The Future of the Desk

Germany’s IMM Cologne (Jan 20-23, 2026) is the bellwether for system furniture. For NYC architects specifying for large corporate headquarters, the innovations unveiled here will appear in US catalogs by NeoCon in June. The 2026 standout trend is “Soft Contract”—furniture that looks residential but is built to commercial BIFMA standards.

We are seeing the death of the benching system in favor of “micro-architectural” furniture—high-backed sofas and pods that create rooms within rooms. This aligns perfectly with the CoreNet findings on privacy needs in open-plan offices.

Design Shifts

• Mobile Partitions: Acoustic screens on wheels for agile team spaces.
• Power Integration: Hidden charging in lounge seating.
• Warm Minimalism: Oak and wool replacing laminate and mesh.

Read how these trends integrate with NYC projects in the Design Agenda.