Hannover. Next year’s DOMOTEX, which runs from 14 to 17 January, will once again set the upcoming season’s trends by showcasing all the latest ideas and innovations in flooring design. Visitors to the show will also find plenty of inspiration at the Innovations@DOMOTEX Dialogues, where renowned architects, interior designers and product designers, such as Alfredo Häberli, will discuss topical issues and the latest trends and developments in the flooring industry. The focus themes at next year’s Dialogues will be Future Living, Trend Spotting, Space & Acoustics and Consulting & Sustainability. The event will be held daily at the Innovations@DOMOTEX area in Hall 6.

VIP speakers, captivating topics

Day one of the Innovations@DOMOTEX Dialogues – Saturday, 14 January – will kick off with a major highlight as multiple award-winning Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli gives a keynote address on “Future Living.” The keynote address will be followed by a discussion between Häberli and Martin Haller from Vienna’s Caramel architects on “Home living – Now what? The case for human architecture.” Häberli will explore the topic from the perspective of an expert product designer. He designs furniture, lamps and home accessories as well as fittings for shops, restaurants and hotels. He has also built a strong reputation as a designer of floor coverings. The architects at Caramel not only work on conventional building projects but also design installations for exhibitions and undertake concept studies. Their objective is to transform living spaces into experiential zones, and they have built a reputation for fearless experimentation and innovation.

Day two of the Innovations@DOMOTEX Dialogues – Sunday, 15 January – will be given over to the Young Designer Trendtable and its visions of the future of flooring design. The Young Designer Trendtable is a group of experimental designers from five countries who are developing a series of trend setting flooring creations specially for DOMOTEX 2017. The group’s members are Bilge Nur Saltik from Turkey/England, Jane Briggs and Christy Cole from Scotland, Klaas Kuiken from the Netherlands, Hanne Willmann from Germany and Victoria Wilmotte from France. At next year’s DOMOTEX they will get together to discuss their findings and compare notes on the future direction of flooring design. The discussion will be held in English.

On Monday, 16 January, Vera Hartmann (of Sauerbruch Hutton, Berlin) and Peter Haimerl (of Peter Haimerl. Architektur, Munich) will explore the topic of Space & Acoustics and the question: “Whether for concert halls, offices and museums: What is the secret to optimal acoustics?” The talk will be moderated by Professor Rudolf Schricker (of Planungsatelier Schricker, Stuttgart). Sauerbruch Hutton (Berlin) is an international agency for architecture, urbanism and design. Among their achievements are the Museum Brandenhorst in Munich and the German Environment Agency in Dessau. Peter Haimerl. Architektur is specialized in architecture and urban development, and primarily involved in projects that seek to go beyond the borders of conventional architecture. Haimerl stands committed to implementing fascinating and unconventional solutions and innovations in every project.

Tuesday, 17 January, will be entirely devoted to the topic of Consulting & Sustainability. Tina Kammer, the founder of the Stuttgart-based online shop InteriorPark, and Werner Franz of Berlin’s Plajer & Franz architectural and interior design office, will be debating the questions “Can consulting be a product?” and “Do we need special show rooms for the sale of services?” Interior Park is an online shop for premium designer furniture and stylish home accessories made from natural and recycled materials. Apart from providing conventional architectural and interior design services, Plajer & Franz has built an international reputation for designing brand architectures. The firm’s scope of services includes design concepts, retail design, interior design, and architectural services for retail outlets, department stores, offices, the automotive industry, hotels, bars and restaurants.

Those attending the Innovations@DOMOTEX Dialogues can delve deeper into the topics addressed there by joining special tours. Each of these tours is application-specific and departs immediately after its corresponding Dialogue. They will run from 1 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. daily and are free of charge for DOMOTEX visitors. This part of the tour program is aimed at creatives from the architecture, interior architecture and interior design scenes who are at DOMOTEX scouting for new ideas on floor covering applications.

The organizers will also be running their popular “Guided Tour” program, in which renowned architects and designers will take tradeshow visitors to exhibits selected by the Innovations@DOMOTEX jury. The Innovations@DOMOTEX Guided Tours are held twice per day from Saturday, 14 January, to Monday, 16 January, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.