The ochre-red house at Burgfeld 136, in north Frankfurt, has two large, sunny bedrooms, a deep tub in the bathroom and a maid’s room. The two living spaces, furnished with oak sideboards by Austrian rationalist Franz Schuster, connect to an eat-in kitchen, designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, where everything – from the pantry canisters to the ironing board – is built into the teak cabinetry. It overlooks a long garden with fruit trees and vegetable beds. In short, it’s a place many urbanites would kill for, even though it was constructed 100 years ago on a wave of social idealism and modernist fever.

What is Neues Frankfurt?

Burgfeld was one of 12,000 affordable units in a 1920s housing scheme called Neues Frankfurt, planned by architect Ernst May and mayor Ludwig Landmann, social reformers determined to create lively, high-functioning, green-belt communities for working-class Frankfurters. The tree-lined streets encompassed schools, playgrounds and community centres, operating both as an incubator for the various architects, urban planners and designers involved, as well as offering a ticket to a simpler life. ‘This was the first fully electrified housing estate in Germany,’ says Elisa Lecointe, a Schuster furniture expert who works with the Ernst May Society. And it allowed Schütte-Lihotzky’s influential, compact, low-cost, wood-based ‘Frankfurt kitchen’ to shine. ‘A lot of the older residents still use the original kitchens today,’ says Lecointe.

Presaging model midcentury cities, the experiment was ahead of its time, even if the high-spec tilework, modular furnishings and built-ins pushed rents up beyond the widely affordable. May’s upbeat, functional modernism made him a hero, even in Berlin and Dessau. And it made Frankfurt a Weimar-era hotspot. If the 1929 stock market crash hadn’t kicked off a 15-year nightmare of poverty, political upheaval and war, May and Landmann – both Jews – might not have fled the country. And the Neues Frankfurt project might not have been halted five years into its ten-year timetable. ‘The Nazis hated this architecture,’ says Lecointe. ‘They couldn’t stand that form followed function. They preferred the idea of a British-style garden city – a traditional village with pitched roofs.’ Flat roofs, they said, looked Semitic.

‘When the grand plans for affordable housing were halted in the 1930s due to political and economic changes, not only were concrete projects lost, but important lessons and ideals were also neglected,’ says Matthias Wagner K, director of Frankfurt’s Museum of Applied Arts, and a May expert. That included not only social housing and communal spaces but strategies for sustainable living.

Yet Neues Frankfurt still has thousands of homes to celebrate in its centenary. Some of the units house families that have been in situ for generations, while others are home to arrivistes, drawn to their revolutionary principles and hyper-functionality. ‘Even the door handles by Ferdinand Kramer are sought-after objects,’ says Wagner. ‘Tecnoline now reproduces them with permission from the Kramer family.’

Today, says Lecointe, the rents are far more affordable. ‘The local property authority has a low-cost mandate, and it can only charge a quarter of your salary.’ And that covetable house at Burgfeld 136 has opened to the public as the Ernst May House museum, with plans in the offing for it to be bookable as a B&B.

The scheme’s centenary happened at an auspicious time for Frankfurt. It heralded the city’s turn as World Design Capital for 2026, and events are now kicking off across the Rhine-Main region, intended to demonstrate why the area deserves some of the kudos normally reserved for the design hotbeds of the Bauhaus movement, such as Weimar or Dessau.

Dutch architecture firm UNStudio is launching its sky-skimming live/work scheme Four, touted as a new Neues Frankfurt, with a street-level bar named after Ernst May. A modular pavilion designed by Constructlab will tour the region, hosting talks, workshops and educational programmes. And Hanau, a town to the east that was flattened by Allied raids, will introduce visitors to mobile botanical gardens developed by designer Kai Linke.

The southern suburb of Darmstadt is celebrating its own milestone: it’s 125 years since the artists’ colony (and Unesco World Heritage site) was built in gilded Arts-and-Crafts glory by Peter Behrens and a coterie of Jugendstil artists – it’s worth visiting just for a glimpse of the mosaics in Joseph Maria Olbrich’s bizarre Wedding Tower. If these don’t get people on the U-Bahn, then it’s a safe bet they’ll make the 20-minute journey to the housing estates and market halls that remain from May’s satellite projects.

‘The memory of Neues Frankfurt, of the energy that was mustered in the difficult times of the 1920s, formed not the sole but an important basis for our application for the title of World Design Capital,’ says Wagner K, who led the region’s bid. Now might be a good time to be reminded of an era when progressive thinking was institutionalised, and humanity and hope were central to residential design.

ernst-may-gesellschaft.de

This article appears in the April 2026 Global Interiors Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 5 March 2025. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Welcome to our annual gathering of the globe’s most galvanising design projects. It’s a journey of creative exploration that’s perfectly captured in our cover story – a spectacular Las Vegas home that’s a masterclass in melding mediums, eras and themes, a polyglot approach reflected in the rest of the issue.

We’ve noted that the legacy of modernism, and its later evolution, brutalism, remains as strong as ever, so we’ve chosen to explore how 20th-century properties, such as Casa Arosio on Italy’s Ligurian coast and the futuristic Pyramid House in Milton Keynes, are being reimagined for the 21st century.

In the same spirit, we head to Germany to mark the recent centenary of a seminal Frankfurt housing programme – an auspicious moment for the city as it celebrates its role as World Design Capital this year (for those thinking of visiting, we offer our own guide to Frankfurt too).

We also unveil a collection of modernist archival pieces by Milan silverware brand San Lorenzo, which are now available exclusively through luxury e-tailer Abask.

Meanwhile, with brutalism now feeling more prominent in the creative world than ever (and with the news that London’s Southbank Centre has finally achieved Grade II-listed status), we ask Modernist Estates author Stefi Orazi to write about the movement’s origins and meaning today.

Elsewhere, we drop in to YY, the London-based studio led by Tawanda Chiweshe and Francisco Gaspar, whose notions of research and exchange continue to inform their work; and we shine a spotlight on Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, who is throwing off the shackles of commercial projects to focus on more personal work.

We also visit a verdant Gujarati plot that puts its abundant foliage at the centre of a contemporary country retreat, cast an envious eye over the new Chinatown offices of New York-based architecture firm Bonetti/Kozerski, and meet Tadashi Kawamata, the latest artist to be invited to collaborate with champagne house Ruinart for its ‘Conversations with Nature’ series.

And pulling all these peregrinations together is our Global Interiors story, for which our head of interiors, Olly Mason, traverses six continents (digitally speaking) to capture bold new idioms in furniture, lighting and product design.

Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief

The April 2026 Global Interiors Issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 5 March 2025. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

This week, Alcova returned to Frankfurt to curate a space within the Heimtextil fair, exploring the act of making in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. The Milanese itinerant fair and creative platform was called upon to both explore the dichotomy between human and artificial creativity, but also to demonstrate how textiles remain central to our idea of home, and what future scenarios they can inhabit.

Craft is a Verb: Alcova at Heimtexil 2026

Depending on how they enter the installation, visitors find two radically different scenarios: on one side, a 'material-data farm of samples', with textiles curated from across the fair shown on shelves in curated clusters, offering an overview of the wide range offered by the fair. On the other side is a house, flanked by digital screens and containing a series of futuristic-looking domestic ideas led by fabric and craft.

The Alcova team, led by founders Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima, identified six trends which they explored through the materials and patterns. The progressive trends displayed across the space include Re: Media, Visible co-work, Sensing Nature, A Playful Touch, Crafted Irregularity and The Uncanny Valley. These clusters, explains Ciuffi, help them demonstrate how 'designers and creators are going against uniformity, contrasting the notion that AI could shape our creative process into something plain.'

This theme is exemplified by the objects shown within the Visible co-work space, like Natalia Triantafylli's ceramics which combine human and digital craft: 'AI enhanced, human-finished,' explains Ciuffi. But other themes explored by Alcova include a return to nature, a desire for imperfection, and are divided into colour palettes that reflect both the natural world and the lurid, neon spirit of machine-made objects.

'It's an experiment in radical contemporary domesticity,' explains Grima of the space, which includes a dystopian-looking armchair by Jean-Baptiste Durand, tapestries by Sonia Góecka, lamps by Anna Resei and Jonas Hejduk's digitally-powered rugs. They paint a picture of optimism, of emerging design cultures embracing the disruptive effect of technology on creativity. 'Throughout our history, we have had examples of how technology has been counterbalanced by emotional forms of creativity,' adds Grima. 'Creatives are increasingly looking for meaning, something that speaks to us as human beings. The rise of AI is closely linked to a rise of craftsmanship.'

Eurostar maps out its next stops, in Switzerland and Germany, as it announces plans to launch direct train services to Geneva and Frankfurt from London St Pancras by the early 2030s. Eurostar said it will require a fleet of up to 50 new trains, which will cost €2 billion (£1.7 billion). The journey between London and Frankfurt will be about five hours, while Geneva will be around five hours and 20 minutes.

Geneva is known as a centre for the finer things in life, from exceptional timepieces (the city hosts the annual Watches and Wonders fair) to luxury chocolates. Frankfurt, meanwhile, is Europe's bustling financial hub, and also home to some of the design world's major trade fairs, such as Heimtextil and Ambiente.

Discover the new direct Eurostar routes

Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar’s chief executive, said passengers are prepared to take longer train journeys rather than fly, as they want to travel more sustainably. Describing Frankfurt and Geneva as ‘big financial hubs’, Cazenave predicts a high demand from leisure and business travellers for direct services to these destinations.

Finer details such as deciding what stops the services will make and whether passengers are able to get on and off en route are yet to be determined. Granted, there are a number of hurdles Eurostar has to overcome before these services can be launched, including passenger space at the stations, and new border checkpoints, for example.

The announcement follows the reopening of Eurostar’s direct route to Amsterdam earlier this year (Wallpaper* took the opportunity to revisit some longstanding favourite spots in the Dutch capital).

Eurostar has also been busy upgrading its Premier services. In the past year, it has revamped onboard dining for Premier customers, and unveiled redesigned branded lounges in Brussels and Paris, available for Premier passengers travelling on continental routes, as well as Carte Blanche and Carte Étoile loyalty members.

Certain fairs have the task of untangling the strings of the present so that we can read future threads. This is literally the task of Heimtextil, the largest international trade fair for home and contract textiles, the 2025 iteration of which we attended last week (14-17 January) in Frankfurt, Germany.

The vast Messe Frankfurt fairgrounds showcased halls of yarns, fabrics, and prints – with designer Patricia Urquiola as a very special and long-awaited guest. ‘Heimtextil is growing and this year welcomes over 3,000 exhibitors and participants from 130 countries. Patricia Urquiola has created an installation here that brings us closer to textile design in a unique way. Visitors experience with all senses how state-of-the-art materials, AI, digital printing techniques, and recycled fabrics come together,’ said Detlef Braun, member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.

After weaving our way through Heimtextil’s fairgrounds, and walking miles in the process, Wallpaper* reports on the highlights, which offer insight into where the textile industry is heading in 2025.

Heimtextil 2025 highlights

Patricia Urquiola

‘Shoes off!’ Patricia Urquiola exclaimed. At Heimtextil, she showcased ‘among-us’, an open and welcoming installation that began with a grid on the floor. However, to enter the heart of the installation, which looked like a sculpture park, you were asked to remove your shoes, and walk on a soft surface, which brought relief after long hours of walking on the fair floor.

‘I wanted to create a two-layered space, with digital and physical elements,’ said Urquiola. The sensory invitation included rational modular sofas from Kettal with soft Kvadrat wool in light purple, and four tapestries by CC-tapis created with an innovative robo-tufting machine. The latter appeared almost transparent thanks to Econyl, an innovative yarn made from nylon waste. Next to them was a hanging structure of panels, made of mineral aggregates mixed with a new-generation cementing binder called Cimento. All around were ‘massive creatures’, as she described them, by Moroso – each incorporating a fabric produced using innovative water-based printing methods that reduce both water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Other CC-tapis carpets were developed using the traditional dhurrie technique.

‘It’s an intuitive work, we worked a lot on colours, on materials – using a printing material was a first time for me. In your creative work you need to break boundaries and get fluid,’ said Urquiola.

Alcova

Curated by the Milanese design platform Alcova, this year's Heimtextil Trends 25/26 show – part of the wider fair – had the theme ‘Future Continuous’ and provided a glimpse into the future of textiles. On a long table, one after the other, three sectors emerged, each containing a variety of fabrics from the exhibitors on display: 'Regenerative' explored biodegradable fabrics and new ways to reconsider the life span of a material; 'Radically Restructured' looked at digital weaving and techniques that can mimic the unpredictable nature of natural production; and 'Naturally Uneven' celebrated the imperfection of natural materials.

Lanerossi

Have you never understood how to wash cashmere, or are you perhaps concerned about the environmental impact of dry cleaning? This is when Lanerossi steps in, presenting ‘Lavabili’, its machine washable plaids and blankets made of 100 per cent cashmere and 100 per cent wool, which can be washed at home in the washing machine. The products are certified Global Organic Textile Standard, an international standard for clothing and fabrics made from natural fibres sourced from organic farms.

Lavatech

Among our discoveries at the fair, Yagi & Co's new material containing high-quality underground lava rock deserves a special mention. It's called Lavatech, and as the name implies, it's made by finely crushing lava rock found in the ground around Mount Fuji before weaving it into fibres. According to the brand, it has a strong far-infrared effect (far-infrared radiation being the kind of electromagnetic waves that deliver thermal effects, promoting blood circulation), and so will enable the development of new products to address a range of health and wellbeing issues, spanning sleep, sports and beauty.

Wellbeing

According to Beddinghouse, skincare begins in the bedroom. The bed and bath linen company launched a skincare pillowcase with collagen fibres that work while you sleep, ensuring (the brand says) long-term benefits even after multiple washes. A sheet designed for athletes, or active people in general, is also interesting – it's designed to boost circulation and support muscle recovery, allowing you to wake up feeling revitalised.

Bedding and home textile brand Lameirinho, meanwhile, presented pyjamas designed to help regulate temperature – so no more duvet wars for couples with different temperature requirements. The pyjama textile uses ‘advanced chemical inducers’ that engage with the skin on a deeper level – so the warming sensation is more than just a feeling, it enhances blood flow.

Digital

At Heimtextil, digital technology, particularly artificial intelligence, was given special attention. Kornit Digital specialises in on-demand digital fashion and textile production technologies; here, it demonstrated the surprising result of pigment printing done in such a way that the texture is built up, resulting in an intriguing 3D effect. The company debuted a furniture collection in collaboration with Niso Furniture, featuring sofas, armchairs, a dining table, and curtains.

MYTH AI, meanwhile, demonstrated the role of generative AI technology for the design of bedding, wall décor, home textiles, and flooring. The company explained that using advanced AI makes the design process faster, more customisable, and less expensive. It also provides design security through blockchain certification and IP protection.

Isidore Bryant

Natural materials undoubtedly played a role at Heimtextile 2025. Their value goes far beyond the fact that a certain irregularity increases the life of a textile (no one would notice a new flaw in a beautifully imperfect piece). But for an example of quirky natural beauty, take Isidore Bryant, a textile design studio founded in 2023 by trained weaver Elizabeth Ballon (and named after her paternal grandfather and maternal great-grandmother). Ballon loves silk, wool, cashmere, cotton, and linen, and she uses two restored vintage looms (as well as computer-generated drafts) to produce tactile textile collections whose appeal is sure to endure.

Libeco

Working with certain natural yarns is comparable to producing wine, according to Libeco, Belgium's largest flax weaving mill and one of Europe's leading linen manufacturers. Climate and soil have an impact on production, especially when it is local and sustainable, as in Libeco’s case. Because its products are completely natural, it explains, they can be buried at the end of their life cycle – from nature to nature. Among other pieces, we loved the new ‘Q581 changeant Laundered’, a bulky textured linen-wool blend with such a soft feel.

