Architects get a feel: Continental impresses with material diversity at A@W Hamburg
The ARCHTIECT@WORK (A@W for short) was held in Hamburg on September 13 and 14, 2023. The city’s proximity to the sea was also reflected in the type of visitors to the show, with representatives of large shipyards and specialists from the cruise sector attending in addition to conventional architectural firms. Continental took the opportunity to present its latest material highlights to you all with the “Talented Trio” – i.e.: skai® Evida Fiber, skai® Tovosoft EN and skai® Totexo EN.
Super sustainable, extremely stylish, mega comfortable – these properties most aptly describe the innovative skai® trio of materials that premiered in this constellation at the A@W. After all, each individual upholstery fabric has its own personality and, like the members of a band, its own personal strength.
While the sustainability concept of skai® Evida Fiber, made from more than 90% natural and renewable raw materials, was extremely well received by architects, skai® Tovosoft EN in particular, with its extraordinary voluminous feel, and skai® Totexo EN, with its futuristic matte-gloss effect, generated great enthusiasm, as Elmar Zschau, Manager Architect Relations at Continental explains, “The trade show visitors were delighted by the variety on display. With the three materials, we had a solution for every requirement. Where the focus was on sustainability, the perfect partner was skai® Evida Fiber and where a trendy look or particularly soft feel mattered more, we demonstrated our design expertise with skai® Tovosoft EN and skai® Totexo EN.” The diverse manner in which the fabrics were presented – sometimes stretched, sometimes in the shape of large samples – was particularly well received. “For the trade show visitors, it was great to be able to literally get a feel of our materials in various ways, because the individual qualities of the surfaces can be experienced to best effect,” Zschau continues.
Hamburg also attracted visitors from the cruise sector
Many valuable contacts were made from the very first day of the show. And by no means only with architectural firms, but also with numerous important players from the cruise sector. “That’s been quite different here in Hamburg compared to the other A@W iterations in other cities,” says Jens Mulder, head of Hospitality/Contract at Continental. This target group would definitely be less represented otherwise. However, with Hamburg’s proximity to the sea and its longstanding shipping tradition, the trend makes perfect sense. It is precisely this clientele that will continue to have the opportunity to take a closer look at the skai® materials in the Hanseatic city after the trade show. Since the middle of the year, Continental has been represented in the Innovation Lounge Hamburg, where it presents its latest solutions specifically for the cruise sector.
