At IMM Cologne this week, Europe’s first major furniture fair of the year, the biggest designer names – including Sebastian Herkner, Neri & Hu and Patricia Urquiola – are on hand to debut their latest furniture and installations.
1 Sebastian Herkner for Gubi
The German designer (along with founder Jacob Gubi) introduced his first product for the Danish furniture and lighting manufacturer. Collar Lamp is a series of pendants that combines hand-blown glass and a reflective aluminum “collar.” It comes in two sizes and five colours: black, grey, taupe, terracotta and sand. Later this week, Herkner flies to Toronto for his Azure Trade Talk at IDS on Friday at 3 PM, sponsored by Avenue Road.
2 Neri & Hu’s Das Haus
A dark and moody living space by Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu has likely been the fair’s most visited exhibit, with Neri commenting at one point that there may be too many people on the second floor. The Shanghai duo filled Asian-inspired rooms with their own furniture for such brands as Moooi, De La Espada and Classicon. A Room for Bathing (shown) features Bocci’s pendant lights, Front’s WaterDream shower system for Axor and a pair of wooden tubs for couples.
3 New products at &Tradition
The Danish company launched new products by Luca Nichetto, Lex Pott and Ontwerpduo’s Tineke Beunders and Nathan Wierink. Eindhoven duo Blunders and Wierink took inspiration from climbing plants for Light Forest, a modular lighting system that can be adapted to walls or ceilings. The extruded aluminum tubes come in two versions and four combinations; lampshades are spun from copper, lending a warm glow.
4 Stefan Diez for Emu
The Italian outdoor furniture manufacturer expanded Stefan Diez’s chair collection, launched at last year’s Salone, with the addition of lounge seating. The idea of using woven straps came from the underside of a collection the Munich designer created for Gandia Blasco. Yard comes in a variety of brights and neutrals including red, mint green, teal and black.
5 Patricia Urquiola for Kartell
Offsite at Kartell’s flagship Cologne store, the Spanish designer created a series of vignettes showcasing the wares she has devised over their eight-year relationship. In the most elaborate display, Urquiola showcases her Tavola collection of plates, glasses and carafes, which produce kaleidoscopic effects across the dining table – which is surrounded by her Comeback chairs.
