On the train to Cologne the signs were unmissable, the sun may have been gloriously, victoriously, shinning, as it has done since Easter, from a clear azure sky: but autumn is definitely approaching. And while it may be a bit premature to start planning for next summer, at the annual spoga+gafa garden, freetime and equestrianism trade fair in Cologne, manufacturers presented what they expect us to sit on next summer in our gardens, on our balconies, while camping, the accessories they expect us
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Derived from the French parcourir, the parcours is perhaps historically most popularly associated with equine show-jumping, the challenge of negotiating an artificial obstacle course; more recently it has become popular in context of human show-jumping, the challenge of negotiating an urban obstacle course. Approaching the Köln International School of Design 2018 KISDparcours semester and graduation exhibition we hoped the obstacles to be negotiated would be of the mental, philosophical,
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For the German architect, designer, artist Peter Behrens it was important that the exterior reflected a building's intended function, that the exterior provided information about the nature of the building and its occupants. We suspect therefore he would greatly approve of the title of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Cologne's exhibition in honour of his 150th birthday, neatly encapsulating as it does the nature of its protagonist. #all-rounder Peter Behrens himself greets visitors to
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Following smow Lisboa's surprise victory in the 2017 smow Song Contest, the Portuguese capital is preparing to host the 2018 song contest: a contest being staged very much in context of the contemporary relevance of smow's historic connections.... As the anniversary of smow Lisboa's victory approaches it remains as controversial and as unexpected as it was on that muggy evening back in May 2017: not least because there is no smow Lisboa. However, never ones to look a gift horse in the mouth
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The only FAQ not answered by the smow FAQs is the one that begins, "What is smow........?" And as smow grows and grows so too does the F with which the Q is A'd. The answer in one sense is very simple, smow trade in furniture, lighting and home/office accessories through a series of showrooms and online shops. But that only partly explains "smow". Doesn't explain the how, who, why and wherefore. Nor the richness. Explaining the true smow is in many respects best achieved by exploring another
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Arguably because Passover/Easter is early this year, every, but every, museum is opening a major exhibition in the course of March 2018, in preparation for the unofficial start of the tourist season in April. A situation which leaves us with the daunting possibility of creating 5 such Top 5 lists. And still having some exhibitions left over. Faced with a similar situation back in November 2017 we referred to the abundance of options which lay before us as being akin to "gardens mottled with
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It's probably fair to say that no object at IMM Cologne 2018 confused us quite as much as the new 118 chair by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet. Not in bad way. Just in a confused way. We know, we know, what sort of being gets confused by chairs. Us. Regularly. It's why our lives' are such a mess. 118 by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet, as seen at IMM Cologne 2018 The quadratic wooden side chair is one of the true archetypes of chair design. Arguably tracing its history back to the Klismos of
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Aside from the chance to catch up with, and following the development of, familiar manufacturers and designers, one of the (all too rare) joys of a fair like IMM Cologne is being introduced to the previously unknown. Among our new discoveries at IMM Cologne was Münster based manufacturer Caussa. Wedge table/stool Andreas Kowalewski for Caussa, as seen at IMM Cologne 2018 Although only established in 2016, and making their IMM Cologne debut, Caussa bring a wealth of experience with them:
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While Georges-Eugène Haussmann is associated with the radical and unrestrained, Atelier Haußmann prefer the understated and reserved. Yet applied with the same level of conviction, self-confidence and appreciation of a well considered line. Following a couple of years absence 2018 saw Atelier Haußmann return to IMM Cologne.... Atelier Haußmann @ IMM Cologne 2018 Established, or perhaps better put, evolved in the course of the 1990s in Berlin-Kreuzberg by brothers Andreas & Rainer Haußmann,
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The English playwright and composer Noël Coward is widely attributed to have once opined that, "a perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy" We can't confirm if Munich based StudioFaubel employed the grand raconteur's advice in the development of their Martini Sessel for Müller Möbelfabrikation. The result is however equally as satisfying..... Martini Sessel by StudioFaubel for Müller Möbelfabrikation, as seen at IMM Cologne
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One of the early highlights of our 2017 #campustour was the Arc Collection by Marie Hesseldahl & Nanna Neergaard created in context of their Diploma project at Design School Kolding. Consequently it was a particularly pleasing mødes igen with the Arc Collection at IMM Cologne 2018 where it was launched as a product family by Danish manufacturer Le Klint. Arc Pendant Lamp by Manér Studio for Le Klint, as seen at IMM Cologne 2018 All Diploma projects at Design School Kolding are undertaken
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"Have you ever laid out all your plates like a carpet, or piled furniture into a tower?", asks the introduction to the Technical University Dortmund's project, Alles, was ich habe [Everything that I possess] Our answer to the last question is a categorical, yes. It was one afternoon during our final year at secondary school, and together with a few chums we stacked all the common room furniture up against one wall. Just to see if we could. We could. Alles, was ich habe is a little more
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In his 5th century BC text "The Art of War", the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu notes: There are roads, not to take. There are armies, not to attack. There are towns, not to besiege. There are terrains, not to contest. There are ruler's orders, not to obey.1 Were Sun Tzu's metier the furniture fair rather than the warfare, we feel certain he would have added: There are objects, not to produce. IMM Cologne 2018 is awash with such. It's not IMM's fault; rather is endemic of an industry
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As regular readers will appreciate, we're no great approvers of lumping individual creatives together under one umbrella term; always strikes us as being an unnecessary distraction, and (more than) a little counterproductive. We are however most appreciative that following an inaugural presentation at Kazerne Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week 2017, the showcase Generation Köln is now being presented, as it were, on home turf. Generation Köln. A Family Portrait Organised by Passagen
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As in art, music or literature, the path in design from an idea to its realisation is rarely straight. And not always achieved. Or at least not immediately. Consequently every designer, as with every artist, every musician or every author, has projects which began their journey's full of hope,but, then, for whatever reason....... With the showcase "in Arbeit" Cologne based designers Thomas Schnur and Klemens Grund present some of their projects which are, still, "in Arbeit" In Arbeit.
