Share this on

Pure Village Premieres at IMM Cologne

Dutch designer Dick Spierenburg created integrated architecture for the hall that served as the inaugural venue for Pure Village.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 2/8/2010 12:00:00 AM

IMM Cologne 2010 Pure Village

It takes a village to sell out, well, Pure Village, the new exhibition concept for furniture, fabrics, lighting, and bathroom products that reached capacity in its first year at IMM Cologne, the annual German furnishings fair that saw 100,000 visitors before it wrapped up its five-day run on January 24.

IMM Cologne 2010 Pure Village

Held in Hall 3.2 at the Cologne Exhibition Centre, Pure Village boasted integrated architecture by Dutch designer Dick Spierenburg for exhibitors that included Arco, Arper, Dornbracht, Kvadrat, and Moroso, among others. Spierenburg created a unique presentation platform for the companies that featured modules of alternating height in a staggered arrangement similar to an urban grid. “Halls normally have a rectangular layout plan,” says Spierenburg. “Every exhibitor has his own space and has his own stand built. Pure Village is totally different. Instead of running parallel to one another, the paths lead to a centre—a central square where there’s lots going on.”

IMM Cologne 2010 Pure Village

The modules, or “houses” were customized for exhibitors—even down to their color scheme. A stage was set up for lectures and moderated panel discussions with entrepreneurs, designers, and interior designers on topics including sustainability and responsible resource management and a live webcam was set up to capture all the action for those who could not attend.

IMM Cologne 2010 Pure Village

“I’m delighted that Pure Village…met with such a good response right from the start. The good results show that the time was ripe for a modern trade fair format like this,” adds Udo Traeger, head of the furniture, interior design, and textiles division at Koelnmesse, the organizer of IMM Cologne. “Together, we managed to create an atmosphere that inspired the visitors.”

IMM Cologne 2010 Pure Village

All images courtesy of IMM Cologne.