Around seven months before ORGATEC 2026 opens, the organisers are revealing the first details of new curated formats that will shape the forthcoming edition of the leading international trade fair for workspace and contract solutions. Under the banner ORGATEC PERSPECTIVES, the event will introduce two special showcases that address key future topics in contemporary work environments and in other spaces used for professional purposes, translating them into spatial and design concepts. ORGATEC will take place in Cologne from 27 to 30 October 2026.
Hall planning is already well advanced and the number of confirmed international exhibitors continues to grow, indicating strong interest from the market. For the first time, ORGATEC will be guided by a central theme, From rooms to relationships: designing spaces in an ever-changing world, which places people and their connections at the heart of discussions about work environments and contract interiors in times of ongoing change. Design will assume a more prominent role than before, reflecting how spaces can support interaction, adaptability and transformation. As ORGATEC director Maik Fischer explains, ‘This year’s edition of ORGATEC will look beyond functional structures and instead highlight spaces that foster genuine connections and can adapt flexibly to evolving requirements,’ underlining the fair’s ambition to explore workplace and contract design in a broader cultural and social context.
ORGATEC PERSPECTIVES connects theme and exhibition structure
ORGATEC PERSPECTIVES will serve as the umbrella for two curated special showcases that interpret the central theme in distinct yet complementary ways. Together, they will offer concrete approaches to designing future-oriented workspaces and contract-furnished interiors, closely linked to the trade fair’s two major exhibition segments – Workspace Solutions and Contract Solutions. Visitors will be able to experience the thematic content not only in talks and presentations, but directly in spatial configurations and material choices.
CLOSER: sensory contract design in hall 4.2
In the Contract Solutions segment, the special showcase titled CLOSER will be presented in hall 4.2 and curated by Berlin-based Studio Hanne Willmann. The installation explores how contract design can encourage individuals to connect more deeply with themselves and with others, moving beyond purely functional considerations. Its multisensory approach links the practical demands of contract interiors with the sensory experience of space, suggesting how atmosphere and perception can support meaningful encounters.
CLOSER is structured around four main pillars: an open, nest-like architectural setting that invites visitors to linger; multisensory experiential spaces that combine different stimuli; material innovations developed in cooperation with leading manufacturers; and reconceptualised spatial formats. Within this framework, elements such as a bar and a cinema sit alongside a light installation that responds to emotions and a dedicated area for meditative retreat. Architecture, materials, light, sound, taste and room scents are fused to create an ambience that stimulates exchanges of ideas and foregrounds perception as a design resource.
WORK–PLAY: rethinking creativity in hall 7
In the Workspace Solutions segment, an immersive installation by London-based studio Pearson Lloyd will occupy hall 7 under the title WORK–PLAY. The project challenges the widespread assumption that work and play belong to separate realms. It revisits the historical understanding of play as a condition in which ideas emerge, contrasting this with contemporary workplaces that often embody systems designed primarily for repetition, control and efficiency rather than for creativity and exploration.
WORK–PLAY proposes an alternative model for the office as an adaptable spatial environment that continuously shifts throughout the day. Visitors are invited to participate both individually and collectively, exploring how movement, interaction and shared activity can shape the emergence of ideas. The installation functions as a living environment in which play is framed not as an escape from work, but as a catalyst for imagination and for new forms of collaboration. In doing so, it aims to prompt reflection on how workspace design can better support dynamic, process-oriented ways of working.
Mix & Match: new cooperation format for exhibitors
Alongside the curated content, ORGATEC 2026 will introduce new services to help exhibitors design their trade fair presence and to encourage collaboration within the industry. A key initiative is Mix & Match – a matchmaking format being launched for the first time. Through this collaborative framework, exhibitors will be able to enhance their stands by integrating carefully selected complementary products and services from suitable partners, creating richer and more comprehensive presentations.
Exhibitors will use a central platform on the ORGATEC website to outline their needs and collaboration interests, enabling the organisers to identify and connect potential partners. The concept aims to foster product cooperations in areas such as materials, lighting, acoustics and audiovisual technology. The matched products are intended to complement the exhibitors’ own portfolios and help visitors experience holistically designed interiors rather than isolated solutions. The ORGATEC team will handle the pairing and initial introduction of partners, after which the participating companies will plan their joint presentations directly with each other. Through Mix & Match, the fair seeks to strengthen cooperation across different segments of the workspace and contract design industry and support exhibitors in presenting their offerings as part of coherent, integrated trade fair showcases.
