How do you plant a landscape in a convention centre? One of the showstoppers at IDS Vancouver 2026 was a verdant oasis that contained a black steel promenade, raised platforms and soft lighting — a world unto itself. Designed by B.C.-based landscape architect Andrew van Egmond, “Nature Adopted” exalted the wild garden, a growing movement in B.C. and beyond that embraces native plantings, biodiversity-focused design and circular and upcycled materials. In Vancouver, mountains, ocean and forest converge to create a city nestled in nature, and IDS Vancouver reflected its setting in an ambitious show where the calibre of design was as tall as the tree canopy.
Even before you stepped inside, “Reflection,” by Squamish-based architecture firm Stark, guided you down the centre of a river-like installation inspired by B.C.’s forest waterways. The benches incorporated along the journey, crafted with marine-grade plywood, were furnished with headphones that brought in the sounds of nature.
And smack in the middle of the show floor, the central bar, called “STILL/not still”, by Synthesis Design with naturally:wood and Western Forest Products, also channelled the forest with its nested timber arches crafted from Hem-Fir. To say that it was a popular place to be on opening night would be an understatement. But the solid-wood sanctuary was also a haven throughout the weekend, furnished as it was with quirky seating.
These provocative central features (which also included the clever office-themed “How We Work” installations by Pavilion and Kasian, and a media lounge that was probably the warmest and most inviting ever to be found in a trade fair) provided plenty of thought-provoking ambience.
For those with their sights set solely on new furniture and lighting, IDS Vancouver more than delivered on that level as well. The Illuminate pavilion, curated by Sebastien Panouille, included brands focused on technical and architectural lighting (like Diffusion Lighting, which presented dynamic ceiling and wall systems) as well as those experimenting with new forms of ambient lighting (like Bright Block Studio, which reimagines architectural glass block as wonderfully inflated lamps).
Across the show floor, an abundance of manufacturers showed off their latest, from the adorable portable fireplaces by Le Feu to Montauk’s sumptuous soft seating and Vicostone’s sophisticated surface options.
In the Studio North and Prototype sections, the next generation of talent shone brightly. Studio North featured six exciting brands to watch, while Prototype, curated by Kaito Forth, displayed marvellous conceptual work, including Brian Patterson’s BioFilix, which furls or unfurls like a fiddlehead to indicate whether or not a plant needs watering; Rupert Jasper’s Inlay Shelf, a smart and elegant solution for small-space storage; and Jason J Chu’s Spent, an espresso machine that turns used coffee grounds into biochar.
At IDS Vancouver 2026, design’s varied possibilities were on full and fantastic display, from architecture and landscape to the show’s bread and butter: great new products to spark fresh interior ideas.
This content was published by Azure on behalf of IDS Vancouver.
IDS Vancouver 2026 Was a Crowd-Pleaser of Architecture, Landscape and Design Ingenuity
With inspiring feature installations by Vancouver architecture firms, and the latest furniture, lighting and concepts from across Canada and the world, IDS Vancouver served up a fantastic fair.