Pure Village Display 2010
imm cologne announced that it will again present its Pure Village display at the upcoming imm cologne show, January 18-23, 2011. The display, which was well received at last year's show, acknowledges that the distinctions between kitchen and living room, bedroom and bathroom are becoming increasingly fluid. Factors such as lighting, textiles and accessories are becoming more significant.
Pure Village in hall 3.2 will include well-known design brands from the furniture, textiles, lighting and bathroom sectors presented as creative interior concepts.
To go by the name, it should have been a quiet, idyllic little place amidst the hustle and bustle of the fair but it wasnt. There was simply too much going on. Instead, Pure Village was more like a dimly lit piazza in the evening, when travellers from all over the world throng the streets to enjoy a little inspiring window shopping or linger over an espresso on the steps in the middle of the square. And yet it wasnt so much the visitors that were unfamiliar as the surroundings, which countered the conventional fair architecture of light-flooded, hermetically sealed stands strung along perfectly straight aisles with their own very individual, intimate brand of aesthetics and an open structure.
Retrospective on the 2010 Pure Village Display:
For many visitors, the presentation format and wide range of different categories was totally unaccustomed: Pure Village was intended to be disconcerting and change the way we see things. And the concept did just that. The effect that koelnmesse and exhibition designer Dick Spierenburg had hoped for turned out to be a positive surprise for exhibitors and the public alike. By focusing on just a few highlights in an exclusive setting, the show managed to present a concentration of sometimes fascinating interior design ideas with a density reminiscent of an art gallery. In addition, the absence of the usual pigeonholes shone the spotlight on the creative quality of the exhibits as the decisive connecting link. And the way products were staged in the context of vastly different interior design solutions gave people plenty to talk about beyond the scope of the usual trade fair routine, allowing exhibitors to make totally new contacts with interesting target groups.
A new quality of presentation and communication
The new trade fair concept points the way to a future in which the character of the trade fair will evolve from a pure sales event to a customer-oriented, emotionally staged production and discourse-based design platform. A development that is welcomed by leading brand-name manufacturers. Andreas Dornbracht, for instance, executive director and joint proprietor of Aloys F. Dornbracht GmbH & Co. KG Armaturenfabrik, gave the imm colognes new format an extremely positive review: With Pure Village, which we took part in along with KAP Forum, the imm cologne has managed to create a new and particularly communicative form of trade fair presentation with a good atmosphere. A successful mix that should definitely become a permanent feature of the fair.
It seems as if the mood in Pure Village provided the right blend of stimulation and relaxation: a varied exhibition architecture, manageable dimensions, a caf, a forum on the outskirts of the village for lectures and debates, exciting scenographies and installations on the latest interior trends and, above all, lots of unconventionally arranged displays of furniture, lighting, home textiles, bathrooms, fireplaces, carpets and home accessories. In fact, there was just one thing all the presentations had in common the desire to show how an attractive and contemporary atmosphere can be created with top-quality design products and original interior concepts.
There was plenty of life in Pure Village too, thanks to various events on the central Square and the crowd-pulling installations by Cecilie Manz from Copenhagen and Johanna Grawunder from Los Angeles. In four stunning masterpieces, the Danish and American designers conjured up fascinating interior scenes and product scenographies exemplary interpretations of the four latest Interior Trends distilled out of the abundance of new design developments by the imm cologne Trendboard, the interior design fairs expert panel of designers, architects, colour experts and material specialists. The trend installations blended in just as harmoniously with the Pure Village architecture as The Stage, where both informed insiders and the walk-in public could experience some extremely interesting lectures on furnishing culture. The convincing demonstrations of know-how by brand-name manufacturers like Erco didnt only impress architects, and designers like Paul Flowers (Senior Vice President Design at Grohe AG) and Max Lamb captivated the audience with their presentations on the emotional design of a brand or the overlaps between art and design.
Accommodation in Pure Village will be scarce in 2011
It seems as if Pure Village got off to a successful start. The optimism the imm cologne exuded this year made for a positive mood among the visitors at our much-frequented stand in Pure Village, says Jrg Loew, executive board member of burgbad AG. Our debut in the new exhibition concept exceeded our expectations and strengthened our decision to come back in 2011, revealed Loew immediately after the imm cologne. He was particularly impressed by the diverse and exclusive neighbourhood that was created in Pure Village, which included first-time exhibitors from the sanitaryware sector. In view of the fact that the bathroom is developing a cosy interior design of its own, the imm cologne considers it a meaningful addition to sophisticated furnishing concepts.
The neighbourhood consisted of 88 exhibitors from all areas of interior design. Besides media partners H.O.M.E. and the StadtRevue Verlag Kln with its publication "Raum 5 - Der Design Guide fr Kln", German interior design magazine Schner Wohnen also took up residence in Pure Village with its special exhibition New Classics. Anybody in search of advice could seek practical help from the interior designers of RoomDoctor, who were able to assure the organisers that their new exhibition format went down well with the general public as well. For it was only on the Public Days that Pure Village got really crowded and even the kindergarten became a hub of hectic activity. Afterwards, of course, when the imm drew to a close, the residents of Pure Village packed their bags just like everybody else. Until next year, when the carpenters once again set to work to build a new community. Although next time, the neighbours in Pure Village will no doubt have to move a little closer together.
Further information:
www.purevillage.de