Dutch design is on the cutting edge, which we already mentioned when discussing the latest edition of Milan Design Week.  But to see the best Dutch design, the Connections by Finsa team visited Design District, the meeting point for interior design in the Netherlands.  We joined interior designers, architects, and designers from all over the world in Rotterdam from 6th to 8th June to enjoy presentations from over 200 interior design brands, as well as exhibitions from academies, presentations from young designers, conferences, and events across the city.

Van Nelle Design Factory

An icon of 20th century industrial design, a landmark in Dutch modernism and declared a World Heritage Site in 2014, this historic design factory complex is the perfect inspirational setting for the exhibition. If you go up to the Tearoom, which is located under the glass dome on the rooftop, you will also discover the best views of Rotterdam.  We enjoyed the continent, as well as the content!

The fair

Creativity is guaranteed in the exhibition space thanks to the rule which limits the allotted area of each exhibitor, meaning that companies look for original solutions to display their product and capture the attention of the visitors.  Finsa, for example, chose to cover their stand with an iron net from which they suspended their material samples with elastic ropes, inviting visitors to get close and pick them up.

Innovation

Furniture, lighting, materials…Presentations by young designers at the fair and exhibitions by design schools such as Academia Willem de Kooning or HMC College contribute to the innovative atmosphere.

Design to get more out of your work

The protagonist on the conference scene this year has been the role of design in the work environment, and how it can improve productivity and relationships, as well as its increasingly greater link with health and wellbeing.  In addition, attendees were able to visit showrooms of some big names in office furniture design such as Wilkhahn, Tunaofis, Secoff, and Flokk Design Center, who organised their own program of lectures.