Young talents

Among the young winners of the Heimtextil University Contest 2025, we were amazed by Birke-Katharina Weber's research project, MycoColors. It explores the potential of mushrooms as a sustainable source of textile dyes, to replace synthetic colours. Colourants are extracted from the fruiting bodies of existing fungal species and mycelia can be grown in bioreactors under controlled conditions. ‘The goal is to create a constantly expanding palette of colours that can also be applied to other materials,’ says Weber.

Equally brilliant is Silent Canvas, a project by Kateryna Basiuk from Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art. Basiuk investigates how recycled yarns function when used in aesthetically appealing and effectively cushioned circular acoustic absorbers. The concept stems from the ultrasonic-absorbing microstructures of moth wings, which can block predator noise, and whose natural structures are replicated and knitted in recycled materials.

The Rug Republic

This year, Indian brand The Rug Republic launched a new artisanal lighting collection – a selection of decorative lamps made from natural materials. One of the most innovative, and successful, is the ‘Argo Denim’ lamp, as upcycled denim is a symbol of circular supply chains. The company explains that waste denim from around the world is imported into India, stripped of its metals, and the remaining fabric is used to make rugs, pouffes, and lamps.

Edmund Bell

Eureka! Fairs like Heimtextil allow you to discover small and less-known innovations that are often overlooked by laypeople. According to Edmund Bell, a global leader in high-performance fabrics, the concept of a double-sided textured blackout fabric was difficult to obtain for those working in the field due to some technical constraints. At the fair, the company provided an exclusive preview of its solution, called Diversity, which it claims will set a new standard in textured blackout curtains.

Salgado Group

A pillowcase out of milk? When it comes to innovative fibres, Portugal's Salgado Group made headlines at Heimtextil 2025, presenting, among other things, sheets made using the extracted proteins from milk and soya beans, pineapple leaves, and nettle plant stalks. Other sheets contain waste carpet mixed with sustainably sourced wood pulp derived from fast-growing, responsibly managed forests. All, of course, are cotton-blend.

Wall coverings

The Marburger Tapetenfabrik, one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious wallpaper factories, introduced Terra, its first clay-based wallpaper collection. Screen and intaglio printing techniques are used to create its designs, which feature unique clay-based colours sourced locally. As a result, it is plasticiser-free. There has been a lot of interest in the brand's Celsius collection, too, which is a wallpaper that reflects heat rays thanks to aluminum pigments on the surface.

On another note, K'moor presented Cemento – an odd name for environmentally friendly wallpaper – made from an innovative biomass compound. Another option is Flax, which is derived from flax-plant fibres and is completely compostable.

Animal friendly

Attention to animals has made its way into the textile industry in unexpected and intriguing ways. Boyteks, from Turkey, exports its mattress fabrics to over 100 countries each year. This means it is among the first to respond to new trends and needs, and it now has a line of vegan products that, according to the brand, avoid any process that would harm animals at any stage of manufacturing. Its vegan mattress fabric, a success at Heimtextil, is entirely made from plant-based materials.

Another surprise, from Elastron, a well-known supplier for the upholstery industry, was its ‘Chanel’ collection, inspired by the fashion house and produced by the brand Magenta. The specially developed velvet does not tear or scratch easily, and is easier to clean than traditional velvet.

Rug trends

An interesting talk, ‘Crafting tomorrow: Key trends shaping the rug industry’, came from Lucy Upward of Cover magazine, which is dedicated to handmade carpets and textiles for interiors. The trends she touched on spanned from the authenticity of storytelling to the prevalence of dark and warm neutral colours, and the ‘Unexpected Red Theory’, a TikTok trend suggesting that adding a pop of red to a room can make the space feel more interesting and cohesive. And of course, there were AI-designed rugs. Some examples? The 3D textures of Merinos, the layering of Jaipur Rugs, and the use of abstract patterns at Oriental Weavers.

heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

Following the announcement earlier in 2024 of a partnership with Studio Urquiola, Frankfurt's Heimtextil, the world's largest textile fair, has revealed a new collaboration with Alcova Milano – one of the most celebrated (and crowded) design platforms during Milan Design Week – for its Heimtextil Trends 25/26 showcase.

‘The decision stems from how Alcova’s founders, Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima, masterfully blend contemporary art, design, and architecture into inspiring exhibitions and immersive installations,’ says Olaf Schmidt, vice president Textiles & Textile Technologies of the Messe Frankfurt Group, the trade fair and event organiser behind Heimtextil.

With Alcova locations including a defunct cake factory, an abandoned military hospital, and an old villa (see Alcova Milano 2024), what makes the annual event a must-see for Fuorisalone attendees, despite the hectic calendar, is Ciuffi and Grima's ability to discover and transform unconventional venues into long-lasting experiences. ‘This perfectly aligns with our vision of Heimtextil, where trends are not just about forecasting new colours and materials’ says Schmidt. ‘Trends evolve in a dynamic interplay, and by reconnecting with forgotten practices, we can better understand the present and shape the future.’

For Ciuffi and Grima, Heimtextil is not just about forecasting trends – it’s about using textiles as a lens to explore broader cultural, social, and environmental narratives: ‘It’s a space where the past and future collide in a way that feels alive and relevant to how we approach contemporary design.’ Since the beginning, the duo have been intrigued with the opportunity to investigate textiles as cultural identifiers and communicators, rather than as products. They recognise that textiles are intertwined with a variety of stories, including craft, technology, sustainability, and social change.

‘We saw Heimtextil as a platform to curate those narratives, to bring together voices from diverse disciplines, and to challenge how textiles can shape future design practices,’ they say. The challenge was to move beyond the surface of textiles, beyond the materiality and aesthetics, and look at the systems behind them: ‘We wanted to dig deep into the processes that create textiles, the invisible infrastructures, the ethical questions, and the environmental impact. The opportunity came in using this platform to provoke real conversations about sustainability and circularity, and at the same time, to envision new production systems that don't sacrifice beauty,’ say Ciuffi and Grima.

Alcova’s approach to Heimtextil Trends 25/26

The theme ‘Future Continuous’ refers linguistically to the English tense used to describe activities that will be ongoing in the future, but metaphorically, it evokes a continuous process of renewal and transformation inherent in future making, where the past is never fully left behind, but instead re-evaluated and revived: ‘This perpetual motion calls for a new understanding of change, inviting fresh narratives that enable us to interpret the present as both observers of the past and future prognosticators. It reflects Alcova’s experimental approach, where design pieces engage in a powerful dialogue with the surrounding architecture.’

Ciuffi and Grima conducted interviews with designers, textile researchers, and industry leaders from their network to dive deeply into the processes that create textiles. They talked to artist and writer Janis Jefferies, renowned for her pioneering work in textile research; interior designer Ilse Crawford; Christine Ladstätter, innovation manager of outdoor clothing brand Salewa; Dirk Vantyghem, director general of Euratex (European Apparel and Textile Confederation); Simone van der Burg and Lucas Evers, group heads at Amsterdam's interdisciplinary institute WAAG; and with Eugenia Morpurgo, an independent Italian designer researching the impact that production processes have on society.

The conversations spanned from politics and history to data ethics and sustainable agriculture: ‘One of the most unexpected outcomes was realising how deeply intertwined textiles are with systems we don’t often associate them with – like agriculture,’ say Alcova’s duo. ‘These conversations opened up a dialogue about how materials can be more than just commodities: they can be regenerative, ethical, and political. The connection between textiles and farming, for example, sparked new ideas about localised production and the role of natural fibres in shifting away from extractive, oil-based systems.’

The findings of these interviews also had an impact on the colour palette that will be introduced during Heimtextil Trend 25/26, from Naturally Uneven Green to End of Petrol and Imperfect Pink: ‘These colours weave together ideas that balance the interplay between tradition and innovation – natural, unbleached tones meet dynamic, vibrant hues, reflecting the ongoing tension between the past and the future,’ says Schmidt.

New trends will be presented also in terms of materials, building processes, and textile design: ‘You can expect a strong presence of natural fibres like linen, hemp, and flax, complemented by cutting-edge innovations such as lab-grown textiles and bio-based materials,’ say Ciuffi and Grima. ‘The Trend Arena installation at Heimtextil will be a striking narrative element, nodding to the behind-the-scenes of textile production, transforming the unseen processes into a source of inspiration and surprise’.

Heimtextil 2025 will be held from 14-17 January 2025, heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

In partnership with VitrA

As the return to IRL exhibitions continues, international bathroom specialist VitrA is a physical presence at the ISH Frankfurt 2023 bathroom fair (13 – 17 March), showing a brand-new series of Metropole sanitaryware and cabinetry, alongside some of its award-winning washbasins, brassware and furniture collections.

Spanning 1,200 sq m, the VitrA exhibition stand at ISH Frankfurt has been curated by the company’s in-house design studio and divided into three sections, illustrating key themes including sustainability, hygiene and innovation.  

Making its global debut at the fair, Metropole is designed for the modern bathroom with classic references. Elegant and refined with a minimal aesthetic and industrial tactility, the collection offers a variety of washbasins – as well as coordinating under-basin units, tall units and mirrored cabinets – in different shapes, sizes and finishes.

Visitors to the VitrA stand can also browse other recent ranges from the brand. The recently launched ArchiPlan collection features washbasins, plywood furniture units and mirrors designed with small-space living in mind. 

The Root range of sanitaryware, furniture and brassware is one of the most flexible and customisable bathroom collections on the market. Furniture units come in an array of colours with the option of gloss, matt and wood finishes. Brassware is also available in a round or square design.

Known for its high-profile designer collaborations, VitrA has brought some of its core pieces to Frankfurt. Liquid is British designer Tom Dixon’s first-ever bathroom series, inspired by round-edged aesthetics and Victorian bathrooms. The collection encompasses all elements of the bathroom – from sanitaryware and furniture to taps, showers, tiles and accessories – designed to work together or as standalone items.  The tiles also come in five interchangeable shades and embossed patterns.

Designed by American-born, Milan-based Terri Pecora, Plural explores the heritage of communal bathing spaces and rituals, comprising midcentury-inspired furniture, basins and a WC in a range of neutral tones. Three new colourways have recently been added to Plural – including Matt Clay Beige, Matt Moss Green and Matt Terra Rossa.

Voyage by Paris-based Arik Levy offers plenty of opportunity for customisation. The furniture and sanitaryware can be used in various combinations to create a suitable layout for any bathroom space or style. What’s more, the entire collection is wall-hung, making it exceptionally versatile and ideal for small spaces. 

Equal by Italian architect and designer Claudio Bellini imagines the bathroom through the lens of an architect. The award-winning range offers raw, industrial designs inspired by minimal contexts and urban environments. As well as sanitaryware, which comes in white or stone grey, the furniture pieces are now also available in black oak, elm or concrete, bringing contrasting definition to the bathroom.

In addition to its signature lines, VitrA’s ISH showcase displays a range of brassware, cisterns, shower toilets and touch-free technology on its stand. There is also a ‘VitrA Experience Zone’ with a seating area for visitors, as well as a selection of visitor-interactive behind-the-wall products and a live installation area where real-life demos are led by the VitrA team and content creators. 

‘ISH is one of the most important events in our industry calendar, giving us the perfect platform to present our modern design and innovation while connecting with our discerning customers worldwide,’ says VitrA’s Sibylle Göttgens. ‘We are showing a strong line-up of products. Not only do these products demonstrate our unrivalled expertise and experience in designing for the bathroom, they also address some of the most pressing, industry-wide issues – from sustainability to space efficiency and accessibility. We’re delighted to be back.’

VitrA is at Stand C47 and C49 (Hall 3.1). ISH Frankfurt runs 13 – 17 March 2023. For VitrA’s full product portfolio, visit vitra.co.uk.

Flexible working has been the name of the game for many in recent years; a shift only accelerated by the ongoing pandemic. Now, Frankfurt has got a brand new flexible workspace courtesy of TOG (The Office Group) and dMFK Architects. The office experts launch this month Oper46, the first co-working space for TOG in the German city – and one of Europe's key financial hubs. 

Spread across six floors and some 6,700 sq m, the building, set in the cultural and financial heart of Frankfurt, on Opernplatz, has been carefully designed to cater both for the present and future. Focusing on a design-led, high quality environment the space has been made with crafted materials and a warm and tactile feel that avoids corporate cliches. The idea, the architects explain, is to be able to offer an ‘alternative' to the standard office space, right in the centre of town.

‘Frankfurt is a sophisticated and dynamic city – it’s buzzing with activity and has an entrepreneurial attitude. Here in the beating heart of the metropolis, business meets culture,' says TOG head of design Nasim Köerting. ‘In order to capture a look and feel that would sit well within Frankfurt, we collaborated with dMFK architects to design this new flexible work space, Oper46. They have been involved in numerous TOG buildings before and have proven that they are great at designing elegant, sophisticated yet energising office spaces.'

This is not the first project where TOG has collaborated with architects dMFK. York House, the flexible workspace specialist's largest venue so far was also masterminded by the same architecture studio – and that's not the only location in their portfolio either. The practice's expertise in the field has proven valuable in transforming one more existing building – in this case, an early 2000s standard office building – into a dynamic, contemporary hub for creativity and business.

Today, Uniqlo and Jil Sander announced it is bringing back +J, the lauded collaboration between the Japanese company and German designer, which ran from 2009-2011, to the joy of all wardrobe minimalists. +J is set to relaunch this winter, and in celebration of the news, here we revisit a 2017 Q+A with Sander and Nick Vinson, centred around the opening of her first solo show,  ‘Jil Sander: Present Tense’, at the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt. 

Nick Vinson: Why did you choose to put on this exhibition? 
Jil Sander: My archive was not very organised, and an exhibition deadline was a great way to make me speed up the archive revision.

How long have you been working on it?
About 18 months.

What would you say are your design principles?
Innovative quality materials, interesting proportions, perfection in details, energising shapes and a truly three-dimensional execution.

What is Jil Sander’s concept of purism?
The desire to capture the essence of the modern moment as it unfolds season after season. Purism to me means leaving behind unnecessary historical baggage, decorations, conventions, while concentrating on truly contemporary shapes and materials. I always wanted my designs to convey a readiness and openness towards the future.

People may be surprised to learn there has always been room in your life for the baroque. How is your personal taste different from the way you express opulence in your work?
As a fashion designer I tried to do justice to individual proportions by diversifying my collections and breaking them down to multiple possible combinations. The same thing happens when I have to choose the interior design for a building. The house I live in in Hamburg was built in the historicist period at the end of the 19th century by Martin Haller. I tried to give it a modern design, but that didn’t work. So I got Renzo Mongiardino to help me. Under his tutelage I learned that all style periods have a purist version of enlightened craftsmanship and choice materials. We chose a Renaissance interior which did justice to the house and created harmony.

When I think of you I think of the perfect white shirt. What is about your shirts that make them so covetable and why are they such an object of obsession?
I have about a hundred white shirts in my wardrobe. On the one hand, the periodical revision of the outlines of the white shirt is a study in shape, workmanship and quality. On the other hand, these revisions are echoes of a changing zeitgeist. You have to refresh a classic like the white shirt all the time.

Whether it’s a white shirt or a double-faced cashmere coat, fabric development has always been an essential element of your work. Why is research and development into yarn and fabric so important?
The shape and overall look of a piece of clothing is, to a great extent, a function of the fabric. I was interested in materials which lend themselves to a sculptural use. It helps if a fabric has character, a surprising lightness or even a distinct weight. If you want to create new shapes, to start with the material is a great way to get inspired.

Everything I own from you has a special label that reads ‘Tailor Made’. Why is construction so integral to a Jil Sander garment?
If you want to avoid clothes that just cling to the body, you need sartorial construction. This includes the development of patterns, innovative inlay and fine-tuning through repeated fitting. The result will be an autonomous shape that moves in dynamic harmony with the body.

