On Tuesday, 27 October, Susanne Brandherm of brandherm + krumrey interior architecture and Vice President of bdia will contribute a talk to the BEAUTY programme: “Rethinking Interior Architecture. Spatial quality emerges through collaboration.”

Spatial quality does not result from design alone. It emerges from the interplay of materials, functions, spatial concepts and the people who use them. Interior architecture is much more than the design of surfaces: it connects different needs and disciplines, challenges established conventions and opens up possibilities for spaces that remain relevant over time.

BEAUTY considers aesthetic, sensory and emotional quality a foundation of longevity: people are more likely to preserve what they value. Susanne Brandherm expands on this idea by exploring how collaboration and responsibility shape the quality of spaces – and why the interaction of different perspectives is essential to the future of interior architecture.

Also contributing to BEAUTY are Gerda Karal of LEPEL & LEPEL and Winand van der Velde of De Vorm. Their talk, “From Material to Space”, explores how recycled materials, considered design and interior architecture can work together.

BUILT TO LAST is part of the 5th machwerkschau and takes place from 26 to 31 October 2026 at machwerkhaus köln. Hall 95n will host a curated spatial exhibition across approximately 550 square metres, bringing together brands, institutions and designers. The programme explores four themes: LASTING, BEAUTY, FUNCTION and BUILDING. It forms part of idd cologne and Design Season Cologne and takes place alongside ORGATEC.