With around 100,000 visitors, the first international design fair of the year, IMM Cologne proved that despite economic uncertainty, design is thriving. Indesign’s Adele Troeger was there.

One of the really interesting features of this year’s IMM was the presence of a host of Singapore design firms, creating outstanding work. Managed by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, ‘A Singapore Showcase @ IMM Cologne’ presented the latest design to come out of the island nation.

Outstanding work from Air Division, Exit and Urban Foundry was on display, along with Outofstock – a company operating out of Singapore, Barcelona and Buenos Aires.

Pre-event interviews with Konstantin Grcic and Jehs + Laub provide insight into the character of German design – both from a historical context and in relation to current trends, preparing visitors for a good dose of German design when they arrived.

At the fair, 1057 exhibitors were present including leading European manufacturers, with products from Draenert, Glasitalia, E15, Plank and Ligne Roset taking out top honours from the Interior Innovation Awards 2009.

Student work was outstanding, with Dutch designer Pepe Heykoop taking out the prize for ‘A Restless Chairacter’ – an innovative design with the chair made of a number of pieces that fit together like Meccano, making the chair particularly flexible.

Also innovative was the Recycling Designpreis which awarded designers for creating products with all second-hand or discarded materials.

Another fascinating product with a history was a 12-metre table by Mario Botta for Riva 1920. Made of wood preserved 50,000 years ago in the glacial period by water and mud in New Zealand, the piece was resurrected to create a 3.8 tonne tabletop of amazing beauty.

There was plenty to see at IMM this year and, as always, too much to cover. But this bustling fair provides an encouraging start to the year of design.

Text by Adele Troeger

imm-cologne.com

Hero Image: ’Room Art’ Signet Wohnmöbel GmbH, & Co. KG. Courtesy IMM.

Out of Stock ’winter arrives’

Out of Stock ’forest stool’

‘A Restless Chairacter’ by Pepe Heykoop

The Verwoben (Interwoven) shelf by Marco dos Santos Pina

Pulpo

Urban Foundry ’Droplet chair’