imm cologne

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16. - 22.01.2012

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Pure Village and its huge product mix provides the perfect setting for new trends

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. read more…

Design fireworks for the New Year: imm cologne and the city are going to make some noise

(Photo: Koelnmesse GmbH)

300 designer brands, a fifth of them from Italy, meet their business partners at the imm cologne fair. These range from interior designers to architects as well as a critical trade audience from all over the world. Here in Cologne cameras are as important as order books, as tomorrow’s trends are discussed and today’s winning trends are decided. Italy, the design nation with its leading lifestyle brands, is once again present in full force at the imm cologne. More than 60 Italian exhibitors, including top brands such as B&B Italia, Cassina, Poltrona Frau and Capellini, Cierre, Desalto, Driade, Kartell, Living Divani, MDF Italia, Poliform and Porro will present their ranges and innovations at the fair in January. read more…

Home life trends 2011: What stays? What‘s coming?

photo: Warendorfer Küchen.

photo: Warendorfer Küchen.

It‘s been called “homing“ for years: that magical word, that complete residential concept. Nature, genuineness and heartfelt cordiality are the order of the day, something you instinctively know from your own conception of the pastoral idyll. And for this, there are cosy sofas, fireplace-heated rooms, plush carpets, silky pillows, walls of natural stone, mineral bathtubs, solid wood dressers.

Of course, natural materials like wood, glass, stone have become readily available, along with a colour palette in nature‘s spectrum. People are becoming more sensitive to – and sensible with – the resources of this world. Even with furniture, they are paying closer attention to the material and its origins. They are paying heed to the volume of raw materials, and their recyclability. It‘s worth noting here that discussion of the “cradle to cradle“ approach is beginning. “Cradle to cradle“ aims at a virtually one hundred percent recovery of all components, and opposes their disposal on the rubbish heap, or their incineration, or their recycling into far inferior components. Increasingly, raw materials are being re-used. Some European furniture manufacturers are already pursuing this prudent approach today.

At imm cologne 2011 and LivingKitchen, roughly 110,000 furniture pieces and even more furnishings are on display. Nearly 30 percent of these are completely new innovations. Given all the diversity, there will always be furniture and furnishings that enjoy particularly strong demand.

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Designer’s Voice: Harald Gründl about design trends, a fast pace and greenwashing

Harald Gründl (EOOS)

Harald Gründl (EOOS), member of the imm cologne Trendboard. (Foto: Koelnmesse)

Born in 1967 in Vienna, Austria, Harald Gründl studied industrial design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and holds a PhD in philosophy. In 1995 he set up the design agency EOOS together with Martin Bergmann and Gernot Bohmann. EOOS has become a leading studio for furniture design, brand spaces and design research with clients including Alessi, Armani, Bulthaup, Dedon, Duravit, Matteo Grassi, Walter Knoll and Zumtobel.

Harald Gründl, member of the imm cologne Trendboard, has chaired the Institute of Design Research Vienna since 2008 and is a partner at EOOS design, where he heads the studio‘s research activities.

What was the most interesting thing about the imm cologne Trendboard Workshop for you?
I found it very interesting to see that there are a lot of similarities in the way the various members of the Trendboard perceive the design sector, and that we’d all noticed similar phenomena. Meeting new people is always the most interesting thing!

The Trend Book shows what’s happening in design right now and what motivates the people who make use of this design offering. In your opinion, where are the strongest influences on product and interior design coming from?
As far as I’m concerned, the sustainability debate is the most important influence on design right now. How can we react to this development intelligently, and how does that affect the trends of the future? We discussed this aspect in relation to all four Interior Trends and were able to identify the different ways it’s manifesting itself.

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Designer’s Voice: Patricia Urquiola about innovation, sustainability and interior design trends

Patricia Urquiola, member of the imm cologne Trendboard. (photo: Koelnmesse)

Patricia Urquiola, member of the imm cologne Trend Board. (photo: Koelnmesse)

Patricia Urquiola is a member of the imm cologne Trend Board and was born in Oviedo, Spain and now lives and works in Milan. She attended the faculty of architecture at Madrid Polytechnic and Milan Polytechnic, from which she graduated in 1989 having completed her thesis with Achille Castiglioni.

In 2001 she opened her own studio, working on product design, architecture, installations and concept creation. In 2006 Koelnmesse invited Patricia Urquiola to build one of the ideal houses for imm cologne. Urquiola‘s clients include, among others, Agape, Alessi, Artelano, Axor, B&B Italia, Bisazza, BMW, Bosa, De Padova, Driade, Salvatore Ferragamo, Flos, Foscarini, Kartell, Kvadrat, MDF Italia, Molteni, Moroso and Panasonic.

