As previously, and repeatedly, noted, one of the defining aspects about an office furniture fair such as Orgatec Cologne is that wherever one looks one sees a similar vista. Whereas in terms of domestic furnishings there are enough genres of furniture and interpretations of those genres to allow for a, at least relatively when not necessarily satisfyingly, varied landscape, office furniture is much more limited, not only doesn’t have the variety of genres, but has a few that are essentials; consequently every manufacturer has very similar product lines, every manufacturer has, for example, a height-adjustable desk, a sofa with high sides, a desk height rocking stool, a modular bench system, and an office chair with flat, slightly organic quadratic armrests that resemble cutlery Georg Jensen may have produced in the 1960s. The differences are, generally, to be found in terms of mechanisms, connection systems, interfaces, materials or textiles, so very technical aspects. Very important aspects, very fundamental aspects, but things that aren’t necessarily instantly visible. Hence the visual monotony. And aspects which when explored in detail aren’t always that interesting/innovative/engaging/sensible/relevant/practical/functional/etc. It’s a tiring, thankless, business working your way through such a landscape.

Particularly a landscape such as Orgatec 2018 which was, at least as we experienced it, largely about consolidation, about manufacturers extending existing product families or presenting existing products in new materials, new textiles, new colours, new fragrances, etc, etc…..

Which isn’t to say it wasn’t a thankless and fruitless task, just thankless, and thus, and with the standard disclaimer that we have invariably missed numerous genuine highlights, a smow blog Orgatec Cologne 2018 High 5!!

Orgatec Cologne 2018 High Five

Wind powered street lighting from Vulkan, as seen at Light + Building Frankfurt 2016

As the name implies the Light + Building Trade Fair in Frankfurt is largely about architectural lighting rather than domestic

KUULA by Uli Budde for Thonet & Oligo, as seen at IMM Cologne

In the famous Thonet Card Catalogue from 1930/31 the image of the B 9 side table and B 25 lounge

Normally October is all about design festivals, October 2015 wasn’t. On the one hand we weren’t at that many this

Unfold by Uli Budde for A.E. Koechert, Vienna

We were first introduced to the work of Berlin based designer Uli Budde when we saw his “Reading Table” project

Direktorenhaus Berlin Summer Break VA Neue Arbeiten Turn E15 Fortune Mark Braun

As if to help underscore the assertion in our “5 New Design Exhibitions for July 2014” Post that July and

While critics denounce such as an easy and obvious way to generate content – for us reviewing the past year