Cut your cloth: Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LIBRARY

The next time you stay at a hotel, attend a conference, visit a restaurant, or sit down in a meeting room, take a closer look at any textiles surrounding you, because there might be more to them than first meets the eye. Fabrics used in commercial environments such as these are typically subjected to an intense amount of use and are designed to perform under demanding circumstances. These specially engineered materials often cleverly conceal their innovations so the user is not distracted from the interior designer’s vision. Nevertheless, their inherent functional characteristics are vital to the success of all sorts of contract interiors.

Many of the best contemporary high-performance fabrics will be displayed at the Heimtextil trade fair, taking place in Frankfurt from 7–10 January 2020. The event, which will be celebrating its 50th edition, is the world’s premier showcase for home and contract textiles, and provides plenty of inspiration for architects, interior designers and hospitality experts. For the first time at Heimtextil 2020, a selection of functional textiles chosen by industry experts will be compiled to form the Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LIBRARY, which aims to demonstrate the amazing variety of products available to design professionals.

'Contract textiles are subject to high technical requirements with regard to their functionality, for example mechanical strength, flame resistance, easy cleaning and acoustic effectiveness,' explains Gerhard Sperling, head of the technology department of the German Home Textile Industry Association. 'The challenge is to satisfy these requirements whilst retaining their textile character and variety; a feat that calls not only for technical-textile expertise but also new and innovative ideas. The samples submitted for the Library leave no doubt that the home-textile industry is able to supply these ideas even under difficult circumstances.'

The Interior.Architecture.Hospitality LIBRARY will group products according to their particular functional innovation, enabling visitors to experience their unique properties first hand. Examples in the soundproofing section will include textiles with a sound-absorbing honeycomb structure concealed behind digitally printed surfaces that can be specified in any colour or pattern. The water-repellant category will show that even tactile fabrics with velvety or silky surfaces can achieve exceptional resistance to staining and absorption, while the abrasion-resistant category will feature seemingly delicate fabrics that are also impressively robust. Finally, a range of fire-resistant fabric options will prove that lightweight materials with open structures can be safely used in commercial projects.

All of the textiles on display will be labelled with their specific innovation and accompanied by the name of the manufacturer and their booth number. This will allow visitors to discover exciting new products before visiting the main trade halls to discuss specification details. By bringing the latest functional fabrics together, the Library will offer a one-stop-shop for anyone seeking sophisticated textile solutions for use in innovative interior projects.

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