2017

Issue 05 | 2017

Issue 05 | 2017

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

Sitting still, as here in the Big Easy by Ron Arad at the Moroso stand, was definitely a rare occurrence during the Salone del Mobile in Milan. To get an impression of the latest international furnishing trends walking was the order of the trade fair. Our comprehensive trade fair report (starting on page 44) features the things well worth seeing; additionally you find numerous photos of our personal impressions and meetings on our Editor’s Blog on facebook. An overview of Euroluce, which takes place every two years in the context of the Salone, will be included in our June issue. Our selection of the most spectacular luminaires is supported by interior and lighting designer Heiko Gruber (photo at the bottom), who explored the Euroluce as a trend scout. In the meantime, our colleagues in the editorial office dedicated themselves to the current AIT issue: public buildings – kindergartens and schools. Changing demands on childcare facilities, education policy reforms such as all-day schools, inclusion and interdenominational schools as well as a renovation backlog built up over decades have brought professional circles to realise that half-hearted touching-up can no longer be a solution. Instead, so the association of primary schools, special demands regarding the interior design and architecture of learning and living environments in schools have to be defined: “Moving away from inflexible standard rooms and standard furniture and towards flexibly adaptable room typologies, towards a design of architecture and equipment as if made from one piece!” We happily took note of this and made it the basis for our project selection. Besides day care centres, kindergartens and schools in Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Finland, Spain, Lithuania, and China (as from page 92), we also feature a small but mighty selection of churches and cultural institutions (starting on page 122). Provided that early summer has meanwhile asserted itself: A weekend in … Leipzig (from page 60) is worthwhile! I explored it myself over the Easter holidays!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 11 | 2017

Issue 11 | 2017

HEALTH AND SPA

Dear Readers,

In recent weeks, I was more often strolling through exhibition halls than I could be found at my desk in the editorial department – as is the case in the autumn of every year. But, as a result, I also brought back lots of material: novelties from Habitat in Valencia and Cersaie in Bologna (photo left at the Florim stand) which we then used in the richly illustrated post-reporting for this issue of AIT. That we are apparently quite good at this has been confirmed to us by the Bologna exhibition operators since, on the occasion of the press conference on the first evening of the exhibition, they gave us a special recognition for our reporting in the form of a (tile) certificate (photo right). Whether we also succeeded this time in detecting the trends of the Italian tile industry and to present them in a readable way is up to your judgment from page 30; you will find the novelties of the Spanish furniture industry from page 36. When our AIT columnists Dominik and Benjamin Reding pondered on the idea for the theme of the current issue, the following equation forced itself on them: health + wellness = ceramics. Since reading their resulting essay “Let us embrace you, dear tiles!” (from page 56), I see nothing but tiles everywhere and, in addition, I feel I know who will win the journalism prize given by Cersaie next year! But, of course, we also looked for appropriate projects regarding the topic “Health and Wellness” and found them. Tiles play above all play a role in the water park in Offenburg designed by 4a Architekten (from page 114). In how many ways materials, surfaces and colours influence those building tasks which are particularly suitable for promoting the relaxation, recuperation and regeneration of human beings (and animals – see page 100) becomes clear in the variety of the projects selected (from page 76). Reducing fears, especially in little patients, is also the subject of the master thesis by students of the Main University of Applied Sciences (from page 48).

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 10 | 2017

Issue 10 | 2017

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

whether textile designers occasionally get lost in the Engadine in Switzerland in search of inspiration? Who knows – but the high mountain valley in Grisons is certainly worth a visit, especially for architects, not only because of the Engadine farmhouses finished with sgraffito. In recent weeks, we AIT editors have been on the road a lot: in Pontresina (picture above), Duttweiler, Zurich (page 22), Barcelona, Olot, Pärnu (picture right), Nice, Valencia, Milan, Bologna… and we are happy to share our trouvailles – as long as they are of an interior or architectural nature – with our readers in this and the next AIT issues as well as on our Editor’s Blog on Facebook. By October at the latest, the majority of the working population has returned to the writing desks, and so is the right time for our issue on office and administration. After we have been encountering playful and colourful fun offices in our research for quite some time, where people do not only work but also eat, play and sleep, the authors Lea Hampel and Angelika Slavik answer the question of “why offices are nowadays increasingly turning into playgrounds” (page 126ff). With a certain degree of relief, we have found out that there is an increased number of architects,
interior designers and clients from Melbourne via Guangzhou to Pleidelsheim, who are approaching the topic of office environments in a technical, tidy, serious, and even luxurious way, and these are the ones we have chosen for our main project section starting on page 84. Unfortunately, only half of our readers have chosen to follow our travel tip “A Weekend in Athos” (from page 38) – which has caused considerable discussions within our predominantly female editorial staff. Only male travellers are welcome in the Orthodox monastic republic on Mount Athos. We women can only be consoled by the fact that Oliver Herwig’s article at least provides an insight into the last men’s bastion of Europe. Hopefully, the part of a car shown on the AIT cover will not be the final straw to break the camel’s back. Otherwise you have to write to me!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 09 | 2017

