Design agenda 2010: ten events not to miss next year

Mark your agendas: 2010's first six months will be packed with museum openings, design weeks and award shows around the world.

IMM Cologne/Passagen 2010
January 19-24, 2010
Cologne, Germany

Kicking off the year in furniture design, the IMM Cologne - part of the Passagen 2010 Interior Design Week - is Germany's biggest design event, drawing more than 150,000 visitors. With its focus on new, innovative designers, the event is a reliable trend indicator for the year to come.

http://www.imm-cologne.com

Maison & Objet
January 22-26
Paris, France

Held twice a year, the decoration and furniture trade show attracts 600,000 visitors, half of whom come from abroad, and 17,500 exhibitors from 115 countries.

http://www.maison-objet.com

Holon Design Museum opens
January 31
Holon, Israel

Built by Ron Arad as the designer's most ambitious architectural project to date, the newly completed building was conceived to become a new design hub for Israel. The State of Things: Design and the 21st Century, the new museum's opening display, won't go on show until March 10 so that visitors will be able to experience the structure in its own right.

http://www.dmh.org.il

Maxxi Center opens
February
Rome, Italy

The Maxxi Contemporary Arts and Architecture Center, designed by Zaha Hadid and enthusiastically welcomed by many critics for bringing fresh shapes to the Eternal City, will host architectural archives of Italians such as Carlo Scarpa as well as contemporary art by Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, and Anish Kapoor, among many others.

http://www.maxxi.beniculturali.it

Pritzker Prize
April
USA and International

Often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize' of architecture, the US prize is given annually to "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." 2009's honoree was Peter Zumthor.

http://www.pritzkerprize.com

Saloni
April 19-24
Milan, Italy

Still the most important furniture fair in Europe, the Saloni - which include the 'Salone Internazionale del Mobile,' the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, and the lighting exhibition Euroluce, attract the most prestigious brands from around the globe.

Australian Interior Design Awards
April 23
Sydney, Australia

The recently refurbished Sydney Town Hall will host the 2010 Australian Interior Design Awards which will coincide with the 2010 national conference for the Australian Institute of Architects. Awards are based on seven categories: Retail Design, Hospitality Design, Corporate Design, Corporate Design, Installation, Residential Design and Residential Decoration.

http://www.interiordesignawards.com.au

International Contemporary Furniture Fair
May 15-18
New York, USA

North America's biggest contemporary design fair is partially open to the public, with visitors being able to browse some of the best in interior design, get an update from the design colleges and immerse themselves in special exhibitions.

http://www.icff.com

Interior Lifestyle Tokyo
June 2 - 4
Tokyo, Japan

This trade-only fair is the main trend indicator for the Japanese high-end design industry, attracting more than 600 exhibitors from 30 countries and hosting the annual Interior Lifestyle Awards.

http://www.interior-lifestyle.com

Design Miami/ Basel
June 15-19
Basel, Switzerland

An official component of the Art Basel fair since its most recent edition, Design Miami/ Basel will again showcase works from the world's leading design galleries and honor emerging designers working with experimental, limited-edition and non-industrial techniques with the annual Designers of the Future Award.

http://www.designmiami.com/basel