Held in Cologne, Germany from October 22 to 25
A diverse range of furniture, flooring, lighting and office-related products on display
ORGATEC, the international office interior trade fair, will be held in Cologne, Germany from October 22 to 25.
ORGATEC is the world's largest office interior trade fair, boasting an exhibition space of 140,000㎡. It is regarded as a fair where visitors can take in the trends of every field of office interior design at a glance — not only furniture but also flooring, lighting and audio systems. Anticipation is running high for this edition of ORGATEC, as a large number of furniture manufacturers renowned worldwide for their contemporary design and high quality are taking part. Brands leading office furniture trends will gather in one place, including Narbutas, Deberenn, Mobel Linea, Werner Works, Four Design, Muuto, Walter Knoll, Ethnicraft, Jan Kurtz and Prostoria.
From Korea, the nine companies of the Korea Pavilion operated by the Korea Furniture Industry Association — along with Nouhaus, Dawon Chairs, Duoback, Bestuhl, Wontex, Credi, Chairmeister and Fursys (Partra) — will participate and roll out aggressive overseas marketing. Amid rapidly changing work culture, the office interior industry too is going through a turbulent period. To stay one step ahead of market trends, ORGATEC 2024 will run a special, inspiring theme hall (Inspired Augmented Office). Gathering products under five keywords, the theme hall aims to present trends visually.
Since the adoption of remote work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, a 'comfortable environment' has emerged as a keyword in office interior design. Unlike the past, when only functional furniture that provided practical comfort was considered, attention is now turning to the power of a calm atmosphere. ORGATEC 2024 focuses on color and form. Soft curves, natural finishes and warm colors ease the tension of a competitive atmosphere and foster positive communication among team members. Also on display are interiors that respect private space even within open areas, achieved through spatial layouts using movable partitions and soundproof dividers.
In European countries where hybrid work has become routine, a craze for home office interiors is sweeping through. At a time when debate over remote work continues in Korea as well, home office interiors that separate work from living space are undeniably a hot topic. ORGATEC proposes 'all-rounder office furniture.' Multipurpose designs — such as modular furniture — that make it possible to build a comfortable work environment even in a small home take center stage.
Smart interiors that integrate IT can be found in the 'New Work Space' theme hall. In an age where AI has become part of daily life, the digital workspace is no longer a story of the future. Smart office interiors will be unveiled, including LED tables that allow coworking spaces to be arranged more creatively and colorfully, soundproof booths for video meetings, and digital frame monitors.
In the 'TownHall' theme hall, panel discussions will be held on work environments transformed by technological advances such as AI, the metaverse and VR. Discussions are expected to cover how the interior industry should respond to a future work culture that blends virtual space and reality, such as 'virtual avatar meetings.'