National Hardwood Magazine - July 2019

AHEC REPORT AHEC

AHEC REPORT AHEC PRESENTS LARGEST PAVILLION IN DECADES AT INTERZUM COLOGNE The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) showcased its innovative approach to Hardwood communications at the Interzum Cologne fair with two exciting new projects on the stand: The Blushing Bar; a 3m diameter circular bar that uses calligraphy ink to dye the large vessels of Red Oak and Rubra; a new furniture collection designed by Sebastian Cox. These two projects were exhibited in the middle of the largest U.S. Hardwood Pavilion in Interzum Cologne history. In fact, the interest in attending this Cologne event was so strong that this year AHEC hosted two twin pavilions with a record 27 U.S. companies exhibiting. In addition to providing U.S. companies with opportunities to network with European buyers, AHEC provided information on the diverse palette of U.S. Hardwoods available. Through the projects and information on the stand, AHEC invited visitors to take another look at species they might have overlooked. In particular, American Red Oak was in the limelight in Cologne, as it was represented not only in The Blushing Bar and Rubra, but also in the construction of the stand itself. “Red Oak is not just America’s most abundant Hardwood, and so its most sustainable, it’s hugely versatile with an appealing, wonderfully warm aesthetic. However, while it’s very popular in other markets, it’s been less utilized in Europe,” said David Venables, Director of AHEC Europe. “We have some incredibly exciting projects lined up to and it all starts at Interzum.” Originally created for Wallpaper* Handmade at this year’s Milan Design Week, the Blushing Bar was designed by architects Chan + Eayrs and crafted by furniture maker Sebastian Cox. The circular bar measures at 3 meters in diameter and is composed of 10 modules intended for making cocktails (water, alcohol, fruit, herbs, holders, ice, cutting, glass, sodas, wash basin), each of which forms a varia- Please turn to page 71 The Rubra bar, constructed with American Red Oak and designed by Sebastian Cox for AHEC’s Interzum stand. BY MICHAEL SNOW, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMERICAN HARDWOOD EXPORT COUNCIL, STERLING, VA 703-435-2900 WWW.AHEC.ORG 14 JULY 2019 NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE

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