IMM Cologne - Slideshows | Monocle

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Design / Retail

IMM Cologne

Every year hundreds of brands and buyers congregate at IMM, the first international furniture fair of the year. Hosted at the Koelnmesse in the German city of Köln, this tradeshow sets the agenda for what’s to come and shines a light on the European market. We’ve toured its expansive halls and picked out a few favourites.

Thonet: Table S 1092

This table is part of Thonet designer and project manager Randolf Schott’s new S 1090 series. “It’s designed as a place where people can come together,” says Schott of the 2.5-metre-long wooden table set upon a bent-flat steel frame. Its leg traverse features bentwood elements that reference the German company’s design heritage, which dates back to the 19th century.

thonet.de

Carl Hansen & Søn: CH23 dining chair

Carl Hansen & Søn was founded in Denmark in 1908 and is particularly well known for its furniture series by Hans J Wegner. Wegner’s CH23 dining chair from 1950 has been out of production for the past five decades; now Carl Hansen & Søn is bringing it back to life.

carlhansen.com

Giorgetti: Gea lamp

Italian brand Giorgetti’s first appearance at IMM Cologne in 15 years made a glowing impression thanks to its Gea lamp 
by Hong Kong-born architect and designer Chi Wing Lo. The luminous onyx lamp set on a carob-coloured steel base will brighten up any home and is a good match for Giorgetti’s first outdoor series: Open Air.

giorgetti.eu

E15: Elbe side table

This marble-topped side table was created for Hamburg’s new Elbphilharmonie concert hall built by Herzog & de Meuron. Available in black or white, this contemporary table designed by Daniel Schöning, Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau for German brand E15 is already a classic.

e15.com

&Tradition: Catch lounge chair

Spanish designer Jaime Hayon’s Catch lounge chair looks like it wants to give you a hug. The chair is his latest project for Copenhagen’s &Tradition and builds on his proclivity for personification. With a higher back and deeper seat than his predecessor, the Catch chair, this one is even more ready to catch you when you fall.

andtradition.com

Piure: Mesh Living

This unique shelving system was designed for the Bavarian brand Piure in collaboration with designer Werner Aisslinger. Stained glass and slim metal surfaces, available in a variety of colours, make up this timeless modular system, which can be customised to suit your home.

piure.de; aisslinger.de

Walter Knoll: Tama Living

Germany’s historic furniture company Walter Knoll is celebrated for its expert craftsmanship – and the modular Tama Living sofa, designed by Austrian design studio Eoos, is a perfect example of it. The saddle-leather-upholstered sofa rests on delicate wooden blades and features an adjustable tray table – the perfect place for a glass of wine.

walterknoll.de; eoos.com

ClassiCon: Centimetre Rug

This carpet tells a story. Eileen Gray, a pioneer of the modernist movement, designed the Centimetre Rug in the 20th century and Munich-based brand ClassiCon has brought back Gray's hand-knotted wool carpet, originally designed for the Salon of the Villa E1027. It is said that the numerals on the rug – such as the number 10, which refers to the tenth letter of the alphabet – were designed as a reference to Gray’s lover, Romanian architect Jean Badovici.

classicon.com

Arco: Close Bench

Benches bring people together; this one brought Dutch furniture manufacturer Arco together with Icelandic designer and sculptor Gudmundur Ludvik. The final product, Close Bench, features a streamlined yet comfortable design that’s a perfect companion for Arco director Jorre van Ast’s new Trestle table.

arco.nl; gudmundurludvik.com

Wittmann: Wings Bed

Austrian brand Wittmann, founded as a saddler in 1896, has always created furniture inspired by Viennese modernism. With its velour headboard and leather-covered nightstand, Jaime Hayon’s Wings Bed matches the company’s DNA while proposing something new entirely. Its so-called wings are adjustable for more intimacy – and at night they’ll help you fly off to dreamland.

wittmann.at; hayonstudio.com

Correspondent
Marie-Sophie Schwarzer
Photographer
Evelyn Dragan

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