He made chairs float and transformed rooms into colourful landscapes – few designers had such a profound influence on the design of the second half of the 20th century as Verner Panton (1926–1998). To mark the 100th anniversary of the Danish designer and architect’s birth, the Vitra Design Museum is dedicating a comprehensive retrospective to him at the Vitra Schaudepot. 

The exhibition »Verner Panton. Form, Colour, Space« showcases the full breadth of Panton’s work – from iconic designs such as the Panton Chair, the Cone Chair and the Flowerpot lamp to visionary interior landscapes, as well as rarely exhibited furniture pieces and architectural projects.

A walk-through reconstruction (edition 1/8) of the legendary Fantasy Landscape from 1970 brings Panton’s understanding of space to life and invites visitors to immerse themselves in his sculptural, vibrantly coloured worlds.

The installation was originally commissioned by Bayer to demonstrate the potential of new synthetic materials. Panton used the new materials in such a way that, with the exhibition Visiona II, a complete work of art was created – one that radically reimagined the possibilities of living and is now regarded as a milestone of modern design. 

The exhibits are set within an architectural design that evokes Panton’s immersive spaces – a coloured ribbon runs through the entire Schaudepot , transporting visitors into a Panton-inspired world of graduated colour scales. 

All the items come from the Panton Archive at the Vitra Design Museum, which comprises furniture, prototypes, models and more than 40,000 documents, among them over 20,000 plans and drawings. Drawing from this source, the exhibition can present works from all Panton’s creative periods, thus offering a more differentiated view of the designer’s oeuvre than before. For instance, Panton’s unrealised architectural work is shown in detail for the first time, and the design process behind many of his projects is highlighted. 

The exhibition was created in close collaboration with Verner Panton Design AG, which holds all rights to Panton’s work. It casts new light on a designer whose optimistic belief in the future may seem distant today, yet has lost none of its fascination.

Even aside from the Panton exhibition, a stroll around the Vitra Campus is well worth it. Highlights include the VitraHaus, the 4000-square-metre Oudolf Garden situated between the VitraHaus and the production building, and Zaha Hadid’s Fire Station. A special haven of tranquillity is the Doshi Retreat by Balkrishna Doshi – a pavilion-style building that offers a place for retreat and reflection amid the vibrant campus architecture.

On architectural tours, you’ll also encounter buildings by Tadao Ando, Herzog & de Meuron, Frank Gehry, Álvaro Siza, SANAA and other leading figures in contemporary architecture. If you’d like to experience the campus in a more playful way, be sure to visit Carsten Höller’s Vitra Slide Tower – from the platform, 17 metres above ground level, the view stretches out across the site and the surrounding countryside.

A visit to the campus can be easily combined with other activities. The Vitra Design Museum is hosting »Hella Jongerius: Whispering Things«, the first retrospective of the complete works of the Dutch designer and artist, until 6 September 2026.

The programme on the campus is further complemented by the Barragán Gallery, which houses documents from the Barragán Archive, and the “Wunderkammer”, featuring over 1000 objects from Rolf Fehlbaum’s collection. In addition, there are guided tours of the architecture, gardens, production facilities and exhibitions, as well as workshops.

The VitraHaus Café is the perfect place for a stylish break between visiting the exhibition and taking a stroll around the architecture. Located on the ground floor of the VitraHaus, it’s a welcoming place to enjoy breakfast, lunch or a sweet treat. It serves freshly prepared regional and seasonal dishes every day, as well as fine coffee specialities and homemade desserts.