A platform of objects.

Paved States is Sixtysix magazine's curatorial and retail platform dedicated to championing emerging designers through immersive, retail-forward exhibition experiences. Founded as an extension of the magazine's editorial mission, Paved States operates at the intersection of editorial, curation, and commerce.

Each edition transforms a space into a sequence of lived-in settings — part gallery, part exhibition, part retail space — anchored by a curated landscape of designed objects, inviting visitors to browse, touch, and move through the work.

Sixtysix magazine and Haworth presented Paved States × Haworth DesignLab, a returning immersive installation and concept exhibition that opened during NeoCon at The Mart in Chicago. The installation featured sculptural furniture and designed objects from a dynamic roster of North American designers, jointly curated by Patricia Urquiola and Sixtysix creative director Chris Force. Supported by NeoCon, IIDA, and Gantri.

The installation transformed The Mart lobby and showroom into a series of lived-in settings anchored by a central analog lounge — complete with curated playlists and guest DJ sessions from Dylan Gold, Tommaso Conforti, and Tone B. Nimble. The space featured a concept store presented by Gantri and a Sixtysix-curated bookstore and newsstand.

To celebrate the opening, Sixtysix hosted a cocktail reception on June 8 alongside the launch of Sixtysix Issue 16. Programming included Patricia Asks Anything, a moderated conversation in which Patricia Urquiola interviewed each exhibiting designer, alongside The Curiosity Framework, a panel with Chicago-based designer Benjamin Edgar on building a practice without a rulebook.

Edition 02 was recognized with the HiP Award from Interior Design Magazine, honoring the exhibition's contribution to the field during NeoCon 2026.

Zac Benloulou, Pavilion Audio Systems (Canada)
Stefano Giacomello, Studio Rotolo (Canada)
Jean-Michel Gadoua, Galerie Mold (Canada)
Ceren Arslan, Bureau Betak & EXIT (USA)
Hank Beyer and Alex Sizemore, HBAS Co. (USA)
Hannah Bigeleisen, H.Bigeleisen Studio (USA)
Kiki Goti (USA)
Lauren Goodman, Studio Lauren Goodman (USA)
Madeline Isakson (USA)
Malcolm Majer (USA)
marmar studio (USA)
The CULT, Guillermo and Alaide Alejandre (Mexico)
Homan Rajai & Elena Dendiberia, Studio AHEAD (USA)

Sixtysix is an independent design and culture magazine and studio based in Chicago, covering the people and ideas shaping contemporary design.

Curated by Patricia Urquiola, the 2026 installation transformed the lobby of The Mart into an immersive landscape for dialogue and discovery. Featuring 13 North American designers, the exhibition explored new ways of living through a sequence of spatial settings dedicated to working, meeting, reading, and unwinding. The journey culminated in an atmospheric listening space — an intimate environment shaped by sculptural lighting, acoustic surfaces, and deep tonal contrasts, where installation, interior, and performance converged.

Haworth DesignLab is an initiative established to celebrate new perspectives and artistic visions in the world of design. This collective of designers explores and experiments with different approaches, looking beyond the office furniture industry to create unexpected, emotive and immersive experiences. Launched in 2023, Haworth DesignLab provides a platform to recognize, support and engage with emerging designers whose work demonstrates exceptional experimentation in form and materials.

High-resolution imagery, designer headshots, and the full post-event release are available in our press kit on Google Drive.