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BAR HOTEL RESTAURANT TECHNISCHER AUSBAU • TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

T he Taste Lab is a multi-function and state-of-the-art visitor- and competence cen-
tre at the Electrolux location in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The manufacturer’s
local production of kitchen- and household appliances equipment specializes above
all in developing and producing modern steam cookers – from the professional versi-
on for the top chef to the high-quality end-user appliance for the passionate hobby
cook. In line with this, the main task of the Taste Lab is to provide the corresponding
know-how and to promote the company’s external as well as the internal communi-
cation. Visitors – customers, suppliers and partners of Electrolux – here are to gain
insights into the technology of steam cooking, get to know company and watch how
its products are used. Internally, on the other hand, the rooms are used for confe-
rences and training courses. Standing at the stove in the “World of Steam”, as the
Taste Lab is also called, is the Rothenburg star cook Christian Mittermeier who is here
working on the “taste adventures of the future” for Electrolux. Our task was to deve-
lop an adequate space concept for the varied uses – half a cooking school, half a labo-
ratory kitchen; half a customer- and half a conference centre where it will be possible
to implement the various formats envisioned together as well as side by side.

Flexible partitions allow a wide variety of uses

For this purpose, the area measuring just short of 580 square metres was structured
into different zones with a specific function assigned to each one of them. The world
of cooking can be experienced particularly well in the Cooking Academy, the heart of
the Taste Lab. On the occasion of cooking events, it is here that Christian Mittermeier
passes his expertise on to the participants. To do so, two black cooking islands are
available designed with Y-shaped layouts. They allow the maximum integration of the
guests into the cooking process. With their curved geometries, they remind of aircraft
propellers and thus symbolize dynamism and progress. It goes without saying that
Electrolux appliances are concealed in the two extensive modules and are ready for
practical tests. The themesection Professional Kitchen, in turn, focuses on the manu-
Der Farbverlauf steht symbolisch für den Garvorgang. • The colour gradient is symbolic of the cooking process. facturer’s professional appliances for restaurants and canteen kitchens while the
luxury segment from Electrolux is presented in the Grand Cuisine. The so-called inspi-
ration- and innovation section informs visitors about the latest technical develop-
ments and the ideas for the future of the kitchen. Currently, the topic of Connectivity
is in the focus here. In addition, two large forum rooms provide sufficient space to
visitors and employees for exchanging experiences on the themes of kitchen, cooking
and indulgence. Depending on the size of the groups and the use, flexible partition
systems make it possible to open the various sections towards the centrally positio-
ned Cooking Academy. Elsewhere, glass walls allow a visual connection of the indi-
vidual thematic and functional zones. “Thanks to the intense exchange, customers as
well as our partners from the industry are able to actively participate in the brains-
torming and the innovation process regarding the products”, building client Johann
Reindl explains, the director of the Rothenburg Electrolux location, and adds: “This
dialogue makes it possible for us to always have our finger on the pulse of the time
and thus be optimally prepared for future trends and developments.”

The ceiling design was a special challenge

From the beginning, designing the room ceiling was our special concern. In its
changing colourfulness, it was to symbolically reflect the cooking process. It is a built
homage paid to the work of Christian Mittermeier, a “taste architecture” which gives
the room a new dimension and changes its “taste”. At the same time, it is to also
make the differently used sections visible without, however, destroying the general
context of des space. The colour gradient was produced with the help of a digital,
Grundriss • Floor plan parametric model. The low ceiling height, the requested good acoustics as well as the
building technology integrated into the ceiling which requires easy servicing, in the
end made a solution with suspended acoustic baffles appear to make the most sense.
A particular challenge was the digital printing we wanted, individual and, above all,
on both sides of each baffle. This is because most manufacturers are only able to pro-
duce one-sided individual printing on their standard panels. Together with the manu-
facturer Knauf, however, we were able to develop a new solution. After the ap0plica-
tion of the colour, all the panels were thus grooved at the back and then folded into
shape. Thus a total of 660 baffles with different printing on both sides and a length
of 2.5 metres each were produced which were then mounted according to an exact
plan which assigned an exact “address” to each module. Together a particularly fili-
Digital erzeugter Farbverlauf der Deckensegel • Digitally produced colour gradient of the ceiling sails gree ceiling suspension was designed and used for the newly developed system.

160 • AIT 6.2017