Steel window frames are about as sexy as the average Wal-Mart shopper. But Eduard Kronenberg GmbH, a provider of glass surrounds, spacers, and connectors, hoped to display hundreds of these frame components at Glasstec 2014. Charged with designing a striking yet product-heavy booth, designers at Bachmann Kern & Partner employed voluminous architecture, a dramatic color palette, and just the right accoutrements to craft an alluring display that jurors called "simple yet sexy."


The exhibit featured a series of 10-foot-tall, window-frame-like structures positioned on three sides. Captivating passersby, the white, laminate-covered elements seemed to lean into or out of the space at eye-catching angles. Front and center, one such structure featured the "EK" logo in 6-foot-tall 3-D letters.

Inside, attendees discovered a worktable and storage device that housed a host of products. Meanwhile, the back wall featured the exhibitor's corporate red hue and white logo, and a 10-foot-long counter offered another conversation area. To the right of the counter, designers added a monitor that showed images of Eduard Kronenberg's products. And to the left, they constructed a presentation comprising three full-size windows, each of which slipped into the wall like a pocket door. "We had to display myriad products," said designer Dirk Bachmann-Kern. "But by using drawers in the table and slip-in doors in the back wall, we kept the space pristine."

While the exhibit's towering architecture attracted attendees, its interior accents — including seating cubes and a bevy of bare light bulbs dangling over the work table — maintained a tight product focus. Bathed in light, the booth proved that when dolled up in a sophisticated design, even steel framing can be a sultry seductress. E