ISH in Frankfurt - Preliminary Report

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More than just a lid – much more!

Once again there will be many interesting things a craftsman can discover at ISH in the heating, ventilation and sanitary field. Architects, designers and engineers will also enjoy the five days of the trade fair, because they will have the opportunity to find various ideas and stimuli concerning the subjects of people, water and energy – presented as a compact experience during the guided tours by World-Architects.
Pop up my bathroom: the Urban Bathroom Bubble is one of the new bathroom worlds at ISH 2013. (Photo: Constantin Meyer; VDS, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH)  
On 12 March 2013, it will be time again! The International Sanitary and Heating Trade Fair ISH in Frankfurt / Main will again open its doors for five exciting days focusing on “The Bathroom Experience, Building Services, Energy, Air Conditioning Technology, Renewable Energies” (this is the claim of ISH). This must be said beforehand: in the run-up to the trade fair, the figures are very positive! The exhibition area of 256,000 square metres is fully booked with over 2,300 exhibitors from 54 countries. All market and technology leaders will launch their world firsts at ISH. More than 200,000 visitors are expected to attend, with every third person coming from abroad. These facts and data make ISH a world leading trade fair – and apart from quantities, also a significant forum for world firsts.

Having said this, sanitary and building technology in the classic sense is not the only subject at ISH. There is also plenty to see for architects, interior architects, designers and engineers. In view of the global challenge concerning important environmental topics of our time, the exhibitors at ISH look for answers to the major issues of our time: «The key element of ISH 2013 and thus the focal point of all product fields», Wolfgang Marzin, chairman of the board of Messe Frankfurt, explains, «is the topic of resource conservation». ISH will therefore primarily focus on two subjects which run through all exhibition halls as a guiding theme: «Water» and «Energy».
Another trend study at the upcoming ISH: Bathroom (R)Evolution. (Photo: Constantin Meyer; VDS, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH) 
ISH Water
A suburban railway line divides the Frankfurt exhibition grounds into two areas, which makes it possible to easily group the exhibitors by theme: the east side of the fairgrounds (Halls 2 to 6) is occupied by the guiding theme of «ISH Water», where all exhibitors present themselves with sustainable, design-oriented solutions. The latest design developments as well as modern, sustainable technology tailored to meet today’s needs will be on display. The subject area of ISH Water will intensively deal with the use of water as a resource and present ideas concerning drinking water purification and sustainability. Additionally, this section will feature solutions on the topic of «cross-generation bathroom» as well as holistic room concepts.

ISH Energy
The western section of the exhibition grounds (Halls 8 to 11 and Galleria) traditionally brings together exhibitors of building system technology – under the guiding theme of «ISH Energy», visitors will finds everything related to building services and energy technology, renewable energies as well as cooling, air-conditioning and ventilation technology. Here too, the focus will be directed on energy-efficient and resource-conserving technologies of building automation and energy management. All fields dealing with thermal comfort and indoor air quality are brought together under the name «Aircontec» as part of ISH Energy.
At the last ISH, various manufacturers wanted to introduce a little colour into the standard bathroom white. We are eager to see how the subject of «colour» is approached this year. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera) 
Supporting programme
The supporting programme, which should definitely not be ignored due to the diversity of exhibited products, is equally exciting: the Trend forum «Pop up my Bathroom» in Hall 3.0, which is organised by the Association of the German Sanitation Industry (Vereinigung der Deutschen Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. – VDS) in cooperation with Messe Frankfurt for the third time, has meanwhile developed into a permanent feature of ISH. Curated by a team of people working in the creative field, experts and trend researchers, three bathroom worlds «Busy Bathroom», «Bathroom (R)Evolution» and «Bathroom Bubble» offer a foretaste of bathroom trends to come. This time, the discussion centres less on the interior space or design but rather on the human being and personal needs and wishes. What do people actually do in the bathroom, or even better: what would people like to do? Here, the bathroom is considered as a place of transformation, between undressing and grooming oneself, between washing and relaxing, between unwinding and communicating. The results of this year’s «Pop up my Bathroom» are manifold bathroom architectures which provoke consideration and rethinking.

