With the first Vitra Summit behind us, we would like to thank everyone who contributed: the speakers, the staff behind the scenes, and most of all the multitude of viewers who joined us from all over the world.

With more people than ever currently working from home, the very existence of the office as a workplace has been called into question this year. The past two days have been a unique opportunity to examine and reflect on the different ways in which the new normal impacts our lives – at home, in the office and on the go.

Under the guidance of specialist panels – including architects and designers, business executives, government officials, scholars, IT experts, journalists and even chefs and athletes – we discussed and examined how the new situation affects our living environments, our interactions with colleagues and our general well-being.

The human and the office - Day 1, Thursday 22 October, AM CEST

Zoom, Skype, Teams. In just a few months we have become experts at using diverse online platforms to see our colleagues, friends and families. But does this new meeting mode bring us the same satisfaction and outcome? Will we miss the office when it disappears? And how to redesign workplace interactions to include more digital interactions? These questions will be tackled during the first part of the Vitra Summit. This session includes conversations with renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel, interior architect Sevil Peach, INSEAD professor Gianpiero Petriglieri, and others.

Design matters - Day 1, Thursday 22 October, PM, CEST

Is there such a thing as a good or bad material? Or only correct and incorrect use? What impact have past crises had on interiors throughout history? This session features a conversation with Christian Grosen Rasmussen, Chief Design Officer at Vitra, moderated by Jan Boelen, the Creative Director of Atelier Luma. Other participants will include industrial designer Konstantin Grcic, Faber Futures Founder Natsai Audrey Chieza, Princeton Professor Beatriz Colomina and freelance writer Kyle Chayka.

Dynamic spaces - Day 2, Friday, 23 October, AM, CEST

The past few months have proven that office environments with a flexible design and a philosophy of change have a clear advantage: they can easily be adapted to changing health considerations and work patterns. At the same time, new functions have been added to our domestic spaces. This session will include conversations with Sharon Johnston, founding partner of the LA-based architecture practice Johnston Marklee, David Allemann, co-founder of the global shoe brand On, Nora Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra, Ilse Crawford founder of Studioilse, Aric Chen, Curatorial Director at Design Miami and many others.

Remote world - Day 2, Friday, 23 October, PM, CEST

We have come to expect a lot from our homes over the past months. As we retreated into these safe havens, they had to function as our office and school, playground and gym, restaurant and cinema. We will continue to spend more time at home: some level of remote working is here to stay, at least for the time being. Will our freedom to work remotely result in an urban exodus? In this part of the programme we are investigating the new work-life balance and the impact of remote working on cities, companies and homes, with guests such as New-York-based curator and critic Beatrice Galilee, Creative Director of Design Academy Eindhoven Joseph Grima, architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri and others.

Which topics impact office environments, communal spaces or the home, and which processes will influence the future of work? In a series of newspapers dedicated to the world of work and current global topics, we invite designers, architects and industry experts to address these themes.

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