Illinois-based Shure Inc. has been making top-of-the-line audio and recording equipment for nearly 100 years and is renowned for its commitment to precision. So it makes sense that the European segment of the company wanted its exhibit at Integrated Systems Europe to be laid out with the meticulousness of a Swiss timepiece. But on top of that, Shure marketers asked the designers at Wenger.One GmbH to create a double-deck stand that offered more than a conventional product showcase. Shure wanted to give ISE attendees an experience aligned with its "Sound Extraordinary" tagline. The design team came at this straightforward directive with a literal twist: "The solution was a diagonal stand design so that the visitor is pulled into the exhibit," said Andr é Wackenhut, project manager at Wenger.One. By placing the architectural elements at a clear angle, designers created a pair of tapering "plazas" on opposite sides of the footprint that subtly drove visitors toward a central experience zone where they could get a hands-on overview of Shure's newest offerings. Adjacent enclosed and semi-enclosed rooms on the main floor and upper deck provided more in-depth demos of the company's featured products. And due to the auditory nature of company, all of these spaces had to be carefully designed and constructed to meet numerous acoustic requirements.

While the interior of the stand skewed toward wood tones, white walls, and pops of greenery, the exterior was dominated by panels of black laminate that incorporated horizontal and diagonal shadow gaps to impart a degree of lightness and visual interest. "Everything feels consistent," said one Exhibit Design Awards judge. "It's very slick but with a lot of depth. They really have every piece of this space figured out." Precisely right. E