Vacant retail spaces and buildings are becoming more and more plentiful across the US, and as a solution to this issue comes an interesting marketing ploy: the now widely known “pop-up experience” or “pop-up museum.” These spaces are often thematic, temporary exhibits that create Instagram-worthy environments, encouraging users to share the experience on social media as a clever way to further promote the event. A few Spacesmith colleagues and I were recently given the opportunity to tour one of these trendy pop-up experiences with our NYC area rep. from carpeting and flooring providers Shaw Contract, Dhruvi Patel.

 I had heard of Candytopia, the Color Factory, and the Rosé Mansion, but before visiting one of these experiences, it was unclear to me what the intended purpose and function of the space actually was. As far as the Rosé Mansion is concerned, the exhibit is designed as a rosé tasting tour with an interactive experience. The exhibit takes you through different furnished rooms loosely based on the history, science, and color palette of this sweet and bubbly champagne. The main attraction are the space’s eye-catching displays and lighting that serve as a backdrop for a photo or video all while patrons sample different rosés upon entering each space.

In true millennial fashion, I will now share some more Instagrammable moments from our adventure:

As architects and designers, we probably experienced the exhibit with a much different eye than your average guest.

The space is full of pink glitz and glam, and low-grade finishes and details we would never consider implementing in our own projects. But, for the purpose it serves — as a temporary form of set design in a way — I suppose it works just fine. Nonetheless, we had a lot of fun meandering through the mansion, sampling rosé, jumping in ball pits, snapping photos, of course, and marveling at the idea of it all.  

It’s no secret Instagram and social media have totally changed the way we experience and interact with space.

Whether you love or hate the idea of a “pop-up experience” crafted for the Gram, it appears there’s no shortage of the idea in the foreseeable near future. At the very least, I think these experiences can help demonstrate to the general population that architecture and space can indeed be stimulating and exciting to observe and interact with on their own.

All photos courtesy of Dhruvi Patel at Shaw Contract.