You once said you had a marriage of aesthetics with your architect Michael Gabellini. This exhibition celebrates your creative collaboration with him, as well as with photographers like Peter Lindbergh, Irving Penn, David Sims and Craig McDean, sound artist Frédéric Sanchez and designers like Fabien Baron, Ezra Petronio and Peter Schmidt, who worked with you on your logo and perfume bottles. How do you choose them and what is the collaborative process like?
I like to collaborate with people whose creative work I find interesting. The collaboration itself is a process. You need to find a common language.

The last time I saw you we spoke about your garden in the north of Germany; your exhibition covers aesthetics, material and form of fashion and product design, architecture and garden art. Tell me about working with Penelope Hobhouse on that.
I was inspired by the famous Sissinghurst rose gardens. Our garden project encompassed the design of the surrounding landscape. It is an attempt to bridge the concept of the protected Renaissance theme garden and the English idea of a democratic landscape.

INFORMATION

‘Jil Sander: Present Tense’ is on view until 6 May 2018. For more information, visit the Museum Angewandte Kunst website

ADDRESS

Museum Angewandte Kunst
Schaumainkai 17
60594 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

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Gekko Group’s founders, Micky Rosen and Alex Urseanu are no strangers to design-led hotels, with a portfolio that includes celebrated properties like Roomers, The Pure and Gerbermühle.

Their latest opening, Gekko House, in Frankfurt’s emerging Gallus district, is equally aesthetics driven, nodding to the area’s industrial character but introducing whimsical flourishes that speak to its increasing prominence as a creative hub.

Morgen Interiors headed up design and the 128 guestrooms marry imposing exposed concrete walls with velvet seating, hand-blown glass light fixtures and pale wood flooring – a compelling tale of tactility and texture.

The pocket-sized lobby, meanwhile, aims to envelop, with cherry wood paneling and tapestries astride deep olive walls. The signature bar and restaurant, Chicago Williams, is at the heart of the project’s public offer – an offshoot of a Berlin-born concept specializing in cured meats and German beers. Here the tenor is more vivacious, with crimson accents, robust oak tables and flashes of copper. 

ADDRESS

Mainzer Landstraße 167
Frankfurt

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Opening a modern boutique hotel in a fin de siècle building already provides its own challenges, but opening one in four adjoining piles built between 1905 and 1906 must have given even the prolific Althoff Hotels group pause. The result though deserves a round of applause.

With great aplomb, the handsome quartet – originally designed by Albert Klöckner, Robert Wollmann and August Albert – in Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel has been stitched into a quietly luxurious 133-room property. The interiors have been unified by Luigi Fragola, the Italian designer laying down Calacatta Oro marble in a herringbone pattern and gently emphasising the buildings’ heritage with graphic monochrome patterns, brass accents and furnishings by Rubelli and Bettenhaus Mühldorfer.

The hotel, though already open, is still very much a work in progress. One room, designed by Danish artist Benedikte Bjerre, is still to open next year, alongside a spa and French bento bar.

On the ground floor, Le Petit Royal Frankfurt is conceived by the Berlin-based Grill Royal Group to harness local produce and eggs from the farm of head chef Udo Grigas into French classics such as beef tartare and grilled Chateaubriand – though our attention remains riveted by the idea of a kilogram of roasted Argentinian wild-caught prawns.

ADDRESS

Neckarstraße 7-13

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There may have been grumbles from within the Frankfurt motor show about fewer exhibitors than in previous years and protests outside about the automotive sector’s contribution to climate change, but say what you will about the biennial German event, it still has the power to attract major attention and warrants scrutiny.

All the big German brands rolled out significant models, most notably VW’s ID.3 – its first made-to-measure full-electric car and the first of at least six from the same modular platform – that suggests it really does want to put its Dieselgate scandal-blighted past behind it. To signal the symbolic shift VW even unveiled a new, more humble 2D version of its formerly shiny 3D one. Electric power was king everywhere at the show. Even Land Rover’s long-awaited new Defender 4x4 – previously a very chuggy and usually no-nonsense diesel vehicle – now boasts a mild hybrid version plus a plug-in hybrid to follow, alongside its traditional petrol and diesel offerings.

Beyond the established Western marques, Chinese newcomer brands were more numerous than at previous European shows – with both Wey and Byton the most convincing. In particular, the 48-inch wide infotainment screen on Byton’s production-ready M-Byte impressed with its ambition and software, and is unmatched by any other maker in the world right now (the interior screen of Honda’s endearing ‘e’ city car also unveiled in Frankfurt, is the nearest). Both should deliver their cars to customers by mid-2020.

The appetite for such high-tech EVs is out there, demand outstrips supply in many cases, so now the carmakers need to deliver on their promise in sufficient numbers, and be matched by public charging infrastructure. Out of five main halls populated by vehicle manufacturers, here are Wallpaper’s 2019 Frankfurt top six unveils…

Volkswagen ID.3

The positive news from VW’s stand was the reveal of the production-ready ID.3 with most of the charm of its conceptual forebear intact. The product design-inspired and Golf-sized five-seat hatch is the start of an all-electric family which will be produced in the millions and spawn a large saloon, several SUVs, a 21st camper van and possibly a beach buggy and a racing car too. Jump inside the ID.3 and apart from the high-tech screens the design is noticeably simple and pared back. ‘It’s about the democratisation of electric mobility to get the price point down,’ head of design Klaus Bischoff explains, ‘and also at the end of its lifespan it’s then easier to dismantle and recycle.’ UK prices should start from circa £27,000 and begin in mid-2020, with home-charging wallboxes from £300. VW says the ID.3 is as important to its history as the Beetle and the Golf and it might just be proved right – which after years of being in the wrong over emissions cheating – is a good thing.

Land Rover Defender

We’ve had to wait a long time for this most famous vehicle silhouette to be refreshed. Two concepts for a new Defender were shown in 2011 and the basic shape dates back to the very start of the brand in 1948. But looking at all those influences, the production-ready new Defender stays pretty true to what endeared it to so many. Some critics feel the new design doesn’t look rugged enough, but its boxy and functional proportions remain, practical steel wheels are an option and the new model will surely still have the necessary skills to ‘go-anywhere’, albeit costing a little more money than before. The commercial van-back version will starts from £35,000 rising to £40,000 for the six-seat 90 edition and £45,240 for the 110 version with five-, six- or 5+2-seat configuration possibilities.

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS

The Vision EQS concept limousine was the headline news on the Mercedes stand and is significant as the first design on a new electric platform which will lead to many other luxury EV production models. It’s also crucial to the ambition of Mercedes’ parent company Daimler and also announced in Frankfurt, to become CO2-neutral by 2039. The Vision EQS continues Mercedes’ quiet sophistication in design approach too. ‘Everybody is still putting slashes and creases on the sides of their cars while we do simple and clean designs,’ Gorden Wagener, chief design officer told us. ‘We vary that for all our luxury cars but the EQ models should be the most progressive.’

The large battery pack required for a longer-distance EV is accommodated and visually hidden between a considerably lengthened wheelbase and by using larger wheels, while in side view the car is unified by a silhouette that has become almost a single arc, (or what Mercedes calls a ‘one-bow’ design, as in a rainbow shape). Either way, Wagener promises 80 per cent of the Vision EQS’s design will make it through to the production EQS due circa 2022 and will sell alongside the brand’s next S-Class limousine, not replace it.

Porsche Taycan

Porsche is one step ahead of Mercedes on its luxury electric saloon journey, unveiling its four-seater Taycan production EV ready to buy now and true to the Mission E concept of 2015 that prefaced it. The interior features a modern design with frameless driver display – the bulky cowl on previous models has been dispensed with as Porsche found a way to manage without by adding a sunglasses-like polarisation effect on top of the screen glass to avoid unwanted reflections. And by moving some of the battery packs to the outer edges, rear passengers’ feet effectively sit within a hollowed-out section, thus allowing them to sit lower and the roofline to remain swoopy. The Taycan is not for the masses – what Porsche is? – but a technical tour de force nonetheless and a big psychological leap for the previously combustion-engined stalwarts.

Hyundai 45 Concept

Another brand looking to the past to find inspiration for the future at Frankfurt was Korean brand Hyundai. Its 45 concept paid homage to the number of years since its significant Pony Coupe concept of 1974 designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the independent design legend also behind the first VW Golf, Fiat Panda and DeLorean DMC-12. Behind the nostalgia of its retro lighting effects and angular proportions, the 2019 concept is superbly modern in execution and has a wonderful lounge-like interior enhanced by a louvred sunroof which throws light into the space like natural sunlight can sometimes do through a blind in a domestic living room. No pre-production teaser this, but the 45 indicates Hyundai’s clean design approach underpinned by electric powertrains, is heading in a very tasteful direction.

BMW Vision M Next

Technically, BMW’s Vision M Next supercar was revealed to the world some weeks before Frankfurt but its public debut at the show was the best thing on the BMW stand by far, in the opinion of all the critics and experts we bumped into during motor show week. Hunkered down, angular and well-proportioned, with a convincing new interpretation of the brand’s famous kidney grille, plus a dynamically diagonal two-tone paint job.

INFORMATION

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Coco Chanel, who spent most of her adult life in a hotel, would surely have approved of the small but growing number of proeprties that offer both overnight and long-term stays.

Exhibit A is the Lindberg group which has just opened its third property in Frankfurt, this time in a handsome, transparent seven-level block designed by Franken Architekten whose high-ceilinged interlocking volumes hold a mix of 100 rooms, communal kitchen, restaurant, bar and co-working space.

The interiors, by local studio Aberja, fairly pop with pastel hues and a lively Art Deco vibe set off by Thonet chairs, Frank Landau vintage lamps, Muller van Severen shelves and filigreed steel room dividers.

An indoor herbarium, awash with sunlight, sets the stage for the vegetarian restaurant where Ricky Saward and Philip Egge cook up imaginative plates of celery carbonara spiked with smoked beets and hazelnuts, and cabbage braised with creamed sauerkraut and grapes.

ADDRESS

Lindleystrasse 17

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The Middle East has long been fertile ground for extraordinary flavours and, in recent years, attention has focused on the wave of creative gastronomy surging through Israel. Tel Aviv, in particular – is experiencing a groundswell that, thanks to the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi and Claudia Roden and restaurants like London’s Palomar, has extended far beyond the country.

The latest new Tel Aviv-inspired outpost to tickle our tastebuds is Bar Shuka in Frankfurt’s Bahnhofsviertel district. Designed by Morgen Interiors and Michael Dreher, the restaurant in the ground floor of the newly minted 25hours The Trip hotel, is a lively mashup of industrial-lite textures and materials such as exposed raw brick walls and concrete columns paired with Spanish ornamental tiles, a 400-year-old oak chef’s table, lampshades made of Tunisian straw baskets, and honey-combed tiles glazed in marine hues.

In the kitchen, chefs Yossi Elad and Stephan Kaiser serves up a menu of sharing plates that’s based on local meats and vegetables, warmed with house-made harissa, za’atar and sumac sourced from Israel – think, stewed lamb, raw tahini, grilled octopus, beluga lentils and smoky kebabs – all washed down with a drinks list sourced from Lebanon, Israel and Syria. For a post-prandial saké cocktail, the speakeasy Shuka Bar is hidden behind a wall in the restaurant’s courtyard.

ADDRESS

Niddastrasse 56

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The Frankfurt Motor Show is traditionally a time for the big three German car marques to flex their muscles – their respective oversized pavilions bursting with shinny products. It can be a bit of a spectacle, overshadowing others, certainly smaller makers who tend to stay away. This year was no exception with the BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen groups seizing the limelight.

The overarching theme was, of course, electrification. As the era of the gasoline car drifts into a close, any carmaker wishing to survive the next chapter has committed to electrified products in the next decade – and so the Frankfurt Messe was packed with clean, autonomous driving concepts, and a few realities too.

BMW showed the second-iteration to the i3 electric production city car, as well as a couple of study vehicles - the i Vision Dynamics as a prelude to a mid-size vehicle in the electric sub-brand and the Electric Mini. Audi’s Aicon is an autonomous electric concept with no pedals or a steering wheel. While, Mercedes presented the all-electric compact Concept EQA and the Smart Vision EQ Fortwo driverless shared urban car. Then, just to prove electrification doesn’t always mean boring, through its high-performance AMG arm, the marque debuted Project One, a hybrid hypercar, boasting F1 technology and £2 price tag.

Mercedes-AMG Project One concept

Project One by Mercedes-AMG brings Formula One technology from race track to the road. Engineered at the Mercedes performance arm with close collaboration with F1 experts, this dramatic high-performance hybrid hypercar boasts 1,000 horsepower, and a top speed of 217mph. Project One celebrates AMG’s 50th anniversary. It will be made in very limited numbers with prices said to be around £2.3m. Together with the four-door AMG GT Concept, it provides another insight into the future performance-hybrid drive strategy of the sports car brand within Mercedes-Benz.
 
 
BMW i Vision Dynamics

The BMW i Vision Dynamics is much more than a futuristic conceptual study. This four-door gran coupé is the prelude to an electric production car, a mid-size model to sit somewhere between the electric i3 city car and the i8 supercar. When produced – dates haven’t been confirmed – it will be the third product within BMW i electric sub-brand set up six years ago.

By 2025, BMW has promised to release 25 models with an electrified drive system, of which 12 will be pure-electric, and i Vision is an indication as to how far the marque is willing to explore its design language in the age of electrification. Much like the two i cars that came before it, this latest study involves enough experimentation to stand apart from the mainstream cars, while retaining a family link through translating some of BMW’s classic elements – the long wheelbase and flowing roof, and the ‘kidney’ grille, closed here and flanked by slim LED lights.
 
 
Audi Aicon

The Audi Aicon is a fully autonomous electric concept car without driving pedals or a steering wheel. Seats slide back and forth so the car can be configured from two to four seats. Aicon offers a luxurious cabin environment, where occupants are encouraged to get on with their daily chores, make calls, watch movies, browse the internet, using the touch-screen control panels. Audi says the design team were inspired by luxurious private and first-class airline cabins. Aicon is purely conceptual at this stage, yet Audi is promising 348 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque, and a 500-mile electric range on a single charge.
 
 
Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA

Mercedes-Benz has promised to bring ten new electric vehicles to market by 2022 under the EQ banner. The EQA concept is the latest in the series, and the first all-electric car in the company’s entry-level compact A class. Company CEO Dr Dieter Zetsche says Concept EQA proves that the marque ‘is serious about introducing electric mobility throughout the portfolio’.

EQA is a three-door model designed around the marque’s ‘sensual purity’ theme and what design chief Gorden Wagener calls ‘progressive luxury’. The front and rear lights are laser fibres – the spiral-shaped light design evoking the copper windings of an electric motor and the animation visualising electrical impulses, says the company. There is no grille here, instead the black front panel has an LED matrix that alters according to the selected drive programme.
 
 
Volkswagen ID Crozz concept

Volkswagen’s ID Crozz concept previews a high-riding electric crossover vehicle expected to go into production in three years. The third member in a new family of zero-emission cars, it forms part of the company’s ambitious eco plans aiming for up to a million electric car sales by the middle of the next decade. ID Crozz II continues the theme explored with concept vehicle exhibited at the Shanghai Show in April, refining elements such as introducing a new light graphics. The shape is a bit of hybrid, combining sportcar aesthetics with off-road capabilities, and it shares a modular platform and electric drive with its siblings, ID Hatchback and ID Buzz.
 
 
Smart Vision EQ Fortwo

Vision EQ Fortwo by Mercedes-Smart is a small toy-like fully-autonomous urban concept. It explores future urban mobility, ideas surrounding shared transport and personalisation by being both a public and personal pod. The two-seater Vision EQ has no steering wheel or driving pedals for a relatively roomy cabin. The ‘black panel grille’ will allow the user to recognise the car by displaying their name. It is controlled via complex algorithms but, much like Uber, responds to smartphones and has voice control. It also doubles up to do parcel deliveries at night.
 
