Art Basel Miami Beach 2025, USA

Client: NetJets
Location: Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida
Date: December 3-7, 2025
Event Type: Art Basel Miami Beach 2025
Project Role: Design Direction, Spatial Planning, Construction, Installation

Background

Art Basel Miami Beach, North America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair, returned for its 23rd edition from December 3–7, 2025. The event welcomed thousands of art dealers, artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts, presenting modern and contemporary works from leading galleries around the world.

The fair continues to play a vital role in supporting galleries and nurturing the careers of artists – a mission closely aligned with NetJets, the world’s leading private aviation company, which has proudly served as a Global Associate Partner of Art Basel for over two decades.

Each year, NetJets brings art, design, and aviation into dialogue through a commissioned installation created exclusively for Art Basel. For the 2025 Miami Beach edition, NetJets’ bespoke lounge was envisioned as a refined retreat within the fair – an immersive space where travel, culture, cuisine and creative expression converge.

Approach

Designed by Jason Smith and commissioned by long-standing client NetJets, the lounge introduced a new spatial design vision for the fair.

The brief called for a neutral, minimal environment that would function as a luxury hospitality lounge while simultaneously providing a gallery-like setting for the curated presentation of paintings by French contemporary artist Diane Benoit du Rey.

Jason’s approach is minimal yet meticulously considered, resulting in an elegant, on-brand interior architecture that brings the client’s vision to life. The space carefully balances elevated food and beverage hospitality with the quiet restraint of a gallery, allowing Diane Benoit du Rey’s works to be experienced throughout the lounge – shaped by light, structure, and spatial rhythm.

Through thoughtful spatial planning, refined materiality, and considered furniture selection, the design achieves a sense of permanence within a temporary context. The result is an exclusive and restorative environment that captures the imagination of NetJets Owners, offering a moment of calm within the energy of the fair while reflecting the brand’s prestige and luxury positioning.

Specifications and detailing

• Minimal external facade with walnut slatted panelling for sight lines in and out of the space, creating a sense of intrigue to the visitors to the external collector’s lounge, whilst allowing the space internally to feel greater for NetJets owners within the space. Connecting the outside to the inside and the inside to outside.
• One large painting by Diane du Benoit Rey displayed externally within a recessed wall aperture and considered art spot light illumination.
• Welcoming controlled-access entrance and reception area with in-and-out for ease of visitor flow.
• Neutral clean off-white palette, with accent details of walnut wood, reflecting the NetJets brand and their private/business aviation jet interiors.
• Use of luxury materials such as American walnut, mineral cast counters and tables and custom-made fluted panelling detailed unitary and tables.  Specification of organic formed high-end lounge furniture, all finished in the same boucle textured upholstery.
• Interior architecture style ceilings with recessed integrated dimmable lighting, to reflect private/business aviation jet interiors.
• High-level lighting pelmet detail to evenly wash the space in an ambient glow of light. Client requested above picture style wall lights.
• Custom-made walling with classic style mouldings, to create an integrated balance of classic and modernity. Also providing a horizontal visual rhythm to the eye in harmony with the larger paintings and to frame the medium and smaller paintings.
• Fully dimmable controlled lighting system to set the level of ambience suitable for a luxury lounge hospitality experience.
• High-level waiters served hospitality and drinks service, therefore consideration of staff flow in and out of the space around guests was of paramount importance. The lounge offered a chef-prepared food service station and an updated food offer throughout the day.
• Two bars serviced the lounge space visitors. A main bar featuring an experienced mixologist mixing and serving NetJets signature cocktails, and the secondary bar serving Ruinart champagne.

Credits

Artworks by French contemporary artist Diane Benoit du Rey.