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Entwurf • Design Ippolito Fleitz Group, Stuttgart
Bauherr • Client Poggenpohl Manufacturing GmbH
Standort • Location 8 Hengshan Road, CN-Shanghai
Nutzfläche • Floor space 460 m 2
Fotos • Photos Zhudi Photography
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 126

EXPERIENCE CENTER

IN SHANGHAI

While walls and floors often take centre stage in the
design of showrooms and retail spaces around the
world, it is primarily the ceilings that attract visitors’
attention at the Poggenpohl Experience Center in Shang-
hai. However, the interior concept also impresses with
its successful blend of different materials, colours and
the quality of surface finishes.

D id you know that the name Poggenpohl means “frog pond” in Low
German? Today, the name is synonymous with one of Germany’s
oldest kitchen brands. The company has a history stretching back to
1892. That year, Friedemir Poggenpohl established a carpentry workshop
in North Rhine-Westphalia, laying the foundation for the company that
still bears his name. Five years ago, the luxury kitchen brand, which is
headquartered in Herford (North Rhine-Westfalia), was acquired by the
Chinese sanitary and kitchen fittings manufacturer Jomoo. To strengthen
the brand’s presence in China, the Poggenpohl Experience Center ope-
ned in Shanghai in 2023. The design concept for the 460-square-metre
space – a combination of showroom, event venue and public café – was
conceived by the multidisciplinary design studio Ippolito Fleitz Group.
The internationally active firm, which is headquartered in Stuttgart,
aimed to make the kitchen brand an immersive experience, making
the showroom more than just a product presentation area. At the heart
of the open layout sits a large table, emphasising once again that the
kitchen is not merely a place for culinary delights but above all a place
for socialising and bringing people together. Equipped with castors, the
table can be easily repositioned to suit different uses of the space –
sometimes it is a show stage for cooking events, sometimes a backdrop
for product presentations, or it becomes a catwalk for a fashion show.
Although the space is designed with an open-plan layout, it is clear-
ly divided into distinct areas, made evident through the varied ceiling
designs. The central area with the table is marked by a bright, geometric
ceiling structure, which is flanked on one side by a darker section with
linear lighting and on the other by an arched structure made of rattan.
The natural material used here is sourced from Zhejiang Province. The
highlight, however, greets visitors at the entrance of the Experience Cen-
ter: an installation creating a lush landscape of dried leaves and grasses,
which – in subtly graded shades of brown and beige – floats above the
reception counter. This feature creates a striking natural contrast to the
Grundriss • Floor plan sleek, high-end surfaces of the various kitchens on display.

AIT 1/2.2025 • 097