpin our work today. It also provided an opportunity to engage directly with thousands of visitors, demonstrating how thoughtfully integrated aquatic environments can enhance the spaces in which we live, work, and interact.