Issue 09 | 2017

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

no, this is not an ordinary sausage stall, which I discovered while strolling through “Markthalle Acht” in Bremen (photo on the left) – and it does not serve sausages either, but can offer a chequered history! In 1931, the oval pavilion was constructed according to plans by architect Eberhard Gildemeister (1897-1978) from Bremen, it was destroyed during the war and reconstructed in 1949 by Gildemeister’s student Lore Krajewski. Until 1999, the food stall with its red-and-white flounces offered its goods at Bremen’s main station and was – after having been stored for a few years in the Neustadt district – recently heaved into the main hall of the former Bremer Bank at the Domshof square, where it will enhance Markthalle Acht – once the initiators have finally decided upon a new use! The concept of Markthalle Acht complies with the current trend of providing identity-generating sales areas in inner-city locations for large and small suppliers of regional and high-quality products. This has proved to be an appropriate means to stand up to online trade – one could deduce from the large number of national and international retail, shop and mall concepts, which we examined for this AIT issue on “Sales and Presentation”. As it has turned out, there is no shortage of fresh ideas and innovative implementations – as illustrated by about 30 projects, which we compiled for you on more than 50 pages. Furthermore, communication designer Robin Hofmann reports on the effects and development of music in shopfitting (p. 132), while architect Valentina Kinzel explains her strategies for the contemporary design of supermarkets (p. 136). Trained in selecting projects, we are happy to contribute our experience when participating in juries. This was recently the case for the Hugo-Häring Award (Small Hugo) for the Stuttgart/Mittlerer Neckar region, where our colleague Dr. Uwe Bresan played a part (photo on the right). Until the award ceremony on 22 September at the Wilhelmspalais in Stuttgart, we maintain silence about the winners!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 07/08 | 2017

Issue 07/08 | 2017

PRIVATE LIVING

Dear Readers,

… once again we had reason to celebrate – and a good one at that: In June, we invited friends and business partners to celebrate the anniversary of our 125th AIT issue. The Stuttgart TV Tower provided the perfect setting for a fabulous party. One of the highlights of the festivities certainly was the speech by our AIT columnists Dominik and Benjamin Reding. In a special anniversary section starting on page 60, we have compiled their declaration of love to AIT, a look back on 125 years of publishing history, an overview of the numerous jubilees in 2017, an outlook on the current achievements of former AIT colleagues in their new positions as well as interior insights of 125 years of interior design and architectural history. Additionally on page 6, we introduce the people who take care that an exciting and informative AIT issue arrives at your desk fresh from the press month after month. Our photo gallery starting on page 192 presents impressions from the cheerful anniversary party (photo on the left with Michael Schmidt and Jan Theissen). To be successful on the market for 125 years a specialist magazine needs many loyal readers – like you! We therefore want to express our thanks to you – with a gift: on the occasion of our anniversary we have compiled 19 homely-culinary anecdotes of our AIT columnists in a reader entitled “Coming Home” and will post it to you if you send us your postal address at pstephan@ait-online.de. Despite the party mood, we have, of course, intensively worked on this issue focusing on the topic of “Private Homes” and discovered spectacular converted and new houses and apartments in Switzerland, France, Slovenia, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Germany. They are portrayed with their individual stories as from page 96. Uwe Bresan visited the residence of an architect from Stuttgart, which was designed by his former employees (photo at the bottom). For all readers, who are during their summer holidays travelling to the Netherlands, our article “A weekend in Rotterdam” offers numerous insider tips for interior design and architectural highlights (as from page 52). We hope you have relaxing, eventful and sunny holidays and, of course, great fun with your new holiday reading material “Coming Home”!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 06 | 2017

