THE GREAT KNOWLEDGE QUIZ - Duropal

in the case of the aida Club Ships,
PSd has also been responsible from
the very beginning for the areas of
design and interior architecture.
What Bunge means by “living
organism” is demonstrated by the
example of the Show theatre, which
in the first class of aida ships is always
to be found in the bow: “an
area which is actually used for only
a few hours per day”, says Bunge.
With this in mind, PSd together with
aida Cruises created for the new aida
generation the so-called theatrium:
a wedge inserted right in the middle
of the ship, and fully enclosed by
glass. the open stage is visible from
three decks, and is surrounded by
restaurants, the Casino and a number
of shopping and entertainment areas,
making it the new marketplace
and meeting point of aida. Schindler
knows how to turn such plans into
reality: “one has to come to terms
from the very beginning with the
ship’s structure, otherwise the idea
collapses like a house of cards.”
on the subject of ‘colours and
designs’, the direction is clearly
specified, according to Siegfried
Schindler: “We create our own
holiday world. and whoever is on
holiday wants to have sun and fun.
So we have to bring light, texture
and colour into the ship. this does
not mean that we are talking about
strident and garish tones, but rather
of light, friendly and harmonious
colours.” the decisive task is that
the design on board conveys balance
and the joy of life: “We see
every spring how colours arouse and
awaken our vital spirits. Like the
brilliant green of a meadow for
example. the same applies for autumn
colours, although we also
concern ourselves intensively with
all conceivable colour combinations.
We use this variety in order to intensify
the holiday atmosphere.”
although this sounds relatively
simple, that is far from the truth.
“on an aida ship, nothing is ‘off
the peg’. in order to create a harmonious
overall appearance, we
work everything out down to the
smallest detail”, says Schindler,
making it clear that every apparent
trifle has a great role to play. Whether
the carpet, bar counter, upholstery
materials of chairs: everything is
developed specially and exactly
according to the planning of PSd —
or receives from them the final
polish. this is based on detailed
drawings by the interior architects.
their drafts are presented in the
showroom of the Hamburg bureau,
where one finds a fascinating collection
of the widest
possible range of
different material,
colour and fabric
samples. How deep
this love of detail
goes is demonstrated
by the fact that
PSd sometimes even
becomes involved
in the design of the
menus. “We are
talking here about 20 to 35 different
areas, where delving into such
detail is essential. as a result, every
ship of the aida fleet is a unique
specimen”, explains Bunge.
a great share of this is also down
to the duropal brand, whose decorative
high-pressure laminates can
be found almost everywhere on
board. amongst other things, furniture,
columns, counters and many
CrEatiVitY
other design elements all bear the
quality seal ‘Made in arnsberg’.
But how has duropal accomplished
the feat of being included by
PSd in its truly distinguished circle
of suppliers? Schindler’s reply: “We
simply enjoy great service. this also
has a great deal to do with Volker
Niepel personally.” For him, the
project consultant from duropal is the
right man in the right place. Because,
as Schindler continues: “We need
partners who are reliable and motivated.
this begins with the function
of the laminates, because on a cruise
ship in particular, the stresses on
every surface are enormous. other
special requirements also have to be
fulfilled, such as light construction
and fire safety. Because here we are
still talking about design variety,
availability and flexibility. this is
what the business is all about.”
and duropal consultant Volker
Niepel is also well aware of how
this works: “anyone who falters
only once with such orders will be
replaced by competitors. in such
major projects, the advantages of
an HPL specialist can be combined
with other services of Pfleiderer aG,
thereby safeguarding production
locations in Germany.”
HPL World _ 53