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The 'a-lounge' at ZOW 2009 continues to grow:
More specialist offers for architects and designers

There has been a real boost in the number of architects and designers visiting ZOW in Bad Salzuflen over the past three years. The organiser, Survey Marketing + Consulting is continuously increasing the attractiveness of ZOW for this target group through the numerous activities included in the social programme. At the next ZOW, the architectural lounge (“a-lounge”) in Hall 22.2 will be bigger and more informative than ever before.

ZOW is the recognised platform for showcasing modern design ideas in the furniture and interiors industry, trade fair construction and shop-fitting, architecture and design and lightweight construction and new materials. Since the exhibition began offering an extensive specialist programme for architects, interior designers and designers, a visit to ZOW has had a fixed place on the annual exhibition calendar of this target group. Last year alone, the attractions in the “a-lounge” drew more than 1000 visitors from the architecture and design industry to ZOW. This remarkable popularity not only shows that the “a-lounge” has successfully established itself as an institution at the exhibition, but it is also evidence of the convincing design competence and innovative force of the ZOW exhibitors and the high quality of their presentations.

“a-lounge”: the starting point for architecture in Hall 22.2

In 2009, the “a-lounge” will once again serve as the central meeting place for all visitors interested in architecture. Guided themed tours around the exhibition start here, product highlights for the special topics “Universal Design” and “Decors” are presented here, the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Westphalia is presenting itself in its “Materialscouts” show with creative lightweight construction ideas, and every day exciting special talks and factory reports are on offer. Catering and relaxing is also provided for. The official 2009 lounge partners are the Bund Deutscher Innenarchitekten (BDIA) (Association of German Interior Designers), the architecture trade magazine Detail, the International Forum Design (iF) and Material Connexion Cologne.

The a-lounge programme in a nutshell:
a-select: presentation on Universal Design

One of ZOW’s trademarks is how it adopts topics for the future early on and presents them in an exclusive way. Universal Design is a hot topic for the product development of tomorrow which is set to have a considerable impact on design. Universal Design means that products can be used by as many people as possible regardless of age. They aren’t designed for one particular age group like “50 plus”. The concept takes into account the changes that people experience during their lives and is oriented towards both young and old, big and small, handicapped and able-bodied. Universal Design will be the focus of the main exhibition in the “a-lounge” in 2009. Products and concepts currently being developed by ZOW exhibitors will be on show. The organizer has engaged two renowned experts as supervisors for the presentation: Frido Jacobs, former head of design at Miele, and Thomas Bade, CEO of Universal design GmbH, Hanover (www.ud-germany.de).

a-decor: inspiring decors

“The country needs new decors” is the motto for showcasing products; architects want to show visitors just how diverse the world of decors really is. The “a-lounge” presents creative decor solutions which lend their weight to the current language of architecture, both in colour and in graphics.

a-net: special talks every day

What can architects offer industry and vice versa? Intensive dialogue between architects and industry is key to satisfying the more stringent requirements made of our built environment due to the need to deliver sustainability, energy efficiency, functionality and design quality. ZOW has committed itself to this. As part of “a-net”, every day architects and exhibitors will be giving talks and factory reports about their projects and joint ventures. The events are free for visitors and there is no need to register in advance.

a-way: daily compact themed tours around ZOW

Every day, the “a-lounge” team is conducting compact information tours around the exhibition for architects and visitors interested in architecture. The tours will focus on three topics – "New materials in architecture", “Lightweight construction” and “Sustainable construction” – and will visit selected exhibitor stands, where short presentations will be given on materials and products. The three morning tours are repeated again in the afternoon. The tour is free for all visitors, and there is no need to register in advance. The tours start from the information stand in the a-lounge.

a-day: tour of the Philip Johnson sculpture park, Bielefeld

You are warmly invited by the organiser to a special "architecture day" as part of ZOW on 11 and 12 February 2009. The day starts in Bielefeld (www.kunsthalle-bielefeld.de) with a tour of the recently opened “Philip Johnson Sculpture Park” at the Kunsthalle Bielefeld. When the tour is over, participants will be taken by shuttle bus to the ZOW exhibition. After a sparkling wine reception, there will be a tour of the exhibition focussing on “Sustainable construction”. Following lunch, visitors can wander round the exhibition at their leisure. At 4.30pm there will be a presentation on “Lightweight construction” by the famous Berlin architect Oliver Kühn, from GKK + Architekten, which will be rounded off with wine, jazz music and nibbles in the “a-lounge”. Participants will of course be taken back to the Kunsthalle at 6pm by shuttle bus.