Issue 06 | 2017

BAR • HOTEL • RESTAURANT

Dear Readers,

although May fell far short of general expectations as regards the weather, we had two very good reasons to celebrate!
We have been nominated for “Deutscher Fachpressepreis” (German Specialist Press Award) and drank a toast to this acknowledgement on the occasion of the award ceremony at the Druckwasserwerk Restaurant in Frankfurt (photo on the right). An even more joyful event was the wedding of our AIT colleague, Christine Schröder (photo at the bottom), who tied the knot with her life companion Mehmet Urkay. Whenever we have reason to celebrate, the catering industry is involved – so it does not come as a surprise that the topic of this AIT issue – Bar Hotel Restaurant – gives us great pleasure year after year. When looking for unconventional concepts and spectacular solutions, we have found many remarkable projects. Even in case you are currently not working on a project in the catering segment and looking for corresponding inspiration, the hotels in Regensberg, Münster, Munich, Vienna, Saltaus, and Amsterdam will at least get you in the mood for a weekend trip to an environment with high-quality interior design and architecture! The same applies to restaurants and bars in Barcelona, Moscow, Rotterdam, Stuttgart, Tübingen, and Altötting. Even the Liberamensa Restaurant (page 108) in Turin is worth a detour when spending a holiday in Italy: here, architects Andrea Marcante and Adelaide Testa converted – for free (!) – the stuffy staff canteen of the penal institution into a contemporary restaurant, which is open to the public in the evenings and provides prisoners the opportunity to do an apprenticeship under professional guidance in the catering industry. The AIT test drive featured in this issue is also particularly compatible in social terms (page 56). This time, the certainly most controversial of our series actually has the misleading title of “Architecture and car”, because Jan Kliebe tested a minimalist, electrical two-wheeler, the Meijs Motorman – an adequate means of transportation for the upcoming summer!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 04 | 2017

Issue 04 | 2017

OFFICE BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

the concept presented by Stuttgart-based creative agency Designplus as one of the many messages in their moveable room concept (photo on the left) on the occasion of the Euroshop trade fair in Düsseldorf could serve as a keyword for the strong trend in the office industry. When hearing “Together we are strong!” I immediately think of a merry-colourful open-plan office where countless people potter around at various workplaces. We could have filled this entire AIT issue on offices with co-working spaces – which seem to spring up like mushrooms all over the world. Don’t worry, we have selected only a few but very exceptional ones and complemented them with no less strongly designed office spaces of diverse provenance (p. 92). Besides nomadic working, which certainly has its justification, there still is the necessity of and the need for an accustomed and familiar working environment. Cologne-based interior designer Monika Lepel addressed the question of what the balancing act between the old deskfocused sedentarism and modern office nomadism can look like (p. 134) and comes to the conclusion that office rituals which are transformed into interior design can give people in offices a home. The issue of sound protection is of increasing importance in open-plan working spaces. As from page 74 we inform you about acoustic innovations and what else you can use to furnish your office interiors. Of course, we also report on Euroshop, the world’s leading retail trade fair (p. 32) and show you the most exciting presentations, which also include the trade fair stand of Designplus. We had the opportunity to collaborate with an architect and master of brand staging for many years to distinguish Germany’s best interior designers in the scope of the INsider Award every year (p. 14). Professor Klaus Schmidhuber has substantially support us as patron for eight years, and in the festive context of the INsider Award ceremony we together with many interior designers had the opportunity to express our thanks!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 03 | 2017

Issue 03 | 2017

LIVING

Dear Readers,

Procuring housing space is one of the most pressing tasks for the future of towns and municipalities. It is a well-known fact that this cannot only be done at the expense of unspoiled nature. Densification is a solution approach especially in big cities, but refurbishment, modernisation and conversion of already existing building stock are also becoming more important than ever. Besides the aspect of a sensible conservation of resources, the attraction of conversions lies in the integration of the existing building which, as a rule, leads to particularly individual solutions with a strong character and full of atmosphere. At least these were the criteria we used to select projects for our current issue on “Living”. The professional refurbishment of historic buildings with courageous and contemporary interventions, as in the apartment in Chiavari, has fascinated us just as much as the conversion of two attic levels dating from the Wilhelminian era into an incredible maisonette in Stuttgart. There we also came across the project involving a less spectacular 1950s semi-detached house, which after specific measures in the basement now provides a contemporary home for a young family. The miller’s house in Berlin and the farmhouse in Asturias had been abandoned for decades, until they were awakened from their deep slumber and are once again able to accommodate families under their new roof. As expected, the architects and interior designer specifically designed the furnishings for the respective projects, and hardly any piece of furniture is off the shelf. We are, however, happy to provide inspiration when it comes to furniture (starting on page 34), carpets (starting on page 70) or textiles (starting on page 74) – we sought out and compiled the latest trends at the trade fairs in January. And finally, some good news from our own ranks:
the management appointed our colleague Dr. Uwe Bresan deputy editor-in-chief – we share his happiness over his promotion and congratulate him!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 01/02 | 2017

