Patricia Urquiola is bringing a new dimension to textile design at Heimtextil 2026 with ‘among-all’, an AI-powered installation that transforms how visitors experience materials and spatial concepts. The immersive installation in Hall 3.0 combines artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, and interactive design to explore the future of textile interiors. By integrating human movement with responsive technology, the installation positions textiles as intelligent interfaces between people, materials, and machinery.
AI-Responsive Design and Interactive Spaces
The installation welcomes visitors through a 3D-printed portal constructed from recycled nylon chips by Aquafil, created using Caracol’s robotic platform Heron AM. A large LED wall equipped with motion sensors detects visitor movements and uses artificial intelligence to morph visitors into hybrid beings, creating an immersive interplay between human presence and technology. This approach places human interaction at the centre of the design experience, allowing visitors to actively shape the space through their movements. The concept builds on textile design thinking by demonstrating how fabrics can function as transformative materials that respond to and engage with their environment.
Circular Materials and Sustainable Innovation
The installation showcases material research focused on circular design principles. A hybrid sculpture featuring Ohoskin – a sustainable textile material derived from orange by-products – demonstrates high-performance alternatives to conventional materials. Woven selvages and production remnants from 13RUGS by rohi form carpets describing organic fields of texture and color on the floor, while suspended grid structures created from the same textile waste showcase how production byproducts can become design elements. The ‘Giano’ upholstered sculpture is given a new cover made from ECONYL® yarns by cc-tapis, demonstrating how to transform existing designs with sustainable materials. Urquiola’s approach embeds material life cycles into the design process from the beginning, leading to more responsible and circular forms of creation.
Evolution of Textile Thinking
‘among-all’ represents the second chapter in Urquiola’s ongoing exploration of textile thinking. While building on the ‘among-us’ installation from Heimtextil 2025, the new installation incorporates entirely new elements and evolves digital concepts into physical objects. The design encompasses various textile possibilities – from soft, fluid surfaces to structural and rigid forms – revealing how fabric can shape space, gestures, and interaction. “I’m very happy to return to Heimtextil in 2026 with ‘among-all’, the second chapter of our ongoing exploration into textile thinking. This new landscape listens and responds, inviting visitors to gently activate the space through their presence”, says Patricia Urquiola.
Educational Opportunities and Guided Experiences
Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with the design process directly through the Architonic LIVE TALK featuring Patricia Urquiola, where she discusses her creative methodology and the creation of the installation. Guided tours of Hall 3.0 provide background information on materials and design elements, offering insights into how recycled nylon, bio-based surfaces, and textile scraps combine to create a responsive design environment. These educational components help industry professionals understand the intersection of craftsmanship, technology, and sustainable practices that define contemporary textile design.