 
Honda Urban EV Concept

The Honda Urban EV is just that – a concept study of an all-electric city car to be produced for Europe in 2019. The Japanese firm is aiming to have electrified technology in two thirds of its new cars by 2030. Here the design is simple, the proportions low and wide. Urban EV can accommodate four to five passengers across two bench seats. This and the proportions appear to be a nod to kei cars, the little boxy run-arounds plentiful on Japan’s busy city streets yet sadly never popularised in Europe. Urban EV is built on a completely new platform, and showcases advanced technology. A screen displays interactive messages for driver and passengers to communicate while on the road. The Honda badge is backlit in blue, which previews a new feature for the company’s future EVs.
 
 
Mini Electric Concept

The Mini Electric Concept is simply just that, an electric model to join the family in 2019. Mini began experimenting with electric drives as far back as 2000, conducting trials, yet this latest concept is very much production ready. Mini Electric will share driving components of the revised BMW i3. The proportions are very Mini too, with design features to clearly set it apart – a closed grille, new light treatments with a union jack appearing in the rear, and plenty of aero elements to visually express the car’s clean drive.
 
 
BMW X7 iPerformance

This Concept X7 iPerformance previews a new model to join BMW’s expanding crossover, or as the company likes to call this segment ‘sports activity vehicle’, family. BMW says X7 gives a clear idea as of what to expect when a production model arrives next year. It will join the 7 Series family – visually indicated by the metal strip between the lights at the rear - forming part of BMW’s plans to substantially increase sales in this luxury space.

The X7 has three rows of two seats, but the production car will use a more conventional two-row layout. The minimal body lines and more subtle sculpting continues the design revisions as seen on the recent Concept 8 Series and Z4. The upright grille and slim headlights feel like a nod to BMW’s former premium cars, namely the 3000 Coupés.

BMW X7 is offered with both petrol and plug-in-hybrid. Ian Robertson, member of the management board responsible for sales and branding says X7 ‘demonstrates it’s perfectly possible to combine a large sports activity vehicle with an electrified drivetrain.’
 
 
Renault Symbioz

The Renault Symbioz is envisaged as a connected, autonomous, pure electric concept vehicle that is an extension of the home interior by integrating itself into your house when not in use. The French marque is viewing future electric cars as mobile energy-storage packs to power car and home – for instance in peak energy times. Symbioz has a retracting dashboard and the seats can swing around to face one another; it can drive itself in and out of the home, park itself in your room to double up as a sanctuary pod.

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the International Motor Show website

Riverpark Tower, the latest residential project to be launched by Büro Ole Scheeren, represents some major landmarks for the studio. Scheduled to begin construction in 2018 in Frankfurt, it is the studio’s first major building project in Europe, as well as the firm’s first major reuse project. The reimagining of a 100m-tall seventies office block is set to breathe new life into the high-rise format in Europe. 

‘It’s an interesting move for our first European project, coming from the Asian context. We have been working there for over a decade – everything is ground up and tabula rasa,’ says Ole Scheeren. The architect is known for projects such as The Interlace in Singapore and the CCTV building in Beijing, first revealing his intentions to reorientate himself to the West in 2012 (W*163).

The European framework certainly changed things. ‘Tower blocks have a more controversial history in Europe than in Asia. There have been many difficult iterations of the tower post-war in the 1960s and 70s and these buildings were opposite to what we have designed. They were closed, they didn’t explore ideas of community or togetherness and they burdened the European sentiment of living in a tower,’ explains Scheeren.

‘From working in a more positive context in Asia – one of the more obvious benefits of living in a tower is the incredible view. Here we are celebrating the quality of the tower and what it is,’ says Scheeren, who saw the existing concrete building as heavy, enclosed and outdated. ‘It’s a good example of an office building that was a statement at its time, but is no longer appropriate for today’s needs. We wanted to architecturally reinterpret it as an open and active member of the skyline.’

And that he has done. The design has completely transformed the monolithic concrete block into a light, open structure with 220 units and 23 floors. The building had to step up to its new residential role: ‘It is important that it is clearly a residential building, that talks about people living in it. It is see-through in its three-dimensionality and its inhabitation, sending a positive message to the city. It’s no longer an enclosed abstract totem that swallows people up into its silhouette.’

Located along the river, a central public space for the city, the tower also plays the role as a public figure: ‘The tower is very visible, it welcomes you to the Frankfurt skyline as you arrive from the airport as one of the first landmarks,’ says Scheeren. While the existing skeleton of the old building could have been a thorn in the side of Scheeren’s creative bureau, the team saw it as a positive parameter. ‘Our aim was precisely not to look at the existing structure as a limitation, but an opportunity to do things that you wouldn’t do from the ground up, because you couldn’t afford them, or they were deemed not necessary,’ he says.

Dissecting the building, Scheeren stripped back the bulky façade which held a ‘curious system of external galleries that are partly escape corridors, the depth of which would never work for a residential building’ – and opened up four thick corner mega-columns which were blockers to light and views. The uppermost and lowermost technical floors were taken out and floor heights were adjusted to suit residential living and a new ‘crown’ added, where Scheeren adds his stamp.

The new system allowed depth to be reused in different ways, firstly with the insertion of ‘panorama plates’, free-spanning floors that open up ‘horizontal mega-windows’ with no obstructing columns or walls – ‘a system you would never be able to afford in a residential building,’ says Scheeren, and in place of the heavy facade, balconies and windows now emphasis the horizontality of the tower. Thus the interior structure and outward personality of the building are completely transformed, all while retaining the central structure and footprint of the original building. ‘We turned a heavy concrete block into a floating light structure,’ Scheeren sums it up.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Büro Ole Scheeren website

The Ambiente design fair took place last week, dishing up its annual offerings of new product launches, installations, and talks. Each year, the Frankfurt fair shines the spotlight on a guest country and this time it was UK's turn, with highlights including the Jade Serenity café by London-based Welsh designer Bethan Gray

At Frankfurt’s Bonechina – the latest venture from the Lindenberg group who are also behind the Libertine Lindenberg hotel – the humour begins even before you step in. For starters, the charming three-storey shingled block that dates back to the mid-18th-century on a cobbled street features an old-fashioned signboard. Hanging off the side of the building, its rebus declares the pre-emptive alibi of the evasive criminal: ‘I was at home last night’.

Step inside, and the interiors are so entirely unexpected, it’s almost as if you’d accidentally wandered onto the set of a grown-up version of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. For this, hats off to Studio Aberja for conceiving a bar in which there is a literal elephant in the room. About the size of a St. Bernard, the all-blue porcelain pachyderm – its trunk spurting tonic water – was created by sculptor Marc Rammelmüller and stands astride a broad-based plinth that doubles as the bar. Meanwhile, unevenly jointed, diamond-cut ceramic tiles in shades of blue and anthracite ripple in a glossy wave around the walls of the bijou room. These are inset with shallow timber-lined vitrines that hold objets and pot plants.

Bonechina’s other conceit is the absence of a bartender. Instead, guests, once roused from the backless wooden benches and deep backed stools, gather around the elephant to mix their own drinks. The ice-cubes are infused with Vetiver and sandalwood, whilst whiffs of yuzu and bergamot float from hidden aerosol diffusers, proving once again that not all bars are created equal.

ADDRESS

Grosse Rittergasse 64
60594 Frankfurt

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A new exhibition at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt explores the extraordinary, handcrafted work of architecture and design practice Studio Mumbai. The India-based firm was set up in 2005 by Bijoy Jain and has since captured the hearts and minds of many with their tactile, immaculately executed works. 

Beginning life as a cooperative Studio Mumbai is no ordinary architecture practice. It is not set in a shiny modern building and is not staffed by just architects, designers or engineers. Made up by a mix of architects, artisans and craftspeople, the office is situated in the still-partly-rural area of Alibag, south west of the Indian metropolis, instead of, perhaps more conventionally, setting up shop in the mega-city's heart.

Mumbai-born Jain went to study in the United States at the Washington University in St Louis. He consequently went on to work for Richard Meier in Los Angeles and London, before returning to his native India in 1995 to set up his own office. 

His vision involved architects and craftspeople, working together in a shared space – and that is exactly what he achieved. The Studio Mumbai complex focuses around a large shaded courtyard, where design and craft come together from the very conception of each project, to its execution and the finest detail. 

With Jain at the helm of the practice, the concept development team consists of American architect Samuel Barclay, carpenter Jivaram Sutar, stonemason Pandurang Malekar and stonemason and carpenter Bhaskar Raut. Together, they create unique, one-off pieces of architecture that combine modern design, with natural, quality materials and India's traditional artisanship, feeling at one with their surroundings.

INFORMATION

’Between the sun and the moon - Studio Mumbai - The rediscovery of Indian handcraft’ will be on show at the Deutsches Architekturmuseum until 21 August . For more information visit the Studio Mumbai website

ADDRESS

Deutsches Architekturmuseum 
Schaumainkai 43
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

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Tsatsas was founded by Esther Schulze-Tsatsas and Dimitrios Tsatsas in Frankfurt in 2012, though its story began nearly 30 years ago in the leather workshop of Dimitrios’ father in nearby Offenbach. ‘I always liked to be in my father’s workshop’, recalls Dimitrios. ‘He would draw a butterfly on a piece of wood, but instead of pencils he would give us pieces of leather to fill the spaces. His approach to teaching was always playful.’ 

Dimitrios had no doubt that he would follow in his father’s footsteps, but Tsatsas senior asked his son to go and see the world before committing to leatherwork. Dimitrios graduated in industrial design, then joined a creative agency, where he met the architect Esther Schulze, now his wife and business partner. After a decade working in architecture and design, the pair decided they wanted to do something more hands-on. But it wasn’t until Dimitrios realised that there was no bag on the market that he wanted to buy that he decided to make his own, and turned to his father for help. It took three years before he arrived at the perfect match of function, aesthetics and execution.

The meticulously crafted ‘Lucid’ bag set the quality benchmark for the Tsatsas collection to come. ‘At the time we didn’t have money for enough material, so we started to take out parts from “Lucid” [prototypes] to build new designs. One bag was left with just one handle and we hung it on the wall for months; the leather on the front started to drape and our second design, “Fluke”, was born,’ Esther recalls. The shrunken nappa version became an instant bestseller. 

The Tsatsas showroom in Frankfurt, opened last November, is dotted with designs by the likes of Konstantin Grcic and Michael Anastassiades. A floor-to-ceiling shelf showcases the collection of bags and accessories (though not the one-off ‘Kage’ luggage system, designed for Wallpaper* Handmade in 2013), while at one end of the room is the model workshop, where the designs and prototypes are developed. 

But all Tsatsas’ bags are still made at Tsatsas senior’s workshop, using aniline-dyed calf or lambskin that comes from animals farmed for meat production in Europe, India or New Zealand. The leather is dyed to preserve hides’ natural marks: ‘The imperfection makes it a very honest material,’ says Esther. Dimitrios has persuaded his father to try new methods, such as using high-tech tape usually found in firemen’s clothing to connect a bag’s handle. This innovative solution took the father-and-son-team months to perfect. Twice a year the couple present their designs at Paris Fashion Week, yet the bags and accessories are not seasonal. ‘For me, the important thing is the end result. A bag may look super-minimal, but it has to be made in such a way that all the details are hidden, which actually maximises complications in the manufacturing process,’ explains Dimitrios.

As originally featured in the March 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*204)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit Tsatsas' website

Photography: Raimon Haindl

ADDRESS

Tsatsas
Frankenallee 104
Frankfurt, Germany

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The biennial Frankfurt show is traditionally a time for German carmakers to flex their muscles. So it was an unfortunate turn of events when BMW’s new chief executive Harald Krüger collapsed from what is said to be exhaustion as he delivered his keynote speech, bringing the press conference to an abrupt halt. Even more troubling are the VW Group’s issues with alleged emission dodging, an unfolding scandal that threatens the lustre of the country’s entire industry.



Presciently, perhaps, the mood was set for a rather sombre auto show, lacking the spark of recent years and a reflection on lacklustre car sales, especially in the promising future and frontier markets. Carlos Ghosn summed it up. ‘We have to accept that growth cannot be linear,’ said the Renault Nissan boss, noting the significant drop in sales in Russia and Brazil, and ‘disappointing’ developments in China.



The Jaguar F-Pace is a direct response to the economy of car making in this volatile global marketplace. This is the first sports utility vehicle from the marque, a timely product designed to interact with fresh customers. It joins an ever-growing family that includes the latest F-Type sports car and the small saloon XE – and it makes complete business sense given the popularity of such small on-road crossovers in Europe and beyond.



On the eve of the motor show, the F-Pace proved its credentials as the ‘sportiest SUV’ by defying gravity on the largest-ever loop the loop completed by a road car. It was undeniably exhilarating watching stunt driver Terry Grant race the car inside the 19.08m tall, 360-degree circle.



Another marque exploring novel territory is Bentley. The Bentayga is the company’s first SUV and has been in the making for some four years. The production car revealed here is a far cry from the earlier brash concept EXP 9 F presented at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Instead this is a studied approach to a luxe off-roader with a distinct Bentley flavour.



We caught up with Sang Yup Lee, head of exterior and advanced design. ‘I feel this is the biggest launch in the Bentley history,’ he said, noting the marque’s recent four doors have largely been interpretations of traditional luxury. ‘This is a representation of modern luxury. We have a great tradition but we must move forward,’ he added candidly.



Rival luxury automobile maker Rolls-Royce revealed the Dawn at Frankfurt. With its restrained sensibility, this sumptuous drop-top smaller Rolls is squarely aimed at younger drivers and markets beyond Europe.



Elsewhere, Mercedes Benz took the wraps off the S-Class Cabriolet, its first full-size convertible car in four decades. The company would like to enjoy a slice of the booming ultra-luxury sector by expanding its pinnacle S range. Earlier this year we saw the 18-foot S-600 Maybach limousine, and Frankfurt was also the stage for the unveiling of the powerful S-63 Cabriolet, a plausible rival to Bentley’s Continental GT Speed Convertible.



On a more conceptual level, Mercedes revealed Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile, IAA for short. This is a real concept car in the old fashioned sense. Some colleagues joked that it is harking back to the 1950s, yet it was refreshing to be shown an idea that isn’t a production car in soft disguise. Instead this is the latest in a series of studies into future design, active aerodynamics, and alternative powertrains.



Finally, Porsche’s Mission E proved to be one of the only real revelations at Frankfurt. Pre-show digital teasers have taken the surprise element out of these events – a bit of a shame and perhaps an indication that the current motor show format is in need of a review.



Porsche, nonetheless, managed to keep its lips sealed until the press day. This sleek four-door 600bhp-plus electric concept car previews an upcoming ecologically responsible supercar that promises everyday practicality with unrivalled range.



‘We always said that when we do an electric car, it would be a true sports car,’ said head of research and development Wolfgang Hatz. Speed, it seems, is here to stay and it is up to sports car makers like Porsche to preserve the thrill of motoring in the age of electrification.

Jaguar F-Pace

The F-Pace is Jaguar’s first SUV in its 70-year history. Based closely on the 2013 C-X17 concept study, the lightweight aluminium architecture allowed the team the design freedom to create a car with ‘latent poise, a svelte car with attitude’, notes design director Ian Callum.



With the F-Type as benchmark in terms of design, Callum also sought to extract some of what he called ‘the spirit’ of the sports car. Many of the design details are also carried through, including the distinct light designs at the front and rear, which together with Jaguar’s mesh grille, help seal a strong family identity.



Callum admits designing an SUV was not an easy task for a marque with such a sporting heritage and a low, long and sleek vernacular, admitting, ‘the customer wanted one. It is a practical car but with the spirit of Jaguar.’



The F-Pace cabin has room for five adults and there is a versatile 650/1740-litre cargo space. The doors come alive with Jaguar’s signature blue ambient lighting, and the optional panoramic roof expands almost the entire length of the car suggesting a more spacious cabin.



