In October 2026, the historic Weißhaus Wasserschloss in Cologne will become a stage for contemporary furniture and product design. With DT26, Designers Tower presents three curated design exhibitions across the castle, its surrounding park and an additional building on the grounds. Designers and studios from Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia and across Germany will present more than 100 pieces of furniture and interior objects.
The exhibitions bring together work from across contemporary design – from object, furniture and product design to industrial and interior design, spatial concepts, lighting and material design – connected through a parcours across the grounds.
Since its first edition in January 2014, Designers Tower has established itself as one of Cologne’s leading exhibition formats for furniture and product design. From the beginning, its particular focus has been on independent, author-driven design and the work of designers developing their own creative positions. This is where avant-garde formal languages and new trends emerge, where materials are explored and experimented with, and where social questions, new production methods and sustainable concepts find expression through design.
DT26 presents more than 100 works across three parallel exhibitions
Designers Tower continues this approach by bringing together different generations and ways of working, from emerging talent to established independent designers. Above all, the format sees itself as a platform and a stage: creating places where designers can present their work both to a professional audience – the design community, retailers, manufacturers and the specialist press – and to the wider public.
In autumn 2026, the extraordinary venue is only part of the story. With three independent exhibitions running in parallel, Designers Tower is staging its largest presentation to date.
Cologne Calling brings together more than 40 works from the cathedral city, revealing the breadth and diversity of Cologne’s local design scene.
Looking beyond Cologne, Design State NRW. Contemporary Furniture presents the quality of contemporary furniture and interior design across North Rhine-Westphalia through more than 30 works. Inside the historic Wasserschloss, designers from cities including Aachen, Düsseldorf, Essen and Cologne come together.
Furniture Design Dialogues expands the perspective further, bringing positions from across Germany into the conversation. Together, the three exhibitions create a