Issue 01/02 | 2017

RETAIL AND PRESENTATION

Dear Readers,

welcome in 2017! For AIT it will definitely be a special year – we will celebrate 125 years of publishing. On 10 January 1890, Alexander Koch, founder of our publishing house of the same name, placed the magazine “Innendekoration” on the market. In 1946, after a 2-year break caused by the war, the first post-war magazine was published under the title of “Architektur und Wohnform”. When the Weinbrenner Family purchased the publishing house in 1971, the name was changed to “Architektur und Wohnwelt – Zeitschrift für Architektur, Innenarchitektur und Technischer Ausbau” and in 1980, it was finally concisely abbreviated to AIT! We will celebrate this anniversary as the year progresses – with numerous events and an anniversary issue, namely AIT 7/8.2017. A rather traumatic occurrence did not happen all too long ago: the ice-cream parlour of my childhood days used to change into a showroom for washing machines and refrigerators during the winter months. For weeks, I was seriously worried whether the showroom would change back again at the start of the ice-cream season. The both original and sensible conversion of the ice-cream parlour “Gelateria” (image on the left) on Marienplatz in Stuttgart ended much too quickly. Only until 15th February, customers who already outgrew ice-cream can enjoy cheese (and wine!) Of course, we have compiled many more successful shop design projects in this issue on “Sales and Presentation” for you. Almost 40 showrooms, supermarkets, market halls, shopping centres, stores for pet supplies, ice-cream, perfume, fashion, and glasses shall serve as a stimulating source of inspiration for your designs. Since their implementation also requires innovative materials, we once again ventured the annual trade fair marathon starting in mid-January. Heimtextil in Frankfurt was the prelude to the series, followed by Domotex in Hannover, BAU in Munich and the imm in cologne. Starting on page 68, we feature the news on floor coverings, while textile and furniture innovations will following in the March issue. We will keep you informed!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe
Issue 12 | 2017

Issue 12 | 2017

BANKS AND AUTHORITY BUILDINGS

Dear Readers,

bank buildings winning architectural awards is currently not exactly the order of the day. The situation was quite different for Bremer Landesbank (picture above and see AIT 12/16) this year: in May, the architects Caruso St John were awarded a special mention within the scope of the German Architecture Award and in October they won the “Fritz Höger Award” for brick architecture (p.14). Slowly – since the banking crisis in 2008 – the need for external representation seems to have returned to a normal level, as the sector had been noticeably reluctant to invest in prestigious buildings in recent years. And because this is the case, we have in addition to town halls, courtrooms and ministries also found numerous bank designs in Germany and abroad for our current issue on the subject of “Banks and Authorities”. Without any chrome-glass-and-granite aesthetics, these examples show how addressing customers can work today: sympathetic,
uncomplicated, transparent, and honest. Of course, security still plays a major role in this, but nowadays it is hidden in the background – without an interior design characterised by bulletproof glass and steel doors. Much more offensive is the dealing with security issues in prisons – here, however, aesthetics plays a minor role. In our article “Behind Bars” (p.118), architect and criminologist Dr. Andrea Seelich reports on the challenges of prison design. Surprising time and again, but Christmas is almost certainly just around the corner! With our selection of gifts (p.153) for and from interior designers and architects, we want to reduce your pre-Christmas “gift stress”. And as in previous years, we would also like to give a present to you: take part in our “Christmas with AIT” raffle (p.74) and win one of 85 attractive prizes – just send an e-mail stating your postal address to weihnachten@ait-online.de! In this way, we would like to thank you for your loyalty as a reader and wish you a wonderful pre-Christmas season, a merry Christmas and a brilliant start to a particularly good and successful year 2018!

Best wishes
Petra Stephan, Dipl.-Ing.
Chief Editor
Architect

Leseprobe