imm cologne

One area of imm cologne that stands for inspiration en masse is the Pure Village. Its architecture is what makes it so special: it has an open structure like that of a piazza. Although its exhibitors concentrate on just a few products, they are presented as if they were in an art gallery. The result is a living symphony of brands and product that invites visitors to explore. In the run-up to imm cologne, a number of Pure Village exhibitors have spoken about what they intend to exhibit in January.

For imm cologne Thonet has interesting new products on offer including the “580″ chair by Claudio Bellini, the “130″ chair and “1130/1131″ table by Naoto Fukasawa and the “7000″ shelf system by f/p design. The Frankenberg-based company sees “natural materials” and “sustainability” as the current top trends.

Finite Elements’ launch of its Mirror 62 sound mirror is certain to be a highlight during the week-long trade fair. The topic of “sound integration” runs right through the product range of the Brilon-based company, for example its “Hohrizontal 51″ sound shelf augmented by the “Solo 51″ shelf system or “Hohrizontal 51 Plus”, the long version of the brilliant iPod dock with additional subwoofer output. Bernd Brockhoff, Managing Director of Finite Elements, sees the integration of music in furniture as a future trend in the industry, with plenty of potential still untapped. weiterlesen…

Who says modern everyday life and sensuousness have to be at odds with one another? The “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage” installation by Doshi Levien at the imm cologne 2012 aims to furnish evidence to the contrary. In an installation that is visionary not just at architectural level but in creative terms as well, the design experiment is developing into a fascinating study on modern ways of living.

“‘Das Haus’ combines the best of some very different worlds. It could be located anywhere on the planet.” Designer Nipa Doshi is alluding to an encounter between modern architecture and a world of contemporary forms on the one hand and the traditionally colourful aesthetics of Asia, the chaotic-seeming building tradition of Indian or Far Eastern megacities and the open, inward-facing interior culture of Morocco on the other. According to the plans of London design team Doshi Levien, many of these elements will be brought together in their installation in such a way that something totally new emerges: “It combines unconditional modernity with a sensuous lifestyle,” says Jonathan Levien of the blueprint for the imm cologne’s new design format: “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage”. His wife Nipa Doshi adds: “That’s precisely why we designed ‘Das Haus’ this way – because it doesn’t exist in this form. Only parts of it do.” weiterlesen…

Koelnmesse is reporting an extremely strong demand from exhibitors for space in the imm cologne‘s prime segment. In contrast to the 2011 event, it won’t just be halls 4.1, 5.1 and 10.1 that are dedicated to top-quality living room and bedroom furniture, mainly from the high-end segment; in 2012, Hall 5.2 will be reserved for this prime-quality furniture as well. Whether they’re looking for a modern interior, tables and chairs or dining room furniture – visitors to the prime segment will go home with a comprehensive overview of what the international market has to offer. They can also look forward to some groundbreaking world firsts in terms of multifunctionality and technology. Some exhibitors – including a great many who will be taking part in the imm cologne for the first time – are revealing a few of their trump cards in the run-up to the fair.

Alu-Style is one of the new providers who will be joining the furniture fair for the first time; accordingly, the Hungarians are coming to Cologne with high expectations. Up until now, Alu-Style has been better known as a player from the supplier industry and has been attending the furniture for many years as a visitor. Now the company wants to establish itself in the international furniture industry with its tried and tested systems for sliding doors, shelving, tables and walls. The company’s trade fair presentation will focus on its sliding doors – including the new “Albatros” line. Alu-Style cites flexibility as the crucial trend of the future: the declared basis of all Alu-Style’s products. weiterlesen…

Anybody coming to the imm cologne in search of top international brands and high-end design is certain to find what he’s looking for – especially in Hall 11. The “pure” segment covers modern furnishing styles with premium appeal and is where top-class exhibitors showcase complete interior philosophies. Relevant complementary ranges such as carpets put the finishing touches to this variety. In the run-up to the event, the imm cologne reveals some of the highlights many of its exhibitors will be presenting at the fair.

Functionality is the most important requirement of all modern furniture. As a result, most furnishing items are getting smaller again, enabling all sorts of things to be done with them. Easily adjustable sofas that conjure up a bigger seating area in the blink of an eye, tables that can be extended with just a few easy moves when friends come round for dinner, flatscreens that can be made to disappear into the sideboard via remote control. And as technology gets smaller and smaller, even desks don’t need such a big work surface any more. These are just a few of the latest trends that have already been revealed by exhibitors. weiterlesen…

The countdown has started: in just a little more than a month from now, the next imm cologne will be opening its doors. From 16th to 22nd January 2012, everybody who’s anybody will be presenting themselves in Cologne again. From international basics in living room and bedroom furniture to young lifestyles and the self-assembly segment, mattresses and sleeping systems, upholstered furniture, modern living-room, bathroom and solid wood furniture, furniture for kids and sophisticated interior design concepts, all the way to the premium and high-end segment – all of it will be on show in Cologne. For the first time, the extensive range of products covered by the “biggest furniture store in the world” will be extended even further, thanks to the numerous providers from the bathroom, flooring, wall coverings and lighting segments who will be exhibiting at the new parallel event LivingInteriors. weiterlesen…

Escaping from the hectic pace of everyday life, shifting down a gear and enjoying the evenings and weekends in your very own green oasis: for a growing number of people, the garden, patio or balcony is their favourite place for getting away from it all for a while. And that means having a comfy place to sit too.

