Laminat Classic 1050 oak tradition grau beige plank

When do we regard things as authentic? Take wood that’s no longer wood, for example, and flooring that looks precisely like wood – how does this make us feel? What are the limitations to emulating natural materials, disassociating them from their familiar contexts and advancing them functionally? Architects Lars Krückeberg, Titus Bernhard, Günter Katherl and Dirk Zweering teamed up with architectural critic Angelika Fitz to debate these and similar issues in the context of “Innovations@Domotex”.

Ross Lovegrove, “Special Guest” at Domotex 2015, has long since transposed his futuristic design onto floors. In the interview with Uta Abendroth he explains, in which way designers, architects and manufacturers can advance the design of floorings by thinking outside the box and new material compositions.

There was a time when floor coverings were called carpets, parquet or tiles. Today, the term is “trend floor coverings” or simply “fashion items”. We visited the Domotex fair and now know and what takes off when it gets floored.

Parador has asked some of the giants of the design world to design its latest laminate collection. Zaha Hadid now illuminates prisms, the Bouroullec brothers enchant with colored light displays and Ross Lovegrove shocks with his 3D skeleton.

Every morning I have my tea from a cup that he designed. The favourite hotel of a friend of mine originated in his work. Matteo Thun is undoubtedly one of the great designers of our time. For Parador, he created several floor designs. We talked with the architect about the tactile appeal of wood and the decline of design.

Things are happening not only on the ground. The ground itself is also being reformed. Parador is presenting "Laminate Edition 1", projects by designers and architects Konstantin Grcic and Ben van Berkel destined to ensure that the material is no longer regarded as a cheap imitation.