Rhythms of Lifestyle

No other trade fair reflects the rhythm of the industry quite like Ambiente. Under the motto “Rhythms of Lifestyle,” it sets new benchmarks with its extensive reach in terms of size and unparalleled product diversity, spanning everything from industrially produced to handcrafted goods. The dynamic interplay of the product and design worlds with the four main sectors—Dining, Living, Giving, and Working—offers trade visitors the opportunity to get a comprehensive overview of the global range in one place. The days of the fair will be filled with a host of highlights, special presentations, and lectures at the so-called Academies. For example, the new brand area Interior Looks in Hall 3.1 will be presented for the first time at the intersection of Contract Business and Hospitality. This curated space expands the Living area, showcasing premium interior design offerings from renowned furniture and furnishing brands. Positioned “in a synergistic neighborhood to Office Design & Solutions,” the striking spatial concept encourages engagement with modern lifestyle collections and furnishing solutions. “With this addition, Ambiente cements its position as a design hub for interior design, interior architecture, and contract business,” says Philipp Ferger, Vice President Consumer Goods Fairs. With its qualified range of formats, Ambiente also addresses forward-looking meta-themes, such as sustainability—for example, the Ethical Style program identifies exhibitors who offer ecologically manufactured and socially acceptable products—or New Work.

The traditional office has evolved, merging New Work concepts with lifestyle trends. The integration of home and office will increasingly shape our living and working environments. Conceptual solutions for this transformation can be found at the Future of Work area in Hall 3.1 B10. This space connects modern work environments with the interior design and contract business offerings of the Ambiente Working sections. Key partners for the area include World-Architects, the bdia bund deutscher innenarchitektinnen und innenarchitekten, BAUM e.V., and Prima Vier Verlag with Office Roxx. The thematic days during the trade fair are also worth exploring. For instance, the Sustainable Office Day will take place in this hall on Tuesday.

Embedded within the Future of Work area (Hall 3.1) is the Future of Work Academy, enriching the discussion around the future of work with lectures by internationally renowned experts on all five days of the trade fair. A special highlight is the Architects Days, hosted by World-Architects on Saturday and Sunday. The program kicks off on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. with a lecture by Key Kawamura (STUDIO BANANA, Basel) on the topic “From Tradition to the Metaverse: The Transformation of the Workplace Experience at Audemars Piguet.” This is followed by talks from Sabine De Schutter (Studio De Schutter, Berlin), Robi Wache (ROBI WACHE ARCHITEKTEN, Stuttgart), and Susanne Brandherm (brandherm + krumrey interior architecture, Cologne/Hamburg). On Sunday, the day begins with Chris Middleton (Kinzo, Berlin) presenting “From the Office with an Identity Crisis to the Place to Be.” Later, Sabrina Voecks (JOI-Design, Hamburg), Christian Olaf Schmidt (Schmidt Plöcker Architekten, Frankfurt am Main), and Katrin Jacobs (HENN, Munich) will deliver further inspiring presentations. All talks will be simultaneously translated into English.

Hamburg-based designer Fabian Freytag has been named Ambiente Designer of the Year 2025. In this role, he is curating a special highlight featuring selected exhibitor products, namely the special presentation “The Lounge—Shades of Space” in Galleria 1. Freytag creates inspiring style worlds for dining spaces, the hospitality industry, and contract business, thereby combining the areas of Dining and Living. Freytag, known as an innovative, exciting, and unconventional designer, integrates AI into his work. 

Hospitality is on the menu: Ambiente 2025 is expanding the growth area of Hospitality, emphasizing this with various special presentations, including Fabian Freytag’s “The Lounge” mentioned before. At the Hospitality Academy, the focus will be on the future of this dynamic segment. Part of the program is the Talk+Tour by World-Architects on Monday, 10 February, at 11:30 a.m. in Hall 11.0 Foyer 10, a talk and panel discussion titled “Building for guests: The perspectives of architects and hoteliers” presented in English (with simultaneous German translation). Ensuring satisfied guests requires close cooperation between hoteliers and architects, as in the case of architect Sebastian Pajakowski (Design Director, FRANKEN Generalplaner, Frankfurt am Main) and hotelier Björn Rapanis (lyf Champion, lyf East Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main), who will share their personal experiences at the occasion. Following the talk, attendees can join a guided walk led by World-Architects with the hospitality duo.

“Think local, act sustainable” encapsulates the design approach driving many emerging designers to develop sustainable innovations and alternative products. This trend is also reflected in the Talents program, with which Messe Frankfurt specifically promotes newcomers from all over the world and, to this end, cooperates with international design awards and initiatives such as German Design Graduates. The 28 international design talents are providing strong and clear conceptual impetus for the consumer goods of the future.