One of the coolest ways to experience innovative designs in the marketplace is at various expos around the world. At this year’s Coverings 2012 in Orlando, Fla., e+i studio caught our eye with its 3,000-sq.-ft. exhibit.

Designers Eva Perez de Vega and Ian Gordon (a husband and wife team, no less) took the concept of an Italian piazza and made it into a cutting-edge open space that served as a café, trattoria and exhibit. Utilizing digitally generated components and a cantilevered gridshell to support the tile mounds, every surface of the booth was covered in Italian tile. Adding to that, the booth was flat-packed, so it could be assembled and disassembled on-site, with the option of rebuilding the mounds into different piazza-style designs.

Personally, any time inspiring design is featured along with a food aspect, I’m sold. My only question for the team is: was dark chocolate and wine available at this café? If so, when can I see this exhibit (or something like it) LIVE and in person?

Thank you to e+i studio for its creative design! We love these kinds of discoveries. Have one of your own that you’d like to share with the Retail Design Diva community? Leave a comment below so we can follow-up with you in the near future.

-Heather Strang