During the imm cologne’s Trendboard workshop, you didn’t just name four of the most influential tendencies in interior design right now, you discussed other trends in the design scene as well. How much of it do you think is really important?
I think there is a new trend regarding the idea of what is innovative. Innovation was always primarily connected with the idea of industrial progress, i.e. with a more traditional idea. More and more, however, the term innovation is coming to be associated with values like sustainability and with what people really see as innovative – for instance if something is surprisingly intelligent or opens up new usage possibilities. People are paying more attention to how something is done and why it is done. More importance is being attached to the concept.

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imm cologne 2011 is the biggest upholstered furniture show in the world: Comfort shows new innovations and upholstered furniture trends

Curious about the new sofa fashions, dinner sofas, wellness armchairs or ultra-flexible seating ensembles? Then you can’t afford to miss the imm cologne! From 18 to 23 January 2011, visitors to the international furniture fair can enjoy the biggest upholstered furniture show in the world on the grounds of koelnmesse exhibition centre. Approx. one third of the total exhibition space will be occupied by the Comfort segment, where international sofa producers will be showing their latest seating creations. No fewer than four halls have been dedicated to this section of the imm cologne: 2.1, 3.1, 6 and 10.2.

Karl Sommermeyer, executive partner at upholstered furniture makers Himolla (Taufkirchen), on the importance of the annual presentation: “The Cologne fair is the biggest furniture fair in the world – and we will do whatever we can to make sure it stays that way. The standards set in 2010 give us every reason to believe 2011 will be just as good!”

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Patricia Urquiola and Harald Gründl talking about the Interior Trends 2011

Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urquiola, member of the imm cologne 2011 trend board. (photo: E15)

“Our task was to take a look at the various forms in which the trends are expressed,” says the Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola concerning the work of the imm cologne 2011 Trend Board. She considers this a pioneering development. “We have to realize that today there are completely different perspectives on what people consider innovative,” she says. “Sometimes a new interpretation of something old or a particularly simple and intelligent production method is much more innovative than a new material or an innovative technology. The concept of innovation is changing. In my opinion, it’s closely connected with people’s needs and with the way we use objects.”

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Patricia Urquiola, Defne Koz, Harald Gründl, Martin Leuthold, Marco Velardi: Trend Board of imm cologne is full of new faces

What’s really new about the interior trends for 2011? What are the hidden similarities between the increasing number of diverging trends and new products? And what are the differences? What motivates designers? What do consumers find appealing about the designs?

The Trend Board of imm cologne, which this year is full of new faces, has the job of analysing current trends in the world of interior design and projecting them into the future. This year its discussion topics included phenomena such as individualization, sustainability, developments in style, materials, colours and shapes.

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Johanna Grawunder interview: “Experimental design and Art Design are the drivers for the entire industry”

3johanna_grawunderThe Trendboard has been talking about the end of design icons. What does that mean for interior design?
Yes, that’s something we discussed, but I don’t think it’s as absolute as that. In my opinion, there will always be iconic design. Because whether or not an object has cult character depends on the design itself and not on whether it’s marketed using that particular label. Many things are designed without a single thought being given to their symbolism, but they manage to capture consumers’ imagination at a certain moment in time all the same, so they come to represent a certain zeitgeist. What has really changed is people’s need to fill their homes with designer items as if they were toy chests. That attitude has gone slightly out of fashion.

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Dirk-Uwe Klaas, Association of the German Furniture Industry, on consumers’ changing mentality

1furniture_exportThe average German only replaces his sofa with a new one every 8-12 years. Don’t you sometimes wish there was a scrapping incentive for furniture too?
We in the furniture industry aren’t calling for subsidies – we just want equal treatment for all sectors. Instead of getting people to scrap their cars, the politicians ought to be scrapping taxes for normal citizens and SMEs so they’ve got more money left in their pockets and budgets at the end of the month – money they can use however they see fit.

The imm cologne’s Trendboard is anticipating a return to more quality consciousness as a response to the economic crisis. Is “real” quality actually still affordable these days?
We’re living in a time when people are refraining from quick consumption again so yes, you could say people have started to change their mentality. They’re becoming more sensitive to how we use the world’s resources and looking for things that promise value and durability again. That’s why there’s an increasing demand for sustainability and value in our industry too. For earlier generations it was normal not to follow every furniture or clothing fashion or go along with every new style that came out. Then there was a period of rapid and changing consumption. The pleasure was often short-lived and the products interchangeable.

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