new_spaces_07_GB

More documents

Recommendations

Info

26 Thinking the Future II resembled the packages and cartons displayed on endless rows of shelves under cold fl uorescent lights. It was as if the designers had subscribed to the motto: “Square, Practical, Good”. The supermarkets’ pragmatic structure refl ected the two main driving forces behind the design: cost-benefi t considerations and logistic optimisation. The result was a wave of eyesores. This was no good because, as Mölk points out, “supermarkets are the most frequented public places, so you can’t say their appearance isn’t important”. At the beginning of the 1980s, architect Heinz Planatscher convinced Mölk to try something new. This little experiment evolved into a valuable brand. These days, supermarket chains in Austria not only compete in terms of the best location and the lowest prices; they also strive to achieve the best architectural designs. Even star architects like Dominique Perrault have been persuaded to build outlets for MPREIS. In other countries as well, supermarket operators are giving shop design a higher priority. For example, some time ago the US organic supermarket chain Whole Foods realised that you can’t sell premium organic products in faceless concrete structures. That’s why it commissioned renowned architects from the KTGY Group to design its fl agship store in Pasadena, California. Department store giant Selfridges let avant-garde designers from Future Systems handle its food halls in Manchester and Birmingham in the UK, while in Germany, young architects from RobertNeun have already won several awards for their work on FrischeParadies supermarkets. As the jury for the Deubau Award put it, the architects dedicated themselves “to designing commercial buildings for storing and distributing merchandise in a manner that enhances the cityscape”. To put it another way, the “food lounges” which these architects often build in old warehouses, are simply lovely places to shop and spend time. RobertNeun’s main offi ce is in an old industrial building in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin. A narrow stairway leads to the studio used by Thomas Baecker, Nils Buschmann, and Tom Friedrich. Pipes and wires run underneath the ceiling of the white room. “We like the raw authenticity of industrial settings,” says Baecker, who also points out that “containers and stock pallets are just as much an integral part of supermarket processes as the giant sliding doors in refrigerated rooms and the meat hooks hanging from the ceilings.” In 2009, FrischeParadies opened a shop in Berlin — a bungalow-like structure with a total fl oor space of 6,000 square metres that reminded architecture critics in the German FAZ newspaper of Le Corbusier. This was because its wooden frame is supported by dark and abstractly shaped steel beams while its large seamless glass surfaces offer a view deep inside. When darkness falls, the yellow LED lamps that illumi- PHOTGRAPHY: THOMAS JANTSCHER
nate the empty building, shopping trolleys, car park, and pockets of rubbish turn the site into a veritable installation. Until recently, retail chains interpreted corporate design as meaning that each outlet should have a similar appearance and structure. Customers would then be able to fi nd the shops and recognise their interior structures, regardless of whether a 7Eleven, for example, is located in Hong Kong or Los Angeles. Only recently did companies realise that the atmosphere in which they present their products is important, and that modern architecture can enhance a brand’s value and attract attention. Indeed, car manufacturers like Mercedes, BMW, and VW are already involved in a crazy competition involving museums, transparent factories, and so-called auto cities designed by Zaha Hadid or Coop Himmelb(l)au. The MPREIS market in Telfs also looks like a glittering aluminium UFO that has somehow landed in the Alps. Each market is unique. “Our style focuses on the individual and unmistakable,” says Mölk. “Because we always look different, people tend to recognise us.” Still, supermarkets will never become sculptures. “We are judged primarily on things like whether or not we deliver on time and whether our doors are wide enough to accommodate forklifts,” says Baecker. In other words, functionality and business factors remain the key. Even Mölk points out that “the market Summits rather than merchandise mountains MPREIS shops like the one in Telfs (left) choose to forgo shelf space in favour of transparency and open areas. As a result, shopping there is a true experience. People at FrischeParadies have a similar view of things but have opted instead for the raw charm of industrial aesthetics, as can be seen at the market in the Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg (top). needs to function properly.” But isn’t good architecture the art of reconciling budget constraints, construction ordinances, spatial