Welcome to the Pavilions of Wonder installation! This remake of the iconic Barbie DreamHouse by Studiomama‘s co-founder, Nina Tolstrup, was a key landmark of this year’s London Design Festival. Presented by Mattel, Inc.’s Barbie® and Visit Greater Palm Springs, California, it reimagines the iconic Barbie house that was inspired by the latter’s architecture, vivid colors, curved lines, and lush gardens.
Located on the pedestrian zone of the Strand Aldwych, the Pavilions of Wonder were right across from Somerset House. When preparing for this project, Tolstrup’s research began with exploring Barbie’s history and learning the visual narrative of Palm Springs. As a result of the careful preparation for the project, the execution successfully celebrated the two, their legacy, aesthetic, and cultural significance.
Consisting of three pavilions, the installation showcases the intertwined merger of the vibrant spirit of the Barbie DreamHouse with Greater Palm Springs’ iconic midcentury modern architecture and its influence on Barbie’s home designs. The 65th anniversary of Barbie, the world’s most popular doll, is a great excuse for generations who grew up dreaming of and playing with this style icon to explore vibrant gardens, historic vignettes, and kaleidoscopic visual displays that remind us of our childhood playtimes.
The first pavilion, Reflect: playful pauses, draws inspiration from Albert Frey’s geometric design of Palm Springs City Hall. The signature Barbie pink features a sloping roof that blends modernist architecture with the Barbie DreamHouse aesthetic. Inspired by Palm Springs’ oasis landscape, it is a circular 360-degree structure with mirrored interiors that reflect a central cactus garden and amplify the kaleidoscopic effect with geometric patterns.
The second pavilion, Discover: Design Stories, includes rare Barbie dolls visible through round peepholes, making visitors reminisce about their own childhoods and dolls they used to showcase in their rooms.
The third and last pavilion, Dream: Infinity Garden consists of a cactus garden with elements of a Japanese garden, surrounded by a pink structure with geometric lines, a reference to the mountainous landscape of Palm Springs.
Combining modern architecture with the iconic Barbie DreamHouse, the Pavilions of Wonder encouraged visitors to explore playful urban design at this year’s London Design Festival while simultaneously celebrating Barbie’s rich and colorful heritage and the influence of modernist architecture.
