Imm cologne
18-24 January
Review by Johnny Tucker

Lounge chair for the Nolita range by Simone Mandelli and Antonio Pagliarulo for Pedrali

Imm continued its Das Haus central feature this year with German designer Sebastian Herkner at the reigns.

Transparency was the cornerstone for the circular scheme, though it wasn't as intriguing and provocative as last year's offering from Neri+Hu .

Guadalupe by Christian Werner for Leolux

Barcelona outfit Mobles 114 showed Eugeni Quitllet's chunky Tube chair, which although officially launched at the end of last year, was definitely worth a second look. Maison&Objet thought so too, with a focus on the designer's work.

Saen by Gabriele & Oscar Buratti for Alias

In the vein of metal chairing Pedrali's outdoor lounge chair addition to the Nolita range by Simone Mandelli and Antonio Pagliarulo also stood out from the crowd.

Pero Desk by Matthew Hilton for Ercol

Like a number of exhibitors Ercol was showing at both fairs and on its stand it was the extremely minimal and perhaps least Ercolian Pero Desk, by Matthew Hilton that really caught the eye, with its simple and elegant lines. It's part of a collection of three pieces. Minimalist Karimoku, by contrast produced something slightly more Ercolian with its Castor sofa, that references Le Corbusier's LC2.

Castor sofa from Karimoku

For sheer exuberance of form it was Italy's Alias and The Netherland's Leolux to the fore. Gabriele & Oscar Buratti created the superbly bulbous concrete and glass Saen table for Alias, while Christian Werner was the creative force behind Leolux's excellent Guadalupe modular sofa.

Votteler chair by Arno Votteler reissued by Walter Knoll

Also particularly strong on form, and somewhat reminiscent of the work of Gio Ponti, was the reissue of the Votteler chair designed by Arno Votteler in 1956 for Walter Knoll and updated with some interesting new fabric choices.