In the organizer's words:

ICONIC PIECES - The Design Post celebrates 20 years of design history

Cologne, January 17, 2025 - The Design Post Cologne celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025 and looks back on two decades of European design culture with a curated exhibition. Under the title "ICONIC PIECES - The Design Post celebrates 20 years of design history", the platform is presenting a multi-layered show on around 400 m² that combines design classics, material expertise, innovative strength and atmospheric spatial staging.

A total of 34 international brands from Design Post's portfolio will be presenting the anniversary exhibition - including COR, Thonet, Tecta, Ingo Maurer, Artifort, ClassiCon, Moroso, Magis, Montis, La Cividina, Howe, Andreu World, Kvadrat, Kastall, Luceplan, Prostoria, Arper, Arco, Palau, Arco, Moooi, String, Swedese Möbler AB, Bensen, TUBES, Klöber, Aqua Creation, Dieffebi, Secto Design, Zeitraum, Wagner, &Tradition and Buschfeld. The exhibition does not focus on individual manufacturers, but shows design in a wider cultural context. The tour leads through four curated themed rooms that reveal the diversity and development of European design:

1. icons of design history

Classic designs, historical milestones and the roots of modern furniture design - presented by manufacturers such as Thonet, Tecta, ClassiCon and Artifort.

2. material & craftsmanship

A tribute to European material culture: wood, textiles, leather and the art of craftsmanship.
With contributions from Arco, Kastall, La Cividina and Palau.

3. innovation & avant-garde

Contemporary experiments, modular systems and new material approaches. Brands such as Magis, Moroso, Prostoria, Andreu World and Arper show how design thinks today and could look tomorrow - from sculptural forms to new technical solutions.

4. light & atmosphere

Architectural elements and poetic lighting objects characterize this room - designed by Ingo Maurer, Luceplan, Moooi, Aqua Creation and TUBES.

With this anniversary exhibition, the Design Post is not only paying tribute to the brands that have accompanied it over the past twenty years, but also to those players who are shaping the future of the design scene. Visitors will experience furniture icons, material innovations and impressive lighting compositions in dialog with each other - and in dialog with the striking architecture of the historic post office building in Cologne-Deutz.

"The Design Post has been a place of exchange for 20 years," explains the Design Post team. "A constant dialog is created here between brands, architects, designers and the public, which is condensed into an overall curatorial idea as part of the anniversary show."

The exhibition opens on January 17, 2026 and will be accompanied by a varied supporting program - including talks, guided tours and an anniversary event that will further strengthen the role of the Design Post as a platform and driving force in the European design scene.