Aguablu ZA5416

OOAK architects have designed a holiday home on the island of Karpathos. The building stages the surrounding landscape and with its patios creates complex spatial relationships.

Today, faucets created by highly paid designers are ugly, or so claims Hans Magnus Enzensberger at least. The exhibitors at the ISH were no doubt more upbeat about their products, and put much effort into presenting their new fittings, basins and everything else that belongs in a bathroom.

At this year's ISH, the "World's Leading Trade Fair for the Bathroom Experience, Building, Energy, Bathroom, Air-Conditioning Technology and Renewable Energies" in Frankfurt the economic crisis did not take centre stage. Visitor and exhibitor numbers almost matched those of the previous year and an upbeat outlook was palpable - almost defying the crisis, as it were.