Utrecht, 15 May 2025 – On 7 and 8 May 2025, the first edition of Future Facade took place at the Royal Jaarbeurs in Utrecht — a biennial international trade event dedicated to the façade industry. A true milestone: never before had the sector witnessed an international gathering of this scale. Architects, academics, and industry experts came together to share groundbreaking innovations and insights into the latest trends in façade architecture.
Joyce van de Hoef, Cluster Manager for Construction & Installation at Jaarbeurs, stated:
“The Netherlands is a leader in circular façades and enjoys international recognition. We welcomed over 1,800 guests from countries including the United States, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, Turkey, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, and France. Jaarbeurs plays a key role in the construction and installation sector, with the primary aim of bringing the entire value chain together and contributing to the development of a circular building economy. Knowledge-sharing and collaboration are essential. With a strong and content-rich lecture program and exhibitors showcasing pioneering technologies, we’ve created a unique and relevant platform with Future Facade.”
Future Facade is an initiative by Jaarbeurs in collaboration with the European Facade Network, TU Delft, and TU Darmstadt. The second edition of Future Facade will take place on 26 & 27 May 2027.
Innovation and Sustainability as Core Themes
Future Facade was fully dedicated to forward-looking façade solutions. Within the specially designed Maze of Innovations, spanning nearly 600 m², visitors experienced striking mock-ups, circular façade components, and bio-based materials. Themes such as transparency, adaptive façades, and technical ingenuity formed the heart of the exhibition.
One particularly innovative concept was façade leasing — an emerging trend in the Netherlands that significantly improves the sustainability of building envelopes. In this model, façades remain the property of the builder and are leased to building owners, making it easier to recycle and reuse materials and thereby promoting circularity in the sector.
Visitor Dana Liv, from CoFlora Design, commented:
“I found this first edition truly inspiring. It was great to see what’s happening in the industry and to meet international visitors and exhibitors.”
Leading Lecture Program and Groundbreaking Projects
The keynote program featured presentations from internationally renowned speakers such as Christian Bergmann (CBA), Lucio Blandini (ILEK – University of Stuttgart), and Lisa Rammig (Eckersley O’Callaghan). During the Research Meets the Industry session, innovative projects were presented, including:
-
“Building with Paper”, a collaboration between Wolf GmbH and TU Darmstadt, exploring the potential of paper as a construction material.
-
“Water-Filled Glass”, a thermal regulation technology developed by Wicona and Loughborough University, in which glass panels are filled with water.
Ulrich Knaack, Professor of Façade Design at TU Delft and TU Darmstadt, said:
“It’s an honor to be involved in Future Facade as a host. This platform offers a unique opportunity to explore — together with experts and pioneers — what the building envelope of the future will look like: innovative, sustainable, and responsive to our changing world.”
Collaboration as a Foundation for Success
The event’s content was curated in close cooperation with the advisory board, TU Delft, TU Darmstadt, and the European Facade Network.
Tom van der Zwaag, Exhibition Manager of Future Facade, remarked:
“Curating this international program was an intense but inspiring journey. We deliberately chose a mix of academic depth and practical innovation. The interaction between speakers and attendees was of a high caliber. On the show floor, leading façade specialists such as Sto Isoned, Vandersanden, Schüco International, BENG Glas, and Metadecor presented their latest sustainable and circular façade systems and materials. I’m proud of the international knowledge exchange that took place here.”
Jaarbeurs and the Construction & Installation Sector
For many years, Jaarbeurs has been at the heart of the construction and installation industry, organizing the sector’s leading trade fairs such as BouwBeurs and VSK. In 2024, Jaarbeurs introduced DigiBouw, an innovative platform for the sector. On 7 and 8 May 2025, it hosted the inaugural edition of Future Facade, a dedicated trade event for the façade industry.
In June 2026, Jaarbeurs will launch the first edition of the European Smart City Experience (ESCE), a new event focused on smart, healthy, and livable cities.
Each year, Jaarbeurs also welcomes a wide range of third-party events in the construction and installation field. In addition, in 2023, Jaarbeurs launched the Construction & Installation Hub, an online content platform designed to enhance collaboration, share knowledge, and accelerate sustainable growth in the industry.