This is a highly intelligent car too, featuring the marque’s latest 8-inch touchscreen and infotainment system, with an optional 10.2-inch InControl Pro system, which can connect up to eight devices to a wi-fi hotspot in the car.



The F-Pace is also a highly powerful machine. On the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show, it broke the Guinness world record by completing the largest ever loop the loop, a 19.08m tall, 360-degree circle



On sale: spring 2016

Price from: £34,170

Bentley Bentayga

Marking the company’s first venture into this sector, the Bentayga promises to be the most powerful, sumptuous and exclusive sports utility car ever built. ‘The typology of the vehicle is therefore very contemporary,’ explains Sang Yup Lee, head of exterior and advanced design, ‘yet we had to ensure it is unmistakably a Bentley meaning very chunky front and thick body sides, and very powerful wheels. It has a unique fast rear glass that creates an unusual proportion for an SUV,’ he adds.



The cabin demonstrates the skills of Bentley artisans at the Crewe factory. There is an abundance of handcrafted wood, hand stitched quilted leather, precisely engineered chrome elements – seamlessly executed within a highly digital and connected environment.



Interesting design details include washers hidden on either side of the headlamps that spring out and spray high-pressure water to clean the lights. Customers can specify a bespoke Breitling mechanical Mulliner Tourbillon clock that automatically winds by way of a dedicated high-precision mechanism within the car. Made especially for the Bentayga, it comes in rose or white gold, with a choice of a mother-of-pearl or black ebony face decorated with eight diamond indexes.



Bentley customers are unlikely to go off-roading, yet there is something sexy about an automobile with this degree of refinement with real 4x4 capabilities. This 2,300kg car is highly powerful too, promising 0–60mph in a speedy four seconds



On sale: first quarter of 2016

Price from: £160,200

Rolls-Royce Dawn

The Rolls-Royce Dawn pays tribute to the 1950 drop-head Silver Dawn. Unlike the Silver Dawn that was factory built, the drop-head models were the last cars to be custom built and sculpted at coachbuilders, with only 28 made until 1954.



Like the car it honours, this is a voluptuous sculpture, yet the surfaces are quiet with a relaxed informality. Some 80 per cent of the exterior body panels are new, to accommodate an evolution of the design language and to encapsulate four-seat super-luxury architecture. The wide canvas roof seamlessly melts into the metal body, and we like the weighty ‘click’ as it drops open touching the mirror-matched open pore wood rear deck cover.



For director of design Giles Taylor, the design had to be primarily about the purity of line, the simplicity of form; ‘Three or four lines that evoke the glamour and the style of some of the most beautiful drop-heads ever created by Rolls-Royce,’ he says, adding that above all it had to have a ‘crisp, modern edge that would fit our contemporary customer’



On sale: early 2016

Price from: £250,000

Porsche Mission E

The Porsche Mission E is a sleek four-door 600bhp-plus electric concept sports car. It previews an upcoming sustainable supercar and hints at a 0–62mph that will challenge the latest 911 Turbo, as well as a range of over 331 miles.



Two electric motors, mounted up front and at the rear, provide power to the four wheel drive Mission E. Studies from the marque’s latest sustainable cars – Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid and of the 918 Spyder hypercar – have helped the development of the lightweight construction, electric drive and battery technology on-board Mission E

Audi e-tron Quattro

The e-tron Quattro is Audi’s latest study into the future of electrification and previews the upcoming Q6 e-tron Quattro. The bold and, in places, futuristic design – with its sharp Matrix headlights upfront and long LED taillights at the rear, aerodynamic features, lightweight construction and battery technology – is suggestive of the marque’s future family of electric vehicles. The e-tron Quattro challenges the fastest of Audi’s conventional driven SUVs, and promises zero-emission range of some 311 miles 

Q6 e-tron Quattro on sale: 2018

Mercedes-Benz S Class Cabriolet

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is the marque’s first full-size convertible car in some four decades. It utilises a three-layer canvas soft top that can be raised or lowered in less than 20 seconds and up to speeds of 37mph. 

Much like its roofed sibling, the open-top S is luxuriously equipped, has a fully digital instrument cluster, and touch-sensitive dials that control the separate infotainment screen. The latest offering is part of the company’s plans to expand on its pinnacle S-Class range, joining the 18-foot-long S-600 Maybach limousine shown earlier this year 

On sale: early 2016 

Price from: c. £68,000

Mercedes-Benz IAA

Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile (IAA) forms part of a series of concept cars by Mercedes-Benz that study future design, alternative hybrid powertrains and active aerodynamics. 

This four-door saloon previews the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid powertrain technology, and touch-based controls Mercedes plans to feature in its future cars. It is above all though a study into active aerodynamics. 

Reminding us a little of BMW’s 2008 GINA study, the IAA sculpture expands and changes shape from ‘design’ to ‘aero’ mode at speeds of above 50mph. The tail, for instance, stretches to increase length by some 390mm, and flaps in the front bumper and in the grille monitor airflow around the wheels and car. In its most efficient ‘long tail’ form, drag coefficient is at a super low scale of 0.19cd

Citroën Cactus M



Cactus M by Citroën examines the possibilities of a convertible model joining the Cactus family. This drop-top crossover concept car draws inspiration from some of the design ideas introduced in the Mehari, the no-frills country and beach vehicle based on the 2CV and built between 1968 and 1986.



The theme here is surfing, so the cabin is waterproof – the seats are made of wet suit material, and the rubber floor mats can be removed to let water escape through plugholes. This fun concept car is replete with two surf boards tied to the wooden veneered windscreen and rear hoop

Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo

Vision Gran Turismo previews Bugatti’s future form language, elements of which we should see in the Veyron successor due in 2017. Design director Achim Anscheidt notes candidly that the marque’s design has ‘reached a new stage in its evolution’. 

Inspiration came from the company’s 1920s and 30s racing heritage, most notably the Type 57 Tank that won at Le Mans in 1937 and 1939. This being a concept car, it is naturally an exaggerated representation, with emphasis as much on extreme performance as styling. ‘Even so, the progressive design language will demonstrate the path to be taken by Bugatti design over the next few years,’ says the designer

Ferrari 488 Spider 

The Ferrari Spider is the second car to join the 488 family and with its turbocharged V8 engine promising 660bhp at 8000rpm, and top speeds of 203mph, is the most powerful mid-engine open-top the marque has ever built. 

The body is the work of coachbuilder Scaglietti, and like its predecessor, it features a metal folding roof that takes 14 seconds to raise or lower where it lies flat on top of the engine. Finally, the car comes equipped with Apple CarPlay 

On sale: spring 2016 

Price from: £200,000

Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 Spyder 

Huracán LP610-4 Spyder is an open-top two-seater by Lamborghini that claims to be some 40 per cent stiffer with 50 per cent more downforce than its predecessor, the Gallardo Spyder. Much like its coupe sibling, the convertible is powered by a 5.2-litre V10 offering 602bhp and 413lb ft of torque and despite a bit of added weight, it sprints from 0–62mph in just 3.4 seconds 

On sale: spring 2016 

Price from: £205,0000

Mini Clubman



The Mini Clubman has grown in size; it is hugely roomier, and more versatile than the outgoing model. It remains close to the concept we saw at the Geneva show two years ago evolving the barn-style doors of the original Clubman and introducing new horizontal rear lights to provide visual width. The eccentric design of the original car, however, with its unique single rear-hinged nearside door, has been somewhat diluted for an altogether more sober Clubman



On sale: October 2015

Price from: £19,995

Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE Dynamic Lux 

Discovery Sport HSE Dynamic Lux is Land Rover’s most expensive model in the range. It features new black doors and body cladding, 20-inch black alloy wheels, and the cabin comes with a selection of unique colour and trim options. The car features a new Intelligent Dynamic package that combines the company’s All Terrain Progress Control and adaptive damper systems. Finally, Active Driveline changes the drive depending on conditions, from two to four wheels 

On sale: October 2016 

Prices from: £46,000

DJ Oskar Melzer and nightlife impresarios David and James Ardinast have cemented their credentials as restaurateurs with Stanley Diamond, a fine-dining restaurant in Frankfurt’s libertarian central station district. Intriguingly named after a New York Mafioso associate, the venue was designed by local architects Hollin and Radoske and designer Paul Bauer, who used exotic materials such as green Indian marble and rose-pink concrete to achieve textural contrast and warmth. German furniture design studio e15 contributed luxuriously proportioned chairs to the space, while a natural stone installation by Swiss artist Nouria Behloul masquerades as a reception counter. The food has a touch of the sentimental about it, with regional specialties like plaice Finkenwerder (plaice fried with bacon) served alongside comforting classics such as Osso Bucco and the owners’ acclaimed pastrami from their first restaurant, Maxie Eisen.

ADDRESS

Ottostrasse 16-18
Frankfurt am Main

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New light is being shed on so called red-light districts all over Europe, with edgy boutiques, bars and restaurants squeezing into tiny spaces next to the seedier, longstanding tenants. The neighbourhood of Bahnhofviertel in Frankfurt is one such example, where new venue Maxie Eisen sets out to merge the area's sordid past with the relaxed atmosphere of a French 'buvette' bar and the high quality food of a Jewish deli and diner. The restaurant and bar, which was named after a 1920s Chicago gangster with German roots and prominent figure in the Hebrew food organisation, seats a total of 55 guests and is designed by architect Etienne Descloux. Here, the classic pastrami sandwich is enjoyed sitting on Ilmari Tapiovaara's Pirkka chairs and Jean Prouvé's Cité loungers, surrounded by a Wallscape mural with a landscape motif, by art collective Bless.

INFORMATION

Photography: Steve Herud

ADDRESS

Münchener Straße 18
Frankfurt
Germany

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An engaging snapshot of young Finnish architecture talent is currently on show at Frankfurt's Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM). The German institution has teamed up with the Museum of Finnish Architecture (MFA) and the Architecture Information Centre Finland for 'Suomi Seven: Emerging Architects from Finland', an exhibition marking the Nordic country's presence as guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. 

The nation is known for its system of open competitions that allows emerging architects to showcase work and go head-to-head with seasoned practices for the country's most lucrative architecture projects. This has given many young architects the chance to build an impressive body of work in the early stages of their career. 

Curated by Peter Cachola Schmal and Anna Scheuermann of DAM and MFA director Juulia Kauste, the exhibition is a careful selection of firms that have similarly built an internationally acclaimed portfolio - despite their young age. Participating practices ALA Architects, Anttinen Oiva Architects, Avanto Architects, Esa Ruskeepää Architects, OOPEAA, Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen and Verstas Architects have all been distinguished for their exciting work that ranges from cultural to residential and education projects.

Explains Schmal, 'Together with Juulia Kauste, I sought out talented and young architectural studios that have indeed created astonishing and major projects under their own name, and where the architects are this side of 40, something which sadly is hardly to be encountered back home in Germany any more.'

Running until early 2015 and accompanied by a book, the show launched with a symposium last week discussing further the work of Finland's finest young architecture stars. 

ADDRESS

Deutsches Architekturmuseum
Schaumainkai 43
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

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The German artist Tobias Rehberger is a kind of environmental Op artist, creating spaces that dazzle and disorientate. And his new show, 'Home and Away and Outside', opening today at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Rehberger's home city of Frankfurt, traces what is now a career spanning 20 years of dazzle and disorientation.

Curated by Matthias Ulrich, the exhibition assembles 60 works including sculptures, installations and paintings. It opens with a new take on 'Was du liebst, bringt dich auch zum Weinen', the work that earned him the best artist Golden Lion at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Walls, floors, ceilings, sculptural objects, are all covered with the eye-boggling camouflage used by the dazzle ships in World War I. It is a strangely beguiling rather than hostile space.

Rehberger, as always, pushes and pulls at the thin line between art, architecture and design, fine art and applied art, functionality and uselessness. For one series, We Never Work on Sundays, created in 1994, Rehbeger - from memory and with scant regard to technical accuracy - drew icons of 20th century design, including pieces by Marcel Breuer, Alvar Aalto and Gerrit Rietveld. He then took them to Cameroon and, working with local artist Pascale Martine Tayou, employed Cameroonian craftsmen to make replicas based on the drawings. It questions iconography and authority, the cultural-specificity of taste and the hugely appealing not-quiteness of the furniture forces us to question the nature of that appeal, the way that we frame it.

The third part of the exhibition, housed in the Schirn Rotunda, at the entrance to the Kunsthalle, is a huge hanging light sculpture created from old neon tubes, fairground lights and advertising. A spotlight above the sculpture casts a shadow onto a round pedestal underneath and spells out a single word: regret. Darkness out of light.

ADDRESS

Schirn Kunsthalle
Römerberg, 60311
Frankfurt

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Between Paris and Stockholm, our yearly pilgrimage of European design fairs got off to a promising start. The next stop was Germany, where the latest edition of the Ambiente trade fair saw a plethora of design excellences across the globe gathered under the roof of the Messe Frankfurt grounds.

This year, Japan joined as the fair's international guest of honour, following in the footsteps of former partner countries Denmark and France. Design ambassador Yukio Hashimoto curated the Super Ennichi exhibition, a vibrant display of products and an opportunity for visitors to see examples of Japanese craft in action.

The country was also represented in full force with a strong outing at the Japan Creative Show; brands like Yamaha and Sanyo PVC collaborated with designers such as Ron Gilad and Jasper Morrison. Embodying a fine-tuned synergy between Japanese finesse and Western aesthetics, the small but perfectly formed exhibition was a delightful insight into the country’s finest.
 
Highlights from the halls included the annual roster of awards, which included an enticing 'best of' display. Among these was the German Design Award, held for the third year by the German Design Council to 'honour outstanding products and projects from product and communication design, as well as design personalities and newcomers'.

The Personality of the Year accolade went to designer and one-time Wallpaper* Design Awards judge Gerd Bulthaup for his exceptional life achievements, while Munich-based Italian designer Christian Zanzotti scooped Newcomer of the Year. Also on display in the exhibition halls was the Design Plus Award, recognising projects that seamlessly combine aesthetics and function.

A roll call of young talent stepped up to make their mark alongside established brands, including a selection of 13 designers and makers focusing on pottery. Hailing from the Czech Republic, Israel, Germany and the UK, the craftsmen showcased a superb blend of artisanal skills and creativity.

Another highlight was Sebastian Bergne’s 'Solutions' exhibition (now in its third year at the fair), celebrating intelligent household designs with clever solutions to everyday problems, this time with a special focus on portability and 'on the move' products.

Q by Aston Martin 

These highly customised Aston Martin Vanquish Volantes - one in Red Ember paint with bronze metallic leather and Gulf orange front and rear splitters - showcase 'Q by Aston Martin', a new personalisation service that goes 'beyond the options list,' according to the luxury marque, to encourage customers to specify highly bespoke models.

Audi Sport Quattro Coupé

With its oversize front grille and air-intakes, the Sport Quattro Coupé concept is a much-anticipated design study based on the 1980s all-wheel drive icon that revives the Quattro name, and previews a flagship production model to sit above the R8. It features a bi-turbo V8 engine and electric motor with plug-in capability, and claims to emit just 59g/km of C02.

Audi Nanuk

The Nanuk is a coupé off-roader concept penned by Italian design consultancy Italdesign and an evolution of their Parcour Concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show. There are no current plans to build this car.

BMW i8

This is the second car to join BMW's new electric sub-brand. Following on the footsteps of the small city i3 car, the i8 manages to maintain much of the concept car's unusual form language, especially with the exterior, for a distinctive BMW electric vernacular. The futuristic door structure - where it opens up and forwards - remains as does the overlapping panels at the front and over the rear wheels. LED lights are standard with an option of going for the more powerful laser lights that create a powerful pure white light that the marque says is 'pleasing to the eye'. The interior retains a more conventional arrangement yet its quiet elegance nods to the future of BMWs interior design.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse

This is the second of six special edition Bugatti 'Legends' cars that celebrate significant creations from the marque's history. It references the Type 57SC Atlantic, nicknamed 'La Voiture Noire', Jean Bugatti's personal car that ceased production in 1945.

