imm Special 01.2008

Dear Readers,

There's less than one week to go! At imm cologne 08, the international furniture fair in Cologne, more than 1300 exhibitors will be presenting the most important trends and new products in the international furniture industry.

> Architonic will be celebrating its fifth anniversary and take great pleasure in inviting you to our Architonic Lounge and the party.
> We especially recommend this year's imm trend show: "informed by cologne".
> Over an enormous area Designspotter will be presenting its 'Fantastic Fifty' display of selected works by international young designers. We have selected a few appetisers for you.
> And to make sure you don't get lost in the hustle and bustle of the fair, we have once more compiled our Architonic Guide for you this year.

Be inspired!

Your Architonic team
Zurich | Frankfurt | Berlin | Barcelona | Copenhagen | London

In January 2003 during the imm cologne Architonic went online. A lot of things happened since then: Architonic became the world's most important work of reference for supreme products, materials and concepts in the fields of architecture and design.
We would like to celebrate this occasion with you, by inviting you to our anniversary celebration on January 15th, starting at 17:00 at the Architonic-Lounge in the passage between hall 10 and 11, directly above Entrance East. Enough of Gin and Tonic will be available. The Spanish after-hour party starts at 20:00 in collaboration with SIDI (Selecciòn Internacional de Diseño de equipamiento para el habitat) at the SIDIspot (Marzellenstraße 43a, directly at the main station). Our Volvo Shuttle Service will take care of a comfortable transportation between 20:00 and 22:00.

Many trends are predicted by experts in their form or content many years before they are finally discovered by industry. The Trend Show at the imm cologne presents the results of an analysis made by such experts in the shape of a Trend Board composed of prominent members. This commission has been initiated by the imm to examine the latest currents in design and to analyse their relevance.
The members of this year's board are the Swedish architect Eero Koivisto, the New York designer Stephen Burks, the Milan designer Fabio Novembre, the German materials specialist Christiane Sauer and the journalist Sophie Lovell, who lives in Berlin.
After an intensive four-day workshop, at which these experts described impressions and observations from their own fields, they agreed on four concepts which they found to incorporate the latest trends most comprehensively:
"Outside In" displays the ever-increasing removal of the dividing lines between exterior and interior space.
"Neo Nature" describes the trend towards high-tech products which in form often resemble natural structures. In contrast to bionics, which generally functions at a low-tech level, we can here observe a combination of the latest technological processing methods and organic form. The 'Bone Chair' of the Netherlands designer Joris Laarman is a prime example of this trend. Inspired by the growth of bones, this elegant high tech sculpture was created with the help of a special tool developed by general Motors Engineering Europe.
"Design School" describes the approach which regards design as an ever-evolving process, combining constant improvisation and playful experimentation.
"Priceless" takes as its subject the fusion of the design and art markets. High quality furnishing objects are increasingly being perceived as objects of art rather than utility, making them priceless.

The trend show will be accompanied by presentations on the topics of Light and Colour, Form, Function, Pattern and Materials. The Trendbook 2008 which developed out of the workshop brings together its main findings and will be on sale in Hall 3.1. Alternatively it can be ordered online at a price of 25 € + postage.

Further events in the imm programme:

Ben van Berkel's Urban Masterplan
For the first time Hall 11 will be uniformly designed as an overall concept, with a group of experts as curators. Ben von Berkel (UNStudio) has conceived a master plan as an urban structure in which 'imm pure' will become the meeting point for international top design.

Architecture Code Cologne
On Saturday 19 January 'Architecture Code Cologne', the forum for architects, will be taking place in Hall 2.1. A number of well-known architects have been invited to discuss the topic "Revival of our port cities". Invited are Peter Berner (ASTOC), Robero Eduardo Meyer (Meyer en van Schooten), Kim E. Nielsen (3XN) and Dirk Schubert (HafenCity Uni Hamburg).

[d3] Design Talents
In tried and tested form young and independent designers will once more be presenting their latest work under [d3] Design Talents in Hall 2.1. Designers will be represented within the context of their [d3] schools, the junior talent [d3] contest and with their own stands as [d3] professionals.

Special Shows
Five shows will complete the supporting programme of the imm cologne.
"Art of kitchen" - Premium kitchens: events and living areas; Hall 11.3 P10-P38
"Design Deutschland" - German design of yesterday and today; Boulevard North
"A journey to Italy" - Compasso D'Oro; Central Boulevard
"A focus on Dutch design" - Design and trade are the centre of attention; Passage 4/5
"Interior Innovation Award" - best item, best system, best detail, material innovation, classic innovation; Boulevard North

With its 1300 exhibitors, the imm cologne is one of the most important furniture fairs worldwide. To make sure, you will directly find what you are looking for, we compiled a selection of international premium manufacturers in our handy Architonic-Guide. Inside the guide you will find a site plan and a list of the selected exhibitors with their stand numbers.
The Architonic-Guide is available directly at the exhibition stands of our selected manufacturers or you can download it here.

This year the online Design Magazin is presenting its 'Fantastic Fifty' - a selection of works by international young designers - over a massive area of 450 square metres. As the list of exhibitors indicates, it will be well worth taking a look.

The 'Oz' chair from the Swedish studio of cate&nelson design is a real eye catcher. As with a giant catalogue of fabric samples, it is possible to leaf through variously coloured layers of felt in order to find the required upholstery material.

The 'Ruelle' bed by the German designer Martin Holzapfel is composed of a bed frame and a bench. The two elements can be positioned in varying ways, but always remain dependent on each other. The original design has been nominated for the "interior innovation award cologne 08".

'Leaf' by the Turkish design studio GAEAforms is the present-day answer to the conventional rope hammock. Because of its robustness 'Leaf' is suited to both interior and exterior use.

And not to be missed! On Wednesday 16 January from 20 hrs the great Designspotter party will be taking place in the Tausend Bar, Aachener Straße 57.