Numerous other special exhibitions, for example on themes like «Blue Responsibility» (Foyer Hall 4.0), «Bathroom comfort for generations» (Foyer Hall 4.0), «Water, Heat, Air» (Hall 8.0) or «Valuable Water» (Hall 5.1) as well as various forums with lectures offer numerous possibilities to explore the guiding themes of Energy and Water in detail.

The supporting programme also includes new items: the Trend forum «Pop up my Bathroom» is expanded with the «Pop up my Bathroom Atelier» (Hall 3.0). At the (also new) special exhibition «wall + floor» (Hall 3.0) occupying about 500 square metres, various manufacturers will present products for (as the name implies) walls and floors. Also new is «BTGA – Forum for Real Estate, Energy and Technology», which is intended as an information and communication platform for technical plant engineering and the real estate industry; it will feature built examples related to the subjects of energy turnaround and the real estate industry. Competitions such as «Design Plus» (Foyer Hall 4.2) round off the supporting programme.
Pipes, cables and lines – the western section of the exhibition centre deals with the theme of «ISH Energy», namely building system technology. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther) 
Practical and individual: guided tours
Those who think that all this information is far too comprehensive and the preparation of a day at the trade fair is too much work should join a Guided Tour by World-Architects.com (free for architects, designers and planners). On four days of the trade fair (namely from Tuesday 12 March to Friday 15 March), different guided tours of the exhibition halls are offered twice a day: one in the morning as an editorial tour with architecture journalist Thomas Geuder under the topic of «Design + Technics», and the afternoon tour guided by renowned architects or planners:

Tuesday 2 - 4 pm:  Peter Ippolito + Gunter Fleitz, Ippolito Fleitz Group, «Wet Dreams II»
Wednesday 2 - 4 pm:  Susanne Brandherm + Sabine Krumrey, interior architecture, «Original Ideas»
Thursday 2 - 4 pm:  Anna Philipp, philipp architekten, «Form Follows Personality»
Friday 2 - 4 pm:  Thomas Auer, Transsolar, «Green & Sexy»

Tuesday to Friday 10 am - 1 pm:  Thomas Geuder, Architekturjournalist, «Design + Technics»

The meeting point for all Guided Tours is the Outlook-Lounge on the 3rd level in the Foyer Hall 4.2.

The ideal day at the trade fair...
… is actually quite simple: arrive before 10 am and enjoy a cup of coffee in the Outlook Lounge, then join the morning editorial trade fair tour with World-Architects. Lunch between 1 and 2 pm, and afterwards a tour of the trade fair guided by architects or planners (also World-Architects). From 4 to 6 pm until the trade fair closes there are still two hours available for individual visits to stands and for networking. A day at the trade fair can’t be more agreeable!  Thomas Geuder
That is what the bathing experience could look like in the future: Bathroom Bubble Nature in the context of the special exhibition «Pop up my Bathroom». (Photo: Constantin Meyer; VDS, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH) 
People’s needs in the bathroom vary considerably: Busy Bathroom, also a part of «Pop up my Bathroom». (Photo: Constantin Meyer; VDS, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH) 
The bathroom is not just a place for body hygiene but also a place of wellbeing. (Photo: Nahho) 
«Water for People» - a film on the special exhibition «Blue Responsibility». (duration: 6:36)
Information film on the WELL label, which is also featured at the trade fair. (duration: 5:19)
At ISH, air-condition, cooling and ventilation technology are shown under the name «Aircontec» (in the ISH Energy section). (Foto: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jochen Günther) 
The best option is to join World-Architects guides on a tour through the exhibition halls, which occupy about 250,000 square metres. (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Petra Welzel ) 



Feedback and requests – Peter Petz [email protected] +49 171 782 76 72
Autor
Thomas Geuder
Publicado el
nov. 29, 2010