Citroën Cactus

This rather radical concept by the Citroën will lead the way for next year's C4 Cactus production car. Powered by the firm's Hybrid Air Technology, with compressed air and a hydraulic motor assembly assisting the conventional engine, it also sets a new and bold design language for the marque's C-line family.

Ferrari 458 Speciale

A more powerful Ferrari 458, the Speciale, designed in collaboration with Italian consultancy Pininfarina, is the most punchy, naturally aspirated V8 ever built by the company, with 597bhp and 398lb ft of torque. It reveals some of the technical innovations in its future road cars.

Infiniti Q30
The Infiniti Q30 concept is an intriguing combination of coupé, hatch and crossover in a compact size. It's been designed with Europe in mind and to help Nissan's luxury arm establish itself among younger buyers who are predicted to make up 80% of global luxury sales by 2020. The confident design, with its sweeping roofline, reflects the marque's unique approach to luxury cars. Said design director Alfonso Albaisa: 'There are some very good luxury cars out there so ours will be much more sensual, provocative and seductive. We need to create noise. We need to be some kind of black sheep.' A production model will follow in 2015. 

Jaguar C-X17

The C-X17 marks Jaguar's entry into the popular luxury sports compact SUV market, hinting at an upcoming small car and revealing the marque's ambitious expansion programme. The C-X17 is showcasing Jaguar's new aluminium monocoque architecture that offers much freedom in terms of design, and will underpin a new generation of models in the coming years. The cabin features a small F-type steering wheel and four individual slim bucket seats. It previews Jaguar's future interior design direction focusing on cleaner and stronger lines.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Squadra Corse is the most powerful Gallardo ever built, the name referring to the marque's new Squadra Corse race division. Powered by the same 562bhp V10 as the Gallardo Super Trofeo race car, and with a top speed of 199mph, this road car hits 62mph in just 3.4 seconds.

Lexus LF-NX

The LF-NX marks an evident leap in design direction by Lexus. This concept is bold, if a little over-excitable, in its execution yet, according to the firm, 'explores design possibilities for a future crossover' due next year.

Maserati Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna

Maserati unveiled the results of its collaboration with Ermenegildo Zegna, a beautifully trimmed limited edition of the Quattroporte four door sports saloon. Featuring rich special effect paintwork and a warm-hued interior, the Zegna Quattroporte gives the Italian icon an even more sophisticated suit.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé

The S-class Coupé concept previews the Mercedes-Benz upcoming two door version of the flagship S-Class. At 5005mm long and 1958mm wide, with a 2945mm wheelbase, it isn't a petite car, yet clever surface manipulation and sweeping profile lines disguise the bulk. The S-class Coupé benefits from Mercedes' current confident design language. A raised edge runs all the way from the front wings to the rear wheel arch and a full-glazed glass roof creates a clean, lean cabin - an 'expression of modern luxury,' says Mercedes.

Porsche 918 Spyder

First revealed three years ago at the Geneva Motor Show, Porsche has finally unveiled the final production 918 Spyder V8 hybrid supercar. As the name suggests, only 918 units of this £657,400, 214mph petrol-electric hybrid two-seater will be built over the next 18 months.

Rolls-Royce Celestial Phantom

Rolls-Royce celebrates the first decade of production at its Goodwood manufacturing plant with the Celestial Phantom. This limited edition car has a long-wheelbase and features this unique purple paint, special alloy wheels, 'Dusk' leather seats inside, a diamond set dividing wall clock and fibre-optic star-effect roof lining.

VW e-Golf and e-Up

The e-Golf and e-Up are the latest electric cars to join the VW family. Powered by electric motors, on the Golf this produces 113bhp and 199lb ft of torque, a top speed of 87mph and a 118-mile range. The e-Up has a range of up to 93 miles, but can be charged up to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

Smart Fourjoy

Following on from the 2011 Forspeed and 2012 Forstars, the Fourjoy is the latest Smart design study to preview the second-generation Forfour due next year. This buggy-like concept car will no doubt be given doors and a roof, but the proportions will be that of the production car. The Fourjoy features a rear-drive electric powertrain developed in partnership with Renault.

Volvo Concept Coupé

The Concept Coupé reveals Volvo's new and confident design under the direction of new boss Thomas Ingenlath. This includes a new face replete with a slim floating radiator grille and new T-shape LED daytime running lights. It also highlights the marque's new interior design that incorporates handcrafted leather and wood, and features a large touchscreen in the centre console. In addition, it showcases the versatility of Volvo's new Scalable Product Architecture.

Frankfurt Motor Show, Europe's largest and most significant car exhibit, revealed the disparity between premium and volume carmakers. While Europe's mass-market brands are still feeling the pinch, caught up in the worst sales decline for two decades, the more exclusive marques have generally escaped the drama - capitalising on the growth in China, the US and South America. There were new exhibits on almost every pavilion, yet it was the luxury manufacturers who showcased emerging trends in design and technology.

See the top cars from Frankfurt Motor Show 2013



The show has historically been about the main German marques - Volkswagen Group, BMW and Mercedes-Benz - flexing their muscles. So it was no surprise to see their giant halls - in the case of Audi, a stand-alone pavilion designed by Schmidhuber + Partner for the show - bursting with products. Frankfurt was the scene for the full production debut of the BMW's ground-breaking i3 and i8 electric cars (above), Audi's striking Sport Quattro Coupé concept (top image), Mercedes' graceful S-Class Coupé and the VW e-Golf and e-Up electric cars.



Meanwhile, Jaguar captured what appears to be the current vogue for compact sports luxury crossovers with the C-X17, a confident design study that confirms an upcoming small Jaguar. Lexus also stayed with the small SUV theme with the LF-NX, albeit with a rather awkward sculpture featuring tiresome surface changes. Infiniti, too, revealed the Q30 compact crossover concept.



However, what Frankfurt 2013 ultimately proved is that there is really no clear direction in terms of car design, product or sustainable mobility. Every marque is searching for its own solution, making for a rather puzzling show.

With the world's focus turning to Brazil ahead of the World Cup and Olympics, Frankfurt Book Fair has taken the opportunity to pay homage to the country. To mark the occasion of Brazil as the guest country of honour, they've invited nine young architectural practices from the Latin American country to present their work at the city's Deutsches Architekturmuseum.

'Nove Novos - Neun Neue: Emerging Architects from Brazil' focuses on the work of Arquitetos Associados, BCMF, Rizoma, Jacobsen, Carla Juaçaba, Corsi Hirano, Metro, Studio Paralelo and Nitsche - selected from centres like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo but also from locations as far flung as Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre.

Their portfolios incorporate private residences and administrative buildings, sports venues, commercial buildings and museums, but the wealth of private commissions has the economic upturn to thank. After the death of Oscar Niemeyer last year, a new generation of architects are now shaping the architectural landscape of their country. Most of the participants in 'Nove Novos - Neun Neue' are under 40 years old.

A special section of the exhibition is devoted to the extensive private art collection and botanical gardens of Inhotim's Instituto de Arte Contemporânea e Jardim Botânico, located in Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil. Many of the Institute's pavilions were designed by some of Brazil's up-and-coming architects, including some of the show's contributors.

The event will run until early 2014, in conjunction with the Instituto Tomie Ohtake in São Paulo. A symposium on 19 September marks the opening, with all nine studios in attendance to present their works.

ADDRESS

Deutsches Architekturmuseum 
Schaumainkai 43
60596 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

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Europe may have been in the grips of a cold snap last week, but we resisted the urge to hibernate and made the annual journey to the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt. Held in the sprawling Messe Frankfurt grounds, Ambiente once again served up a vast selection of new tabletop products, living accessories and gift items from across the globe.

This year the fair had noticeably extended its reach, with exhibitors and designers coming from as far a field as Benin and Ecuador. Japan, now home to several Messe Frankfurt fairs itself, also had a strong presence.

Meanwhile, the fair's partnership with Denmark proved a hit - even securing a visit from Danish royalty (Princess Benedikte). Brands like Normann Copenhagen, Stelton and Georg Jensen all had strong stands, and there was plenty of inspiring ecologically-minded products to be found in Denmark's exhibition on sustainability.

Also a highlight was an exhibition curated by product designer Sebastian Bergne - the man of the moment when it comes to tableware (glimpse of his forthcoming show in London here). Titled 'Solutions', the show focused on innovation and functionality in product design.

The fair halls were also noticeably brought to a life by a refreshing smattering of neon hues, courtesy of German brands like e15 and Koziol, with the latter exhibiting a fetching collection of rainbow insulated cups by Wallpaper* Handmade contributor Matteo Thun.

Another Wallpaper* Handmade collaborator attracting attention was JIA, who won no less than three Design Plus awards at the fair for items such as its chopstick and spoon set.  

Alfa Romeo 4C concept



The Alfa Romeo 4C precedes a new small but powerful 200bhp range of Fiat Group sports cars expected from next year



www.alfaromeo.com

If the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011 is anything to go by, the automotive industry is in a state of conflict at the moment. Zero emission cars - the only way the industry can continue to grow without twinges of guilt - are certainly on the rise, and yet the hunger for high-performance luxury drives continues unabated.

As is traditionally the case in Frankfurt, German marques dominated the show, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi exhibiting a hugely contrasting collection of vehicles. On the one hand, they gave us wonderfully innovative mobility solutions for the megacities of the future; on the other, a host of ultra high horsepower performance cars. It's a delicate balancing act for these leading luxury carmakers.

On the BMW stage, for instance, sat the first offerings in its electric sub-brand, the i3 and i8, which Wallpaper.com reported on back in August. These two fantastically futuristic designs shared the stage with the new petroleum-powered M5 performance car. Over at the vast three-storey Mercedes-Benz hall, a fleet of Smart electric cars and a hydrogen-powered F125 concept were exhibited a stone's throw away from the powerful new SLK 55 AMG.

Audi also displayed conflicting behaviour, starting the weekend before the show with a group of academics, architects, urban planners and IT experts gathering to discuss the challenges facing the world when 70 per cent of the population will be living in dense urban settings. At this forum, the role of the car and its identity were questioned, given that the young generation appears to care more for smartphone apps than car ownership. It is an intriguing and ongoing debate that will lead to a second Audi-sponsored Urban Future Award in 2012.

The following day, in Audi's spectacular pavilion, the marque displayed a wild mix of cars that ranged from the neat A2 electric study, two brilliant electric Audi Urban Concept studies, and the dazzling electric e-tron concepts, together with the slinky, swift and unashamedly fossil-fuelled S7, S8 and Audi's other high-performance cars.

The stars of the Frankfurt show can essentially be divided into four groups: pragmatic everyday road cars, performance luxury drives, design concepts and ecological studies.

Centre stage at the Volkswagen stand were the Up family of cars, VW's new Small Family range that will eventually include three and five-door hatchbacks, a mini MPV and a buggy concept, all powered by a choice of conventional and electric engines. The Ups are small, smart, affordable and global cars - and therefore highly relevant to our mobility concerns.

Honda, meanwhile, presented the fresh-faced Civic family car. The Japanese firm caused a stir back in 2006 when it first introduced the European Civic. It was a radical departure in terms of design with a futuristic, almost spaceship exterior and a more premium cabin than this market is used to. The 2011 Civic is a slightly more self-assured car, introducing elements of its Japanese heritage especially in some of the exterior detailing. Chief designer Daisuke Sawai described it as 'the harmony between man and machine', a familiar refrain from auto designers.

Mini introduced the production version of the Coupé, the latest variant of the BMW-owned marque. It couldn't have been easy evolving such an iconic design as the Mini hatchback into a two-seater, yet the design team lead by Anders Warming have been brave and at times brash - in this instance creating a small sports car with an innovative roof design. The new Mercedes B-Class is also worth noting in this area.

In the performance car category Porsche took centre stage with the newly designed 911. This is the marque's pinnacle car. It is what defines the brand, and revising its truly classic shape is no easy task. For the new 911, design director Michael Mauer has maintained the iconic silhouette but thanks to a few tweaks here and there - most notably in the length of the wheelbase - he has freshened up the design, bringing it more in line with Porsche's other models. Only truly dedicated car buffs will notice the difference, we suspect.

Naturally there were some notable Italian supercars. Ferrari didn't disappoint with the new 458 Spider convertible and Lamborghini showed the raciest version yet of its Gallardo. The British highlights in this area were the new

Bentley Continental GTC, Lotus Elise and Aston Martin's stunning V12 Zagato.

As is customary at motor shows, there were design concepts a-plenty. All eyes were on Jaguar for its long-awaited 'E-Type replacement', the C-X16 study. Any link between this neatly packaged sports car and the original, iconic E-Type is largely media-invented (although the hatch-back boot looks familiar). Jaguar is striving to move away from retro design and the C-X16 largely succeeds.

Maserati showed off its Pininfarina-styled luxury sports-utility Kubang, which it plans to start building in 2013 as a direct rival to the Porsche Cayenne. The Italian marque also announced plans to build a small saloon.

Ford's Frankfurt focus was the Evos, a rather flashy scissor-door design study in bold red that represents the second evolution in the marque's Kinetic language, as used on its current generation of cars. More importantly, the Evos was a showcase for Ford's next-generation interior technologies, with a heavy reliance on cloud connectivity for the data-hungry driver.

One of the main highlights, though, came from Citroën and its Tubik people carrier concept. This is a fresh take on the campervan and clearly inspired by current furniture and textile design, offering a flexible and modern living-room environment with high degrees of connectivity for larger families on the move.

In terms of ecological innovations the BMW i3 and i8 are incredibly interesting electric drive propositions that have been intelligently executed. The final production cars promise to stay close to these conceptual ideas when they hit the roads in 2013.

The two Audi Urban Concept studies are also inspired designs. The twin two-seaters - a coupé with a sliding roof and a Spyder convertible - combine elements of race car, roadster and city car rolled into one small electric vehicle. VW's Nils is a concept study along similar lines, a single seat three-wheel car for urban commutes. Even Vauxhall is getting in on the commuter car action with tits well-thought-out RAK e two-seater.

It was also refreshing to see the emergence of small, privately-owned new automotive company Eterniti, which is dedicated to making niche luxury cars. The British firm showed its first car at Frankfurt, a Porsche Cayenne-derived 'luxury SUV' called the Hemera. Production is planned for next year.

The individual exhibition architecture also spoke volumes about the various marques. Audi came out on top with a vast, multi-million euro pavilion that it built from scratch, rather than using space within the exhibition halls. The futuristic building housed a fully functioning racetrack, allowing visitors to experience Audi's expertise in performance, sustainability and connectivity with an actual test drive on site.

In contrast, Honda had a playful pavilion with a serious message. By manipulating flexible polyethylene tubes, Belgian designer Sebastien Wierinck created a series of colourful pipes connected to a single focal point - 'The Dream House', where Honda's ecological and technological visions come together under one roof.

