Architecture and design studio Space Popular has completed a gallery space for the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, using a colourful gridded carpet to demarcate its collection.

Occupying a long, narrow volume within the museum, the Collection Gallery serves as a permanent space to exhibit the Nieuwe Instituut's physical and digital collection documenting the history of Dutch architecture.

The gallery, which is cloaked almost-entirely in soft furnishings, was designed by Space Popular to offer visitors a cosy alternative to the "bright minimalism" of a typical contemporary gallery.

"We wanted to create something opposite of the usual bright minimalism of gallery spaces and make something that would feel more like a club or a lounge," the studio told Dezeen.

"We wanted to create a space that people would spend more time in than they might usually do in a gallery."

"The darker tones and soft gradients invites visitors to slow down, take a seat and feel the softness of the carpet and the warmth of the colours," it added.

Working alongside graphic designer Mariana Lobão, Space Popular arranged the entire gallery across the gridded design of a digitally printed carpet.

The carpet's design is complete with both a 50 by 50 centimetre grid and coloured-coded portions, which organise the collection into five themed sections.

"Together we created a non linear and multi-visitor way to experience and interact with the five thematic stories the curatorial team at the Nieuwe Instituut had created," the studio explained.

Within each section, wooden podiums crafted by Rob den Dulk have been colour-coded and similarly finished with carpeted surfaces.

These are topped with glass cases, where the collection's physical models are on show. Other wooden cabinetry in the space serve as interactive screens for visitors.

Flanking the entire exhibition is a 40-metre-long concrete wall that doubles as a projection wall.

"The carpet frames the gallery as a soft, slower space, while its 50 by 50 cm grid organises everything within it," the studio explained.

"Every podium and collection object follows this grid. We feel there is a positive quality to all-encompassing geometries in space," it added.

The gallery by Space Popular will remain open at the Nieuwe Instituut until May 2029, with an evolving showcase intended to "reflect current events".

Previous interventions by the studio include a colourful installation at the MAXXI museum in Rome designed to reinterpret Aldo Rossi's architectural theories for the metaverse.

The photography is by Special Thanks Studios.