May 14, 2024 | New York

Swiss design is on display starting this week at NYCxDESIGN, New York’s leading festival of design. From May 17 to 23 at WSA at 161 Water Street in the Financial District, Breathe With Me offers an immersive experience celebrating Swiss culture, design, and craft. Breathable textiles synchronized with immersive sound design and soft furnishings are carefully crafted to positively impact body and mind. Soft fabrics swell and sway to the rhythm of low-frequency sounds, mimicking soothing breathing patterns. Breath with Me was conceived to capture the essence of Swiss design, seamlessly blending timeless beauty with modern sensibilities and inviting moments of relaxation and reflection.

On May 22, the space will host Breathing Spaces: Designing for Well-Being, a conversation between Annabelle Schneider, the designer behind the installation, Gabirella Malavé of Friends of the High Line, and Myriam Zumbühl of the Zurich-based citizen science initiative Lifegarden, on the impact of environments on mental health and well-being. The event, organized by Swissnex in partnership with the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York and Swiss brand LAUFEN, aims to explore understandings of space, whether within urban landscapes, built environments or natural settings, and examine how spatial design can cultivate community and well-being for both body and mind.

Breathe with Me was designed by Schneider, an award-winning Swiss spatial designer and educator at the Parsons School of Design at the New School, and features new and iconic designs by Swiss brands LAUFEN, Luft & Laune, PIEGA, PIN–UP HOME, Schaffner, Studio Christian Wassmann, Tisca, USM Modular Furniture, Vitra, and 4Spaces ZigZagZurich, as well as a contemplative soundscape composed by Swiss musician Luc Oggier.

Breathe with Me is presented by the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York in partnership with LAUFEN, SWISS, Vontobel, UBS, MoFi Distribution, Emmi, Lindt, Swiss Business Hub USA, and Swissnex.