Cologne is presenting an original design experience this year. An experience in the districts – of both the city and the fairgrounds inside the Koelnmesse exhibition park – defined by innovation, research and amazement. Design takes on changeable and varied forms: a mix of ingredients that – although seemingly discordant – generate a balanced, intense and tasty recipe for the most refined palates. Palates that are eager for and accustomed to high-level design, which look for concrete business opportunities and much more every year in Cologne. This is the platform for these connoisseurs, which from 15 to 21 January acts as a catalyst for professionals from every corner of the globe. Leafing through the increasingly rich menu, the main course stands out, destined for the IMM Cologne exhibition: 1200 exhibitors are expected (over 70% come from abroad) to occupy the 11 pavilions that expand and complete the product selection at this edition. It will see the debut of the Pure Architects segment, a format derived from LivingInteriors, designed for the thematic areas of bathroom, floor coverings, flooring and “smart home”; an ‘event within an event’ for designers, interior designers and architects. Furnishings are represented here in all their different forms, from Pure, Prime and Comfort to Smart, Global Lifestyle and the Sleep segment. There is a major focus on light, in its varied designs (respectively decorative and technical in the Pure Editions and Pure Architects segments) and furnishing and emotional value, expressed in the Das Haus project, which this year is signed by Czech designer Lucie Koldova.
While the event has been assigned the role of a commercial platform par excellence, the ‘fuori salone’ circuit has the task of creating a vibrant journey through the most original emerging trends that come to life in a network of showrooms, galleries, stores, cultural hubs, museums and universities dotted throughout the city. All this goes under the name of Passagen, a side event accompanying this year’s 29th edition of IMM.
Opened with the announcement of the Best of Best Award and the Iconic Awards 2018: Interior Innovation at the Kölnischer Kunstverein art museum (on the evening of 14 January). The program consists of events at the Cologne Museum of Applied Arts in the Belgian Quarter, where you will come across the flagship stores of leading furniture brands, among the universities and in the Ehrenfeld district with its creative and bohemian atmosphere, up to the Design Post, a hub of high-quality interior design that opens its doors to new brands such as Wästberg, Marset, Midgard and Bensen, while also presenting a brand new ‘garden’ for outdoor furniture.
Browse the Gallery to discover the novelties at IMM Cologne and DesignPost