contexts and function to create an exceptional design? Baecker says that chains like MPREIS, FrischeParadies and Whole Foods understand that while a large glass facade can reduce the absolute shelf space in a market, it will also pull more customers inside. In other words, sometimes an exceptional form can also follow function: “Our ceilings are up to 1.50 metres higher than stipulated by law,” says Mölk. “This creates a pleasant atmosphere that entices people to stay longer.” It goes without saying that discount merchandise is a no-no in such a designer market. FrischeParadies is actually a delicacy food business that formerly supplied only hotels and restaurants, but has now opened its doors to the public. The entrance to every FrischeParadies is adorned with a sign touting caviar and truffl es — and right next to that is the shop’s spice section. However, MPREIS also stresses the regional origin of many of its products. These days, the “super supermarket” has become the ideal place for a new consumer sub-species with a “LoHa” (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) to shop. For these consumers, food is more than just a nutrient. In fact, their shopping list is like a personal identity card that says “I am what I eat.” In the traditional supermarket, the shelf arrangement, signs, and information from loudspeakers guide shoppers past each product at least once. This guidance system leaves some options open, but seals off others. “Today’s modern customers don’t like to feel trapped, however,” says Baecker. That’s why modern supermarkets utilise waist-high shelves and thematic product islands and merchandise sections. Sometimes cash registers are even arranged within the market rather than at the end, thereby eliminating this ultimate barrier as well. “If you’ve got a great interior, you’ve got to show it,” Baecker says. Baecker and his colleagues took this doctrine further than ever when designing the FrischeParadies supermarket in Berlin. The supermarket’s glass windows and innovative “viewing channels” not only display products but also reveal what’s behind the scenes and in storage areas. It’s a transparent supermarket where administrative staff can be found between the aisles and customers can see storerooms and trucks bringing in deliveries. Mölk believes supermarkets should not be a place where customers simply work through a shopping list. Instead, they should be places where people communicate, similar to the old weekly markets. That’s why these super supermarkets often include bistros and bars. Amanda Levete and her colleagues at Future Systems adopted a similar approach with the food halls for Selfridges department stores in England. These halls look like the bridge of a spaceship with their cool blue light illuminating the biomorphic glass showcases and shelves. Here, the artifi cialness of the market environment underlines the naturalness of the products. According to Future Systems, this concept is meant to re-establish supermarkets as social meeting places — locations for people to stroll about in, sample individual products and converse with other people. In other words, what’s needed is a weekly market that looks like a spaceship. Further information www.mpreis.at/standorte/architektur/architekturdesign/index.htm www.frischeparadies.de www.wholefoodsmarket.com PHOTGRAPHY: ANNETTE KISLING
Page 1 and 2: new spaces 07 365 days Gaggenau new
Page 3 and 4: PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP TO BOTTOM): BRUNO
Page 5 and 6: Masters of jelly Sam Bompas and Har
Page 7 and 8: “ The complete airport was eaten
Page 9 and 10: PR industry. Both of them lived in
Page 11 and 12: PHOTOGRAPHY: GAGGENAU The wine expe
Page 13 and 14: A successful aesthetic symbiosis Th
Page 15 and 16: A House with a Heart A tailor-made
Page 17 and 18: Comfort on every level Grace, the c
Page 19 and 20: Where nature meets architecture Alt
Page 21 and 22: 1 Iittala Tools pan Maybe it is the
Page 23 and 24: The Wonderful World of Shopping Mod
Page 25: “ Supermarkets are the most frequ
Page 29 and 30: If you take a walk — or, preferab
Page 31 and 32: Sustainable and exclusive The avera
Page 33 and 34: Extremely precise and fast: There a
Page 35 and 36: Gaggenau new spaces 07 Focus on Sin
Page 37 and 38: “A variety of sounds, rhythms and
Page 39 and 40: One of the most remarkable private
Page 41 and 42: PHOTOGRAPHY: DARREN SOH exception.
Page 43 and 44: 2 3 4 5 1 What’s Next? What’s N
Page 45 and 46: Building Stories Lampshades made of
Page 47 and 48: 47 A lustrous cavern of LEDs Zaha H
Page 49 and 50: Every object tells a story, and so
Page 51 and 52: PHOTOGRAPHY: HUTHMACHER/ARTURIMAGES
Page 53 and 54: Up, Up in the Sky From the Alps to
Page 55 and 56: Visitors are left breath - less 650
Page 57 and 58: Daring escapades Only thin lines ar
Page 59 and 60: PHOTOGRAPHY (FROM LEFT): COURTESY O

new_spaces_07_GB

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?