Ultimately, however, it felt like two contrasting and conflicting realities were thrust up against one another - uncomfortably. Frankfurt 2011 was a surreal experience. Yes, there was plenty of clean urban mobility thinking on display, but ultimately it felt like a battle of European superpowers.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato 

The hand-built Aston Martin Zagato is based on the V12 Vantage. The 6.0-litre engine produces 510bhp while the body is made of lightweight aluminium and carbon fibre 

www.astonmartin.com

Audi A2 electric concept 

Audi was truly ahead of its time in 1999 when it introduced the original A2 - a lightweight aluminium small city car. Sadly the car buying market hadn't quite caught on to ecological driving at the time and the car ceased production in 2005. Thankfully the German marque has decided to reinvent the A2 in the form of an electric concept car. At 3.8 m long and 1.69 m wide it is very compact, yet it can still seat four, thanks to the clever packaging of batteries under the floor and the front-drive electric motor 

Production: 2014 

www.audi.com

Audi pavilion 

Audi designed and built its very own building for this year's Frankfurt show. Created by pavilion design specialists Schmidhuber + Partner, and rumoured to have cost well over €10m, the 50,000 sq ft building features a working test track that wraps around the upper portion of the pavilion and can be glimpsed from the outside through red glass reminiscent of Audi's light design. 'Our idea was to have a building that wasn't just designed to display the cars, but to drive the cars,' says Bernhard Neumann, head of events marketing Audi. 'As a visitor you have the chance to drive with our experts, so guests become part of the installation.' 

www.audi.com

Audi Urban Concepts Coupé and Spyder 

Audi's design studio have developed two Urban Concept studies and the reaction they get to them, following Frankfurt, will determine their future. The plug-in electric, two-seater concepts come in two forms - a coupé and open-top Spyder. They feature carbon fibre monocoque; the interior uses aluminium and carbonfibre trim, features a square steering wheel and adjustable foot pedals. Pictured here is the Audi Urban Concepts Coupé 

www.audi.com

Audi Urban Concept Spyder

Bentley Continental GTC 

This is the second-generation Bentley Continental GTC - the convertible version of the very successful Continental luxury car. Much like its Coupé sibling, the soft top inherits the newly designed LED headlamps and the upright grille. The GTC features a multi-layered fabric roof with special acoustic glass to reduce cabin noise Price: around £150,000 Delivery: late 2011 

www.bentleymotors.com

BMW i3 electric concept 

The i3 and i8 are the first of a series of sustainable mobility solutions to be produced by BMW under its sub-brand 'i'. Previously termed the Megacity Vehicle, this is an all-electric compact city car with a strong aesthetic that expresses e-mobility yet retains a visual link with BMW. Beneath the skin lies the 'LifeDrive' architecture that is at the core of all 'i' cars. In simple terms it means all the elements connected with running the car - the suspension, lithium-ion batteries and drive systems - sit low in the aluminium Drive part while the passenger Life cell, constructed from lightweight and high-strength carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, is mounted on top. The i3 is a mere 3845mm long, 1537mm tall and 2011mm wide yet feels spacious inside. 'It has a small surface, but the modular architecture means the engine and so on fit underneath, creating a relatively large passenger cell,' explains design director Adrian van Hooydonk. The i3 has a 170bhp electric motor powering the rear wheels and a range of between 80 and 100 miles on a full battery, which takes six hours to charge Delivery: 2013 

www.bmw.com

BMW i8 electric concept 

Alongside the i3, the i8 is the first of a series of sustainable mobility solutions to be produced by BMW under its sub-brand 'i'. Based on the 2009 Vision EfficientDynamics design study, the i8 is BMW's proposal for an electric super sports car. The design was 'aero focus', notes design director Adrian van Hooydonk, meaning the aesthetic echoes its extreme aerodynamic efficiency. The silhouette is elongated and the look is BMW's take on the sports car for the future. 'We've taken care that it doesn't look as aggressive as a normal super sports car,' says the designer. There are modern elements - like the 'streamflow' C-pillar, which air flows through to improve aerodynamics. It also features large 19-inch, slim wheels with AirCurtains to help airflow around the wheel arches. The i8 has 2+2 seating and uses a three-cylinder 220 bhp engine linked to a version of the i3's electric drive. It is due for production in 2014 alongside the i3 at the Zaha Hadid-designed BMW factory in Leipzig Production: 2014 

www.bmw.com

Bugatti Veyron L'Or Blanc 

The modified Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport L'Or Blanc features swirled paint and porcelain trim 

www.bugatti.com

Citroën DS5 

First shown at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year, this is the final production version of the car. The five-door hatchback is the third model in Citroën's premium DS line, following on from the DS3 and the recently launched DS4 Price: around £25,000 Delivery: Spring 2012 

www.citroen.com

Citroën Tubik 

The Citroën Tubik concept is a charming proposition for a family people carrier, a sort of premium shuttle that is stylish, luxurious and focused on connectivity. The monobox form houses a flexible interior that is intended to be an extension of the modern home, replete with all modern gadgets. 'Cars are downsizing for a reason but you also need vehicles that provide this kind of space,' says head of concept cars Carlo Bonzanigo. The hybrid technology has allowed the design team to create such a large space with similar emission levels to a normal saloon. 'The micro idea behind it is to reinvent the long distance trip,' says the designer. 'The metallic cocoon is such that the pilot and the passengers have two different universes. The passengers have a lot of technology and entertainment and the driver also has technology at his disposal condensed into a sort of Playstation package.' 

www.citroen.com

Eterniti Hemera 

The Hemera is the first car to be introduced by the new British car company Eterniti. With ex-F1 pilot Johnny Herbert and ex-Jaguar engineer Alastair Macqueen in charge of development, this luxury sports-utility concept is powered by a 4.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 620 hp. The car boasts heated and cooled reclining rear seats, a pair of iPads with wireless keyboards and a drinks cooler Price: around £150,000 Delivery: 2012 in limited numbers 

www.eternitimotors.com

Ferrari 458 Italia Spider 

This is the first time Ferrari has fitted a folding metallic roof to a mid-engined two-seater. On the 458 Italia Spider it is made of aluminium to keep the weight down - meaning that it is 25kg lighter than a soft-top and opens in just 14 seconds Price: around £260,000 Delivery: 2012 

www.ferrari.com

Fisker Surf 

The Surf is the second car to be introduced by independent California-based electric carmaker Fisker Automotive. The shooting break concept is an electric vehicle with extended range, much like its sibling the Karma but with an enlarged boot space. Designer Henrik Fisker says he was inspired by the 1970s Lamborghini Espada 

www.fiskerautomotive.com

Ford Evos concept 

Ford's Evos concept is a design study likely to influence the look of the company's products in the near future. 'What we're conveying with this car is our developing Kinetic design language, that has helped shape our cars, is entering its second generation,' says head of design Martin Smith. 'This means the surfaces are tighter and simpler in execution and the front is the new face of Ford for a more premium look. The laser cut slim lamps show the future technology that will be featured in our cars.' Inside it has a slim instrument panel and is driver focused, incorporating future technologies, mainly Ford's 'cloud connectivity'. Evos also features striking doors, 'to show that we are exploring different door structures,' according to Smith 

www.ford.com

Honda Civic 

Now in its ninth generation, the Civic is a pivotal car in Europe for the Japanese marque. Back in 2006 Honda gave the Civic a European aesthetic that has been the reason for its ongoing success here, so for the new model the designers have maintained the strong wedge shape, lowering the height by 20mm and increasing the width by 10mm. Daisuke Sawai, creative chief designer at Honda in Japan says: 'Honda is growing with the Civic so it is very delicate thing to approach the redesign.' Sawai and his team have maintained the basic values of the Civic - which he says are dynamism and functionality - but adapted them to today's needs. 'The previous model had a very futuristic design like a spaceship as it was meant to shock the customer,' he explains. 'But now times have changed and environmental values are more important. People are becoming more rational. We adapted this into the design to remain dynamic but suggesting how clean this car is through the design.' Sawai has also re-introduced Japanese elements which he describes as 'the harmony between man and machine.' 

Price: around £15,000

Delivery: 2012 

www.honda.com

Honda pavilion 

The Honda pavilion design is the work of London-based Wieden + Kennedy in collaboration with Belgian designer Sebastien Wierinck. The playful design follows the theme of 'many roads to zero emissions'. Wierinck has used flexible, polyethylene tubes manipulated to create various environments and seating areas all of which are connected to 'the dream house' - a hub that houses Honda's future vision in terms of technology and sustainability. The stand is divided into sections - hydrogen, electric, hybrid, petrol and diesel - and each technology has been colour coded. 'We wanted to talk about Honda's technology in a simple way and used the tubes to help tell the story,' explains W+K creatives Tom Seymour and David Bruno. 'Each colour had a good reason, for example there are blue tubes in the hydrogen area because the only thing that the FCX Clarity (a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle) emits is water. And the multi-coloured dream house combines all the colours as it represents all the technologies coming together to create Honda's vision of zero emissions.' 

www.honda.com

Jaguar C-X16 concept 

Jaguar's latest C-X16 concept car is a two-seater study for a compact sports car. The model shown at Frankfurt has a hybrid engine based on a 3.0-litre V6 engine. 'The world has been waiting for us to do a two-seater small sports car - it really is in our blood and our heritage,' enthuses Julian Thompson, head of advanced design. 'It cements the sporting character of the Jaguar brand and takes us to where we need to be. And it was a chance to do something a little more edgy and sporty for our younger customers. It is very much the car we've been dying to do.' Price: Around £50,000 Production: 2012 

www.jaguar.com

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale 

This latest Lamborghini features a manually adjustable carbon fibre rear wing, which promises downforce up to three times that of the normal Gallardo. It weighs 70kg less than the LP 560-4, and speeds to 200 km/h in just 10.4 seconds 

www.lamborghini.com

Land Rover DC100 

With the DC100, Land Rover is attempting to reinvent the Defender for 2015. This isn't an easy task, as the design needs to meet the demands of a diverse customer base - military, farmers and foresters to name a few, as well as dedicated urban off-roaders 

www.landrover.com

Maserati Kubang 

First appearing in concept form at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show, the Maserati Kubang sports-utility concept at Frankfurt is closer to the production version 

www.maserati.com

Mercedes-Benz F125 hydrogen concept 

The F125 is the latest study in the firm's F research vehicle group. It's a hydrogen-powered coupé concept car with gullwing doors that suggests a path the marque could head down with its executive car styling. The mono-volume structure allows for an airy cabin and grand entrance. 'A new vision of what the next, next, next S Class could look like - but right now it is only a vision of the technology,' says Hubert Lee, creative director at Mercedes-Benz advanced design North America, who led the exterior styling team 

www.mercedes-benz.com

Mini Cooper Coupé S 

The Mini Coupé is the latest in the Mini family, which now includes variations on the hatch and convertible, the Clubman and Countryman. This two-seater will be offered with a choice of four engine variants with outputs ranging from the 122 hp to 184 hp on the S model. 'The Mini brand starts from the core of the hatch and we are able to expand left and right of this,' says head of design Anders Warming. 'This is an even smaller Mini than what you see on the roads today. This is very important to us - to show that the brand isn't just one car but a family with a variety of car design statements.' The car has an extended stowage and loading capacity behind the driver and passenger seats and the wide and high opening tailgate makes loading easier. It also features a cute pop-up rear spoiler. The floating roofline is at the heart of the Coupé's design. 'The roof graphic almost emulates a baseball cap turned the other way to have an attitude, personality and status,' says the designer. The roof can be ordered in various shades, as can the exterior and interior trim. 'It is an event ordering a Mini,' the designer says. 'You can apply an entire "yours" programme to this car. Luxury should come in all sizes.' 

Price: Circa £16,000 

Delivery: October 2011 

www.mini.com

Porsche 911 

Redesigning arguably the world's most iconic sports car can't have been easy. The new 911 retains the core design DNA - the classic proportion and silhouette that includes a low rear end and long rear overhang which cannot be altered. 'As is the case with every 911, we were seeking the right balance between the familiar and the new,' says Matthias Kulla who led the design team. 'We had to make sure not to overdo it, to stay simple and straightforward - to stay Porsche.' The car has been lowered with a longer wheelbase with a wider track at the front. The beltline has been slightly raised which, in conjunction with the lowered roof, results in a much slicker side window. 'It's the rear of a Carrera that is the most special design aspect, and on the new car form and graphics work in perfect harmony,' says Kulla 

Price: around £71,449 

Delivery: December 2011 

www.porsche.com

Renault Frenzy 

Frenzy is the fourth concept to come from Renault under the design leadership of Laurens van der Acker that started with the sexy DeZir, continued with Captur and R-Space. This full-electric concept is described as a commercial business vehicle that can double up as a comfortable car. Together these cars are meant to show the marque's future design direction 

www.renault.com

Smart Forvision 

Smart was way ahead of its time when Swatch's Nicolas Hayek came up with an idea to build tiny two-seater cars that derived more from product than automotive design. With electrification, Smart seems to have found a new lease of life. For the Forvision, the Mercedes-Benz-owned marque has teamed up with chemical company BASF to develop an electric city car which hints at the aesthetic of the next generation of city cars 

www.smart.com

Volkswagen Nils concept 

Following on from the XL1 design study shown last year, Nils is a tiny one-seater concept car with gullwing doors, a vision of a future mode of urban transportation. 'We wanted to create a new transport solution for the urban mobility but to transport the Volkswagen design DNA,' says Klaus Birschoff, director design research and development. 'The design is clean and all shut lines have a function. The rear is reserved for batteries and electric engine.' To reduce the shape and incorporate only one driver was a demanding task. The lower windows are a fun element allowing the driver to see the turning wheels. The wheel design is a balance of aerodynamics and cooling of the brakes. Inside the car has a small dashboard housing all the necessary functions. 'This is an initiative from our research department,' says Birschoff. 'We want to offer something like this, and the Nils is our first glance at it. If we get a good reaction then we will decide what to do next.' 

www.volkswagen.com

Volkswagen Up 

Following on from the original concept shown in 2007, the Up family are small, affordable and global cars that will include all kinds of variants and engine options including an electric e-Up that will come to market in 2013. The Up cars are simple and smart - much like the iPhone design - and intended to be easily understood. 'A simple design like this you can only achieve if you have a simple package and did your homework with the engineers,' says Klaus Birschoff, director VW design research and development. 'If you have the perfect proportions you don't need the added content.' The designer continues: 'The Up is about purity, simplicity and affordability. Simplicity means the face has to be absolutely unique and sympathetic.' At Frankfurt VW displayed the entire Up range, including three and five door variants, the e-Up and a Up Buggy concept as well as a super luxurious model designed by head of VW AG design Walter de'Silva and inspired by the classic yacht tender 

www.volkswagen.com

Volvo Concept 

You Concept You is a follow-up to Concept Universe shown earlier this year at the Shanghai Motor Show. It gives another insight into Volvo's thinking as a Geely-owned company. It features interesting details such as the rubber rear lights that designer Peter Horbury says 'allow us to create a aerodynamic advantage at the rear'. The interior design and in particular the use of wood has a very Scandinavian aesthetic feel 

www.volvocars.com

Yo Concept



Owned by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov Russian carmaker Yo-Auto is a joint venture between truck maker Yarovit and Onexim investment group. The Yo Concept car shown at Frankfurt is a range-extender prototype using a petrol engine to charge the batteries to drive the electric motors



www.yarovit.com

Measuring a meager 1.9m x 3.4m, and inspired by the compact kitchen facilities of the luxury modern railcar, Lihotsky invented the first mass-produced fitted kitchen, and the world has never looked back.

Marxist, feminist, architect and activist, Margarete Schütte-Lihotsky was always used to making an impact. But when she first dreamt up the Frankfurter Küche (Frankfurt kitchen) in 1926, even she couldn't have known the influence it would go on to have. Measuring a meager 1.9m x 3.4m, and inspired by the compact kitchen facilities of the luxury modern railcar, Lihotsky had invented the first mass-produced fitted kitchen, and the world has never looked back.

Eighty-five years on, lifestyles and priorities have changed dramatically and the humble kitchen cabinet today is transformed with modern technology and meticulous detailing. Today's smart, gliding doors open onto entirely new horizons of promise and produce. At the risk of compounding a cliché (or two), if the Frankfurter was the mother of all kitchens, then the apples haven't fallen far from the tree – Germany is still the leading land when it comes to über efficiency and innovation in this domestic domain.

At the 2011 imm furniture fair in Cologne (the very place where the Frankfurt kitchen was first launched) a Teutonic host of contemporary manufacturers dazzled with a world of new mechanisms and materials at a new trade event called 'Living Kitchen'.. Super surfaces and capable curves now bring what was once a simple functional space into the centre of 21st century living and prove that the kitsch is also out of the kitchen for good.

