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VERKAUF UND PRÄSENTATION • RETAIL AND PRESENTATION TECHNISCHER AUSBAU • TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

S ince 1927, our building client, the Austrian family-owned KAPO enterprise, has
been specializing in the production of, among other things, high-quality furni-
ture with the Neue Wiener Werkstätte (NWW) brand name. The company rich in tra-
dition is located on 500 square metres in a striking location at Schottenring in
Vienna and here shows the wide variety of skills. We, the architects from BEHF
Corporate Architects, created a concept of exclusive furnishing which combines the
high-quality craftsmanship and the modern design in the tradition of the historic
Wiener Werkstätte in a house-within-the-house structure. The core element of our
design is a ceiling-high wall dividing the whole sales area into an inside and an out-
side space – into a seemingly private and a public area. Various spatial situations
inside the “house” show the different living spaces in an exemplary way. The circuit
leads from the hotel room to the private bedroom, to the study and the conference
room all the way to the kitchen and the living area.

The sunny-yellow house-within-the-house contains various living …

In its sequence, the consistent external design of the yellow wall presents the spe-
cial craftsmanship of Neue Wiener Werkstätte and the numerous possibilities of
Der das Haus-im-Haus umgebende „Restraum“ bildet ... • The “remaining space” of the house-in-house forms … implementing it. Among them are individual windows, specific built-in furniture as
well as various special solutions for the demanding buyer. The possibility of a dual
usage we suggested – an inside- and an outside space – thus makes it possible to
... einen ruhigen Hintergrund für die Produktpräsentation. • ... a calm background for displaying the products.
display classic wall panelling as well as modern shelf units, concealed niches for
working and kitchen elements, historic solutions for windows, doors, bar niches,
conference rooms, living rooms as well as home accessories and much more on
common shared area. Thanks to technically sophisticated details and sliding
mechanisms, the construction is extremely flexible: Depending on the need, the
appearance and the possibilities of use can be adapted to the respective exhibition
concept. In addition, the exhibition rooms may also be used for specialist and other
events which turns the new showroom into a meeting- and competence centre not
only for the interested client but also for design- and architecture enthusiasts. We
designed the “remaining space” around the house-with in-the-house structure in a
subtle and inconspicuous way. Industrial materials are to remind of a manufacture,
a factory or also of a workshop. The industrially cast floor, produced based on
cement with mineral aggregates, coloured throughout and nearly seamless, as well
as the transparent expanded-metal ceiling are white and thus form an unobtrusive,
almost museum-like backdrop for presenting the products. A fitting lighting scheme
supports this effect.

... spaces to ensure the suitable presentation of the furniture

The architectural design offers the KAPO enterprise and the Neue Wiener
Werkstätten brand the largest presentation area possible to adequately show the
variety and the attractiveness of the products by simulating real living spaces. The
simultaneous abstraction of these spaces with smooth transitions from the traditio-
nal and the modern is also reflected in the bright yellow colouring of the wall. With
its strong appeal, the sunny yellow, a symbol of energy, happiness and harmony,
shines far out into the famous Schottenring in Vienna’s 1st municipal district. The
large, down to the ground window panes provide an exciting interplay with the tra-
ditional surroundings. Black drop-arm awnings with the subtle company logo
remind of the architecture of the famous Vienna Ringstrasse of the 19th century. The
visitors, also attracted by the contrast to the white, historic building façade, find
inside a kind of store which allows space for the individual object yet, in a casual
sequence, presents design classics as well as modern, contemporary objects in
user-specific environments. For us as architects, one of the essential objectives was
to design an attractive, modern usage for the ground floor of the historic building
in a striking city location. The transformation – or also the refurbishment – of exis-
ting buildings is a challenge of the 21st century and for us, as an office, increasingly
more often one of the most important construction tasks. For us, the aim is to con-
serve the character and the beauty of a building as well as to achieve value reten-
tion and value enhancement with the kind of quality-assured revitalization which is
attractive and trendsetting. That walking along the yellow house-within-the-house is
also a sensual discovery tour of the Viennese charm in the field of design, which
subsequently leads into the living spaces inside, is no doubt also one of the many
spatial attractions of the new NWW store which was recently chosen as the best
Grundriss • Floor plan flagship store of the year by the Austrian Möbel & Design Guide.

146 • AIT 9.2016