"Das Haus" under construction: Visitors can explore Lucie Koldova's design from January 15 on.
© Koelnmesse
When Dick Spierenburg, Creative Director of imm cologne talks about his year’s “Haus”, it is impossible not to notice his enthusiasm. “Das Haus” is a mock-up, a scale model presented in one of the fair halls, and which is conceived each year by a different designer. In 2018 it is the young Czech designer Lucie Koldova. It is just one of the successful projects with which Dick Spierenburg has changed imm cologne since he began working there in 2009. In modernizing the traditional trade fair, the architect and designer was able to draw on considerable experience: After all, he has been conceiving and organizing design events since 1995, initially in Amsterdam, and as of 2006 in Design Post in Cologne. In addition to his trade fair projects with Spierenburg Studio he also develops architectural projects and exhibition and presentation spaces for museums such as the Museum of Applied Art Cologne (MAKK) and brands like Thonet and Linak.
Fabian Peters: Tell us a little about the early days of your collaboration with Koelnmesse. How has it changed, and indeed how have you changed imm cologne since then?
Dick Spierenburg: When I began working for Kölnmesse in 2009 our most important goal was to transform imm cologne from an outright furniture fair into a home furnishings fair. We wanted to bring together all the issues relating to furnishing and design. And every year we worked gradually but consistently on turning the fair into an experience for visitors. And of course you create experiences via content.
For a while imm cologne was stuck with a reputation of not being very open to modern design, but that has since changed immensely. How did you manage to achieve this turnaround?
Dick Spierenburg: Among other things by creating new entry formats. We began with “Pure Village”, a landscape of design stands – compact, but attractive. This concept not only enabled young brands to take part in the fair, but also those brands whose product range did not fit in with the old concept of imm cologne.
Moreover, I gradually altered the hall layouts. Nothing is more boring than a pure “Manhattan style” grid of “blocks” and “streets”. We tried out the new layout for the new, design-oriented part of the fair that we called “Pure Editions”. First it was just Hall 3, but later we added Hall 2.
The “Pure” section has expanded constantly over the past years. This year it will also feature the new format “Pure Architects”.
Dick Spierenburg: Yes, absolutely. After “Pure Village”, we developed “Pure Editions”, where creative and innovative brands present themselves in a totally new, much more open stand structure. In addition, we teamed up with Stylepark to organize “Featured Editions” and encouraged exhibitors to submit installations for this special exhibition. Then we showcased the installations on pedestals between the stands.
And this year we are adding “Pure Architects” – an entire hall, where we address topics that actually precede furnishing, come before putting up furniture: Bathrooms, floor coverings, wall coverings, technical light. And we will also install a smart home there.