Slow Food Stand

​

Horeca Fair - Beirut, 2009

commissioned by Slow Food 

​

​

​

The Karen Chekerdjian Studio was commissioned to design a booth for the non-profit organization SlowFood Beirut, at the most important hotel and restaurant trade show in the Middle East.

The local section had no budget for this event but their booth space was paid for by their parent organisation, SlowFood Italy.

The lack of funding constituted the main axis of work and around it the concept of the booth’s design developed.

The booth should resemble a local market stall but instead of making it a semi-enclosed space, the booth was to be open on three sides. It consisted of one very large central table, around which the booth’s various activities – sales, displays, tasting sessions and the promotion of the SlowFood organization and its presidiums - were organized.

The table was actually an amalgam of 7 smaller tables, some of which came with built-in benche and upturned buckets with cushioned tops serving as seats and others with built-in cutting boards for cheese and sliced meats.

The design created a spirit of conviviality that not only lived up to SlowFood’s expectations but also accurately expressed the desired spirit of an enjoyable market experience.