Orgatec this year was not only about design, but a transfer of contemporary culture and values into furniture.
30. 10. 2018
Orgatec is the most important exhibition for every (especially) European who is working in the world of office design. Orgatec is organized every other year and within five days visitors can see the latest office systems such as furniture, electrification, acoustics, or technology.
This year manufacturers exhibited in the 1,000 booths. Traditionally, it's there prevail European brands, but the other majority are Chinese and Korean companies. This is directly related to how the furniture market looks like. The commonly available office furniture found in chains or e-shops comes from Asia and, on the other hand, is a quality and much more expensive furniture from Europe.
So what did Orgatec 2018 bring out, and how it surprised?
Two years back we saw the boom of height-adjustable tables and same it is now for the acoustic booths. The height-adjustable tables have been projected into a common and subconscious customer requirement and if they want a work table it has a height-adjustable desk.
When we talk about trends, it's not a seasonal hit like it's in fashion. Trends are a reflection of the articulated needs of people who work in the offices, and designers and manufacturers transfer into their designs and end product. Office design is therefore not self-serving but it is mainly influenced by the way of use and factors such as culture and the way of life of a company and of the whole society.
Acoustic booths are due to open space being the most discussed part of office now even though they are already on a market for some time. Acoustic booths are mobile, customized and space-saving, making them an attractive solution for limited square meters. Today we find them in a variety of designs, assemble methods, or sizes where 1-8 people will fit according to their using purposes like for phone calls, focused work or meetings.
There is no room for unnecessary things in the offices, but there is certainly room for art and design. This time we saw much more experimenting with artistic, retro and minimalist shapes applied to conference tables, chairs, acoustics and shelving systems. In this way, the designers transferred the art, nature, or atmosphere of a certain time into space more than it was to the previous Orgatec.
What we see today as better, lighter, or more efficient piece of furniture is a result of research and development that have made designers in collaboration with manufacturers´ R & D departments. These are mostly simple, but sophisticated and thought-out solutions that require long-term research and testing, or solutions have been taken from other industries and turned into excellent pieces of furniture with surprising properties as well.
One of the most visited booths of Orgatec was a Dutch manufacturer who uses recycled materials and plastics to produce their products. It was a real hit, and there were only a few who would pass the stand without stopping. Today, every business is looking for a solution to minimize environmental impact and create a sustainable workplace in a variety of ways and a certain extent. However recycled materials are definitely the one that attracts the most attention, and it will certainly be interesting to look at where the development will move for another two years.
IoT means the Internet of things. This technology was introduced by Tecno two years ago and offers light and temperature regulation at a workplace or a reservation of working and meeting tables thanks to a sensor that are build in their Clavis tables and glass panels. This year was IoT transferred mainly to working chairs and tables showing activity and the way of sitting or way of working of a user. This technology can help employers understand the habits and health of a workforce even more without having to do specific research and of course give the user a completely different dimension in relation to a chair or a desk.
Many booths presented various and interesting solutions for visual space dividing, which were realized through curtains, glass panels, and fabrics. These are not costly but they create and refine an interior´s atmosphere.
More than ever, we saw bright colors - neon yellow and deep green, blue and red, all in the monochrome range, which works absolutely trendy and creates a special mood. On the other hand, we have seen mild, earthy, autumn colours which bring peaceful feeling tinted with unobtrusive elegance.
