Hotspot for design and new workspaces: Ambiente 2024

The definition of work is no longer as clear-cut as it was a few years ago. Hypermobile, it takes place on devices that we carry around with us and in places that are not designated workplaces. Above all, the home office is now an established functional area in many households. If employees do go to the office, they want a flexible and dynamically responsive working environment. When Ambiente – the world's most important consumer goods fair – opens its doors in Frankfurt from 26 January to 30 January, the focus for exhibitors and trade visitors from industry, services and planning will be on professional exchange in the four areas of life: Dining, Living, Giving and Working. In the Future of Work space, the latter section will focus on the future of work as a meta-theme in 2024 and showcase products and solutions for furnishing and equipping contemporary workspaces. 

Acoustics, room partitioning and furniture are represented at Ambiente Working, as are lighting, stationery and office supplies. At the same time, the Future of Work area places office organisation and office furnishings in the context of sustainable strategies. The Berlin-based architecture firm MTTR has planned four wooden dome constructions for Hall 3.1 that showcase different working environments. ‘Socialize’ is dedicated to meeting areas, ‘Collaborate’ to constructive exchange, ‘Concentrate’ to focused work and ‘Educate’ houses a stage that will be the venue for the Academy programme throughout the duration of the trade fair.

Here, experts will give presentations on trends and developments related to the working world of tomorrow and invite visitors to exchange ideas and engage in discussions. The four curated settings present the functional building blocks of a modern office environment, as André Schmidt and Joris Fach, architects and founding partners of MTTR, emphasise: ‘With the Future of Work area, we want to depict the entire spectrum of contemporary work situations. Good design and functionality can't do the job, but they can make it more efficient and pleasant.’

The new dynamics of everyday life, work and living are turning co-working spaces into places of work, hotels into a second home and the home into an alternative office. The boundaries between functions are becoming blurred and synergies are emerging in the grey areas between hospitality, interiors and the future of work. Ambiente addresses the contract sector with the Special Interests HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant and Catering) and Contract Business, highlighting exhibitors who address the areas of contract business and the hospitality industry in a special way. Office furnishers, interior designers, project developers, facility managers, wholesalers and retailers can thus at a glance find manufacturers who offer services such as customisation, individualisation of series products and high quality in large order quantities.

As a trade fair that brings major brands, international manufacturers, small craft businesses and design companies together under one roof, Ambiente is offering two new platforms for design and young talent this year. Saturday is ‘Designer Day’. Five invited designers will present their individual perspectives on one of five themed days.

The first ‘Ambiente Designer’ Elena Salmistraro will also be given a special stage with ‘The Lounge’. The Milan-based designer is staging a room with the function of ‘Lounge’, which both reflects classic interior design and builds a bridge to the HoReCa theme area. The choice of lounge as a location is due to the industry focus of the ambience between private and public spaces, between hospitality, living and work. As a place, a lounge is democratic and transitory, invites people to linger, is a public living room and meeting space. It is deliberately designed to be cosy rather than just functional, and geared towards various activities: People can read or work, wait and eat here. 

‘I am delighted to be taking part in Ambiente in Frankfurt for the first time and to be designing the exciting project “The Lounge”. I have chosen a theme that offers an innovative perspective, not through a formally rigorous approach, but with a cheerful look at contemporary design and a focus on the pursuit of happiness,’ says Salmistraro. She is a young but already firmly established figure on the international design scene and has quickly caused a sensation with her colourful, humorous, graphic and poetic designs.

Salmistraro studied fashion and product design at Milan's Polytecnico, but usually approaches her objects and installations through countless sketches. In her installation, she deals with the interface between living and dining and the thematic triad of HoReCa. The strong focus on current design trends is a new focal point of Ambiente, which aims to establish its relevance within the design scene even more deeply by building a design community. Designers and industry have an annual jour fixe here where they can further expand their network. This also includes the Talents promotional programme, which offers young designers from all over the world a platform to present innovative ideas and sustainable concepts to exhibitors, visitors and the media.

From 26 January to 30 January, the consumer goods industry will meet again in Frankfurt. At the same time as Ambiente, the leading trade fair Christmasworld will also take place at the exhibition centre, while Creativeworld starts one day later on 27 October.

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