Amazingly, there is much that today's manufacturers have to thank Lihotsky for. A rare woman modernist, with proven experience in social housing, she was brought on board when Frankfurt's chief architect Ernst May launched an ambitious initiative to address the enormous post-war housing deficit in the city almost a century ago. The task was the creation of new 'minimum dwellings', small and highly rationalised machines for living in, where space and budget constraints forced radical innovation. Lihotsky's job was to look after the kitchen.

Nothing was unconsidered in the Frankfurt kitchen, every cubic millimeter precision planned. Carrying out detailed time-motion studies to optimize 'workflow' as if it were a (albeit miniature) factory, Lihotsky measured how long it took to do certain tasks, duly adjusting and readjusting the prototypes along the way, and prioritising contemporary ideas about efficiency and hygiene alongside feedback from the housewives and women's groups she personally grilled for information. High up on the agenda too were the theories of Scientific Management, by Frederick Winslow Taylor, to maximize domestic efficiency, and of course Henry Ford's call to mass production.

The result was a table-free galley space, featuring sitting-height countertops, and all mod cons including a swivel stool, gas stove, a fold-out ironing board, and an adjustable ceiling light. Built in storage in the fitted Frankfurt kitchen included an easy-to-reach spice rack and oak flour containers. Natty aluminum drawers for dry goods such as sugar and rice allowed you to pull them out and pour the necessary quantity in one swift efficient arm movement.

Fitted kitchens did in fact exist at the time, but Lihotsky's was the first to be mass produced, and certainly on such a scale: Some 10,000 were installed. Reactions at the time were mixed, and largely critical, which is unsurprising considering the concept was so unlike what anyone was used to in a domestic setting. A typical European kitchen at the time was big and filled with big, standalone items of furniture it had evolved in a labour-intense environment. This pokey production zone with space for only one 'worker' to move comfortably was going to take getting used to.

Fast forward to the contemporary designs and it becomes apparent that the fitted kitchen is undergoing a new revolution, merging once more with living spaces as flexibility and good looks take precedence. What hasn't changed at all though, is the German aptitude for precision planning and engineering. These qualities expressed in 'made in Germany' manufacturing are still a source of national pride and it shows.

Just like Lihotsky, kitchen manufacturers today see a task-oriented space, but the best contemporary models allow for craft and creativity at a masterchef level. Equipment too must live up to professional standards. Those in the market for a fitted kitchen today are also looking at architectural tailoring so seamless that it's no longer entirely clear where the dividing line between the kitchen and the rest of the home lies. If there even is one anymore. Technology, units and islands blend into the structure of the space – look, no handles; listen, no rumbling appliances. As kitchen and living space become increasingly fused, designers are better able cater to the complex and variable needs of the postmodern consumer – today's storage unit might just as well play home to a showpiece objet d'art as a handy jar of deli-fresh sauerkraut.

Reactions at the time were mixed, and largely critical, which is unsurprising considering the concept was so unlike what anyone was used to in a domestic setting. A typical European kitchen at the time was big and filled with big, standalone items of furniture it had evolved in a labour-intense environment. This pokey production zone with space for only one ‘worker’ to move comfortably was going to take getting used to. Here's a replica of the Frankfurt Kitchen installed at MAK, Vienna

There is much that today’s manufacturers have to thank Lihotsky for. A rare woman modernist, with proven experience in social housing, she was brought on board when Frankfurt’s chief architect Ernst May launched an ambitious initiative to address the enormous post-war housing deficit in the city almost a century ago

Fast forward to the contemporary designs and it becomes apparent that the fitted kitchen is undergoing a new revolution, with Germany still at the heart. Here's our pick of the very finest, starting with the 'B3' kitchen by Bulthaup

Photography Reinhard Hunger

Last week we sped over to Frankfurt to take in the gargantuan Heimtextil fair, where over 2,600 exhibitors unveiled their latest fabrics and papers for every conceivable surface. Whether it was freelance designers showing new patterns ready to be put into production, big brands unveiling their latest collections, or contract houses revealing fabrics with new acoustic and olfactory benefits, there was plenty to inspire within the fair's epic 11 halls.

To bring a little focus to proceedings, show organisers, Messe Frankfurt, called in the trend gurus at The Future Laboratory to deliver their prophecies for 2011/12. Looking at signals in the worlds of art, fashion and design, they condensed these into four themes, summed up by their names: sobriety, wilderness, mix mash and utility. While perhaps already quite familiar ideas, the team certainly produced a beautiful edit of fabrics from exhibitors at the fair, many exploring new technologies. These were presented in four imaginatively conceived pavilions.

Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's biggest trade fair organisers and Heimtextil is one of its stalwarts, now in its 41st year. The first trade show of the year, it provides some indications about the shape of the industry over the next 12 months, and, with a growth in exhibitors and visitors on last year, it bodes well for 2011. All in all, the future is looking good.

Who would have guessed that the little comics bookstore that Benedikt Taschen opened in Cologne back in 1970 would become the behemoth publishing house it now is? Volume by volume over thirty years, Taschen has parlayed both his name and his prodigious love for books, movies and arts into beautifully produced coffee-table tomes and art monographs.

And it's not surprising that for this year's Frankfurt Book Fair, Taschen would want to do something special. For help designing his company's booth as well as to commemorate the 3oth anniversary, Taschen turned to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban.

The resulting elongated C-framed blonde wood structure is clad with a basket-weave shell into which is inserted oversized cutouts of the publishing house's best-selling tomes; and it only takes a moment before you realize that Ban has referenced the silhouette of his celebrated Centre Pompidou-Metz.

All of which, leaves you very much looking forward to the next thirty years.

ADDRESS

Hall 3.0, C 159
Messegelände
Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1
60327 Frankfurt am Main
Germany

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‘You need to make green cars delicious,’ Audi’s head of design Stefan Sielaff told W* at the start of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Sielaff's point is a good one: green motoring depends on a genuine customer desire to own and drive an ecologically sustainable vehicle. Whether there will emerge a unique architecture for green cars, or the promise that driving pleasure will not be sacrificed (or perhaps even enhanced) were the underlying themes at Frankfurt 2009, the most important international motor show of the calendar.

Here’s Wallpaper's round up of the most spectacular cars on show

Frankfurt is, unsurprisingly, where German marques excel. Audi and BMW unveiled two inspired concept sport cars. The e-tron and Vision Efficient Dynamics respectively introduced some extremely resourceful ecological design and technological solutions without sacrificing speed or drivability. Audi has since committed to a low volume production of the e-tron - or something very like it - by 2012. Mercedes-Benz presented a production-ready four-wheel drive electric version of the new SLS-AMG, although it will be several years before it hits the roads.

In general, the manufacturers' approach to green design felt less awkward than in previous years, as the market - and ambitions - mature. Almost all stands had some form of zero emission offering. Peugeot showed us the iOn, an electric car based on the Mitsubishi i-Car, Lexus the LF-Ch, a European styled zero emission design study for the highly lucrative premium small car market.

Even entry-level cars like the Kia Venga have been equipped with stop/start technology, an easy way of clawing back vital grams of CO2. The Korean firm has plans to offer an EcoDynamics package – much like Volkswagen’s Bluemotion – on many of its cars to help boost fuel economy. 'Green' sub-brands are becoming standard across the industry.

Citroën made a timely return to its daring design heritage with the Revolte concept. The petrol/electric dual-mode hybrid is essentially a modern interpretation of the iconic 2CV – and, though still in concept stage, the firm hopes will be as much as a success as the Mini and Fiat 500.

It was Renault, though, who made the most critical statement of all. The French company - alongside partner Nissan (which kept its trump cards for next month's Tokyo Motor Show) – want to be the forerunners in electric car production. The four Renault ZE (zero emission) cars on display will undergo little modification by the time they enter showrooms in 2011, according to chief executive Carlos Ghosn.

VW revealed a rather edgy side to its sometimes-sober personality. The L1 is a 1-litre, 189mpg hybrid two-seat concept car that hints heavily at where VW aims to go with environmentally friendly form language. Sitting alongside the electric E-Up, due for production in 2013, the highly aerodynamic L1 was an inspired approach to zero emission driving.

Other marques made a more subtle contribution to the debate. Bentley’s Continental Supersports can run on bio-ethanol. Speaking at the show, head of design Dirk van Braeckel noted this flex-fuel approach would be standard on all future Bentleys, including the brand new top-of-the-range Mulsanne, by 2012. Other premium marques already offer some form of standard hybrid derivative from their current line-up – BMW's 7-Series and the Mercedes' S Class, with the next step - plug-in hybrids along the lines of the Chevrolet Volt - due for introduction soon.

Rolls-Royce had another form of sustainability in mind. The all-new Ghost reveals how it is still possible – albeit in limited numbers and for a rather privileged clientele - to produce wonderfully handcrafted cars where every inch of every surface is hand-wrought and hand-finished. As Rolls-Royce interior designer Alan Sheppard told us, ‘it is like working on a craftsman level.’

Over at Maserati and Ferrari, the sports car is still considered as very much a traditional object of desire. Maserati wowed the crowds with its Pininfarina-designed GranCabrio, the convertible sibling to the GranTurismo. The famed Italian design consultant was also responsible for another highly charged piece of automotive erotica, the new Ferrari 458 Italia.

The display was altogether more discreet at Aston Martin. The marque showed that it is possible to maintain beautiful proportions with a longer car, the four-seater Rapide. Porsche, too, displayed its take on the four seat sports car in the shape of the Panamera, exhibited alongside the next generation 911 Turbo. Both marques are proof that small evolutionary steps in design can be just as rewarding as a blank sheet approach.

In conclusion

Alongside Paris, Frankfurt is arguably the most honest of the annual car shows – this year being no exception. It has been an undeniably tough few seasons for an industry hit especially hard by the global economic slowdown. Chrysler and Jeep appeared to have arrived at the very last minute with a stand too small to notice, and GM-owned Chevrolet was forced to set up base in a marquee outside. There was, though, on the whole a sense of optimism in the air – the feeling that the typhoon is fizzling out, and those present were the lucky ones who had managed to keep their heads raised a little above water.

The main message from Frankfurt, however, was what appeared to be a real commitment to an ecologically sustainable future. The reality is that carmakers have had to cut back on emissions for legal reasons – without the pressure from Europe we would have been unlikely to witness such efforts on display. Some like Renault seem sincerely committed, but perhaps other big manufacturers feel their contribution to the environment is complete. They have, after all, built up a credible case for responsible speed and ecologically conscious luxury, so as to pave the way for ‘business as usual’.

We caught up with Walter de Silva, head of VW Group design, at the end of the show. This is what he had to say: ‘Design will be the main reason for success in this business. In 10 years time, what energy the car uses won’t be important - there will be a menu of alternative energy options and you simply choose what you require. We are convinced our customers will want cars they enjoy driving independent of the energy they use.’

It may not be the most glamarous of exotic summer locations but in order to get a leg up on the consumer goods market, we made our annual pilgrimage to attend the Tendence trade fair in Frankfurt. Held in early July each year, Tendence offers the earliest preview of Autumn/Winter season tabletop products, living accessories and art gifts from around the globe.

Although it’s typically considered the younger cousin to Frankfurt’s other fair, Ambiente, (the largest world trade exhibition of consumer goods in the world,) Tendence is definitely still extensive. Held in the sprawling Messe Frankfurt grounds, the fair brings a multitude of young designers, niche companies and larger producers together under one large roof.

The main highlight of this year’s fair was certainly the ‘Personal Shopper’ display, curated by London design favourites, Doshi Levien (see the gallery above for more images). The duo were tasked with selecting their favourite products from Tendence exhibitors in the run up to the fair. Inspired by the lifestyles of the Bohemian Bourgeois, Doshi/Levien filled their space with a playful mix of everyday and luxury objects that successfully articulated the creativity of ‘Le Bobos’ and reinterpreted the concept of value.

The beauty of Tendence is the sheer variety of products on offer. During our scout around, we uncovered items spanning the realms of food, beauty, jewellery, furniture and tabletop accessories. While it might not have the buzz of Salone in Milan, the charm of Maison et Objet in Paris or the style of Stockholm, Tendence easily satisfied our need to discover the lesser known.

Blue Responsibility was the theme of the International Sanitary and Heating Exhibition, in Frankfurt this week, and a refreshing tinge it was too, even if the responsibility in question was the sort of planet-saving consciousness we usually daub green. Loos, taps and tubs were awash with eco-features.

See Emma's highlights from the fair

Flush litrage was challenged and reduced in many cases, and in some, namely the new urinal offerings from Istanbul-based Vitra extinguished completely to be replaced with renewable filters. Bath designs were tweaked to appear no smaller but cleverly crafted to be less voluminous, reducing water consumption - Duravit appear to be among the most cunning at this – and at Roca, one of our favourite blue-ing devices of all was the W + W concept - a basin and loo combo, hewn as one single unit which recycles the sink water as flush water for the lavatory.

No expense – and little energy was spared, however, on the stand for Toto bathrooms, where the famous wash and airdry loos (the Washlet) from Japan were launched to Europe for the first time. Why the warm-seated, bottom showering wcs have not been made available to western posteriors before now is unclear, but with a slick stand and publicity material crafted by Winkreative, they certainly arrived with a splash.

Taps, the area of the bathroom that designers like to use as their mouthpiece, abounded and organic forms seemed the order of the day. At Vitra Ross Lovegrove’s appeared to flow out from walls while at Hansgrohe, they were partially coated in white to appear as though they were one with the ceramic basin, a concept also deployed at Hansa where the sinks ceramic rose up to join the base of the taps. Dornbracht’s new faucet, Supernova had more angles but was nevertheless a break from the more minimal models of the past.

Water flowed as a slanting wall from Hansa’s Hansalatrava, in different directions from Hansgrohe’s Puravida taps and span round in five intersecting jets in its new shower head, a function honed by a focus group of women, who suggested to the innovative company the best possible means of imitating a back massage in the shower without the need for a man on tap.

Colour was interjected intermittently – Matteo Thun’s circular basins at Vitra were turned gold for more flamboyant markets, as were the water jets in the Ultimate fitness bath at Villeroy & Boch. Roca cheered things up with vibrant red in their Khroma range and Villeroy & Boch went bachelor black on their Memento range of loos and basins while Steinberg’s provided the perfect complementing taps and showers in their 161 series of taps in matte black.

Wellbeing extensions to bathroom lines were impressive noteably at Duravit, where a series hot tubs and saunas were given the artful treatment, making the idea of integrating such features into a design conscious space seem achievable at last.

When it comes to pure outstanding design, Patricia Urquiola produced the show-stopper for Axor. Bringing the bathroom into close quarters with the bedroom the Urquiola bathroom has a charmingly retro line with practical touches such as hand/towel rail bath ends and sink sides, his ‘n her tweaks on the sinks and mirror set ups, and radiator screens with integrated mirrors that divide the space and disguise perfectly their primary function of heating.

At Laufen Roberto Palomba, one half of the husband and wife bathroom design supremos, Ludovica and Roberto Palomba took us through their latest project, a series of three ranges that evolve gently from one to the next, to be mixed or combined if desired, accommodating tastes from the more traditional to the more minimal. ‘It had to be for everyone and exlusive, cheap but elegant, large but compact – it had to reach a large, real audience,” he explains. The ‘real’ accounts for the stylish freestanding bath step and handrail designed to meet the needs of the less agile and the existence of six versions of each sink to match specific needs. But in their reach for accessibility and practicality, they didn’t allow the fun to fade from the process – the cabinet housing for the sinks has a retro feel ‘it is a little vintage,’ says Palomba. ‘I see it as a bit of a Mickey Mouse house too – there’s something about the big round silver handles that look like his buttons.”

Perhaps the award for the most impactful stand goes to Roca, who included a room-sized Led installation portraying a water drop breaking the surface of a body of water, and an art gallery of sinks. It helped to highlight that there is far more art to these tools of washing and wellbeing than most of us give credit for.