Collect Art Fair 2026 - Design by Tola Ojuolape
Text: Matt Carey
Photos: Nick Bennet & James Harris
The sound-absorbing qualities of BAUX wood wool helped foster a conversational environment, while the textured surfaces invited curiosity and interaction.
Inside the historic grandeur of Somerset House, multidisciplinary designer Tola Ojuolape has crafted a VIP retreat for Collect Art Fair 2026. The Collector’s Lounge merges art and architecture into a sculptural landscape, offering guests a creative space to pause, connect, and explore contemporary craft.
The 36-square-metre lounge, sponsored by Sketch Up, accommodates twenty-five seated guests and up to forty standing visitors. Beyond relaxation, visitors can engage with selected works from the fair’s ‘Director’s Choice’ collection. Every wall, seat, and plinth is formed from BAUX wood wool tiles, turning the space into a seamless dialogue of form and texture.
The design concept embraces “more with less.” The team crafted an immersive environment using selected materials to minimise resources for what would be a vibrant but short-lived installation.
- Object:
- Collect Art Fair 2026
- Area:
- London, UK
- Products used:
- BAUX Wood Wool Tiles
- Architect:
- Tola Ojuolape
The result is a monochromatic interior built almost entirely from BAUX wood wool tiles; a textured, wood pale green landscape that unfolds across the room. Walls become plinths. Plinths become seating. Surfaces step forward and recede, guiding the eye in subtle rhythms. Wood pale green BAUX tiles form a soft, textured backdrop, framing artworks with quiet authority and cultivating a contemplative atmosphere amid the buzz of the fair.
Acoustics were an essential part of the brief. The space needed to feel intimate and serene. The sound-absorbing qualities of BAUX wood wool helped foster a conversational environment, while the textured surfaces invited curiosity and interaction.
As a Grade I-listed building, Somerset House required a non-invasive installation. The modular BAUX tiles allowed the team to construct a freestanding environment that could be easily assembled and dismantled with minimal impact on the historic architecture.
The Collector’s Lounge demonstrates how restraint can become a powerful design gesture. Using BAUX materials, the project creates an immersive, sculptured interior that feels refined and contemplative; an elegant and sustainable stage for contemporary craft within one of London’s most historic cultural venues.