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One of Germany's leading post-war architects and architectural theoreticians, Egon Eiermann was also one of post-war Europe's most important chair designers, not just in context of what he realised, but also in context of what he worked towards realising and the reasons why. With the exhibition Cologne celebrate that legacy. Der Stuhl des Architekten - Sitzmöbel von Egon Eiermann @ Ungers Archiv für Architekturwissenschaft Cologne Although Egon Eiermann's career as a designer of
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With his two faces the Roman God Janus looks simultaneously forward and backwards, standing in constant watch over transitions, the passage of time, beginnings, ends. The easy connection to make is with January, that month of the year when we are invariably reflecting and hoping in equal measure: the more complex connection to make is with a well-crafted architecture and design exhibition, one which effortlessly links reflections of the past with proposals, visions and excitement for the
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Algorithms as dance, a tactile architecture guide and a future-proof flat sharing platform. On Thursday October 26th the winners of the 2017 Kölner Design Preis were unveiled at a ceremony in the city's Museum für Angewandte Kunst, MAKK; and where until Sunday November 19th the three winning, and all nominated, projects, can be viewed in a specially conceived Kölner Design Preis 2017 exhibition. Kölner Design Preis 2017 exhibition at Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, MAKK Celebrating its
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Designers are prone to spending inordinate amounts of time shaving a millimetre of a surface thickness. Or trying to increase the distance between two points by a couple of millimetres. Occupations which to the uninitiated can appear just a tick obsessive. In how far however relatively small changes of scale, differences of a few millimetres, can alter not only the physical appearance of a product, but the very character of a product, was elegantly explained by Danish manufacturer Houe at
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The 2017 spoga+gafa garden trade fair in Cologne hosted the 5th edition of the unique youngstar outdoor living design competition. Open to current design students, or those who have graduated within the past three years, the 2017 unique youngstar attracted a recorder number of 81 entries from 18 countries, from which a shortlist of 15 nominees was selected and presented in an exhibition at spoga+gafa 2017. At an awards ceremony on Sunday in Cologne the prize winners were announced......
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When we first viewed the exhibition Full House: Design by Stefan Diez at The Museum für Angewandte Kunst Cologne, it was was still being assembled. Objects were missing, set-ups not in their final composition, lights not yet properly positioned. As such we didn't get to form an opinion on the final, complete, intended exhibition. Did however mange to take some truly awful photos. Fortunately we have now had a second chance to view the exhibition. And it is every bit as good as we assumed it
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It's early May and once again the party ship we call the smow song contest is ready to set sail...... First staged in 1956 in Lugano, as a small, essentially regional, event, the smow song contest has grown as the smow family has, and now enjoys a popularity far outwith smow's geographic heartland. A fact acknowledged by the addition of Sydney to the competition in 2015: our antipodean cousins having long adopted the spirit of smow. Yes, some, ill informed, never happy's, oafs quite frankly,
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As a fair IMM Cologne 2017 didn't impress, but one or the other product did. Our IMM Cologne 2017 High Five!! And a few words of comfort from Epictetus. IMM Cologne 2017: High Five!! Staged as it in mid-January IMM Cologne is not only the first event in our new diaries, but, coming as it does after a period when we've been distracted by life in its full technicolour glory, often the hardest. How quickly have we come out of the post-holiday starting blocks? Are we mentally and physically
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With the exhibition 5 Years kaschkasch Florian Kallus and Sebastian Schneider aka studio kaschkasch celebrate, well, five years of studio kaschkasch. 5 Years kaschkasch, Cologne 5 Years kaschkasch The foundations for kaschkasch were laid by Florian Kallus and Sebastian Schneider in context of a joint graduation project at the Akademie für Gestaltung Münster, and became reality with the opening of their own studio in Cologne in 2011. An early diet of trade fairs and competitions resulting in
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