“Research at Weitzman II”

Research at Weitzman II

Plaza Gallery | Meyerson Hall, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Philadelphia, PA
March 16, 2026 - March 20, 2026

// Research at Weitzman was a week-long exhibition showcasing the breadth of faculty research at the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design. Bringing together work across the school's research labs, the exhibition presented an array of investigations, methodologies, and material explorations, making the processes and outcomes of contemporary design research accessible to the broader school community. The exhibition was organized around a nine-square grid pavilion, establishing a shared architectural framework within which each participating research lab occupied a distinct spatial segment. Large-scale mockups, prototypes, and research artifacts populated these individual areas, allowing each lab to maintain its own identity while contributing to a larger, cohesive environment. Glossy blue panels punctuated the pavilion, identifying and distinguishing the individual labs while establishing a consistent visual language across the installation.

Along the surrounding walls, a continuous picture rail supported a series of informational boards presenting individual research projects. This secondary system complemented the three-dimensional displays of the central pavilion, allowing visitors to move between the physical manifestations of research and the ideas, processes, and documentation underlying them. The arrangement established two complementary scales of engagement: an immersive, collective presentation of the research labs and a more detailed reading of their individual projects. Together, the pavilion and perimeter display created a flexible exhibition framework capable of accommodating a diverse range of research outputs within a unified spatial composition. By organizing the exhibition through a legible geometric system, Research at Weitzman balanced the individuality of each lab with the collective identity of the school's research culture, positioning the exhibition itself as an architectural expression of collaboration and interdisciplinary inquiry.

installation team: Jonathan Bonezzi, Ryan Lane, Caitlyn Wolford

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