The Nordic maritime look with its clear but cosy shapes is particularly popular for outdoor furniture right now. And in view of Scandinavia’s coastal climate, it’s perfectly acceptable for the tables and chairs to look a little rough. When it comes to patterns, stripes and various shades of blue are popular. At the same time, romanticism is experiencing a renaissance: a growing number of manufacturers are going for a dreamy look. The trend is dominated by playful creations and gently flowing forms, along with combinations of charming details, floral designs and old-style patterns. The City Style is also featuring on the outdoor stage as a countertrend to the romantic look and favours flamboyant, design-oriented shapes. Loungers and couches are characterised by a puristic straightforwardness and elegance and many of the material combinations include stainless steel. When it comes to colours, white, sand and brown shades will continue to dominate in 2011/12. And green is a must. The trend colour of the last fashion season is now conquering balconies and patios too, with manufacturers banking on bright shades like lime and apple green. weiterlesen…

Starting in 2012, the international interior design fair imm cologne will again be hosting a major design event: “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage”. The project focuses on the design of an artificial living situation within the trade fair – public and yet very personal living space designed by Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien. The London-based design team will be kicking off the new format in January 2012.

imm cologne will be live streaming the press conference and presentation of the project “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage” by Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien on September 22nd, 2011 at 11.00 a.m. (London Time). The live stream can be viewed free of charge and will be available after the press conference for you to watch.

We will post the URL of the live stream shortly – feel free to follow us on Twitter or Facebook, where we will post the adress of the stream for you, too.

Prized by the more than four million visitors during the 184 days of the EXPO 2010, the German Pavilion is now officially “prized” by the experts too. An international  commission made up of representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (B.I.E.), which awards the EXPOs, plus well-known architects and museum  directors was so impressed by the concept that it recommended the Chinese organising body, the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, bestow it with first prize in the “Theme Development” category. The pavilion, a demanding project, was organised and run by Koelnmesse International GmbH.

“The years of preparation and the attention to detail have paid off. What a way to finish! We’re over the moon“, said a delighted Dietmar Schmitz, the German Pavilion’s Commissioner General from the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, as he picked up the award. “I should like especially to thank the German Pavilion team, the masterminds behind the pavilion and everyone who brought it to life over the past six months as the face of the German Pavilion and ambassadors for Germany.” The exhibition was designed by Stuttgart-based agency Milla und Partner, the architecture was the work of Schmidhuber + Kaindl in Munich and the pavilion was built by Nussli (Germany).

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The imm cologne ended on Sunday, 24th January 2010 with a positive closing balance. Despite being shortened by a day, the fair managed to equal the previous year’s result with around 100,000 visitors. The number of exhibitors even slightly exceeded last year’s level. From Koelnmesse’s perspective, the high expectations of the imm cologne as one of the most important fairs for the international furniture and interior design sector have thus been met.

“The exhibitors have used their innovativeness to brave the crisis and been rewarded by doing good business,” says Koelnmesse’s CEO Gerald Böse. “Cologne is the business forum for the industry,” concludes the head of the trade fair company. The positive mood that prevailed in the halls for the entire duration of the fair was also emphasised by Dirk-Uwe Klaas: “This was by far the most successful furniture show for years. In the midst of the crisis, trade visitors and end consumers alike have given us impressive confirmation that the imm cologne has regained its former strength,” says the chief executive of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (Verband der Deutschen Möbelindustrie, VDM). As announced last Friday, Koelnmesse and the VDM as non-material sponsor of the imm cologne have extended their contract long-term to continue this successful collaboration beyond the scope of the imm cologne 2010.

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imm cologne presents the hit guide 2010 – including a wide range of innovative and new products presented in Cologne. Are you searching for spectacular products, a distinctive trend or a clever product idea at imm cologne? Then the hit guide 2010 is exactly what you are looking for.

Once again in 2010 the imm cologne will publish the “hit guide”, a special offer for the member of the international press. In its handy pocket size and with lots of color illustrations and short product descriptions, it provides an overview of all the big and small highlights at the fair.

The guide is compiled and selected by the “hit scouts” who based their selection on all the new products and innovations registered by the exhibitors in the run-up to the event.

For journalists: the hit guide will be available as print version.

hit guide 2010 – feel free to download it now!
You can download the latest hit guide here (pdf-file, 4 MB):
hit guide 2010, Part 1
hit guide 2010, Part 2