01.06.2006
"World Champion Design Germany in the Haus der Gegenwart”
bulthaup selected by renowned board of trustees
Aich, June 2006 - From June 2nd to September 15th, visitors to the Haus der Gegenwart will be able to experience a taste of German design history. The exhibition will include around 150 everyday objects and the finest design objects whose concepts have set standards both in Germany and on the international stage. At the center of it all is the innovative kitchen system bulthaup b3.
bulthaup was chosen for this project in view of its exacting requirements in terms of architecture and design, together with its innovative leadership. The architecture of the Haus der Gegenwart, created by Allmann Sattler Wappner, matches bulthaup's design ethos in terms of its uncompromising purism. "Our new bulthaup b3 kitchen system made it possible to respond perfectly to the architect's minimalism and individualism. That's why we call it the architecture of the kitchen,” says bulthaup's Managing Director, Wolfgang Steib. The room is defined by three ceiling-height windows and staircase walls. The staircase walls have the same height as the kitchen island's working height, thereby ensuring that the perception of the room is never blocked by barriers, no matter what direction the observer looks in.
The square effect, created by the thin b3 walls on all sides, the lack of handles and the unobtrusive base, accentuates the room's sculptural quality. One of the ideas on display at the Haus der Gegenwart is the "smart home” philosophy. The central control in the kitchen area required for this is accommodated discreetly in one of the top drawers.
The exhibition also features the concept of the living space: Communal living in this "home with five rooms” is evident from the only shared room on the upper floor. This room serves both as a place for communication and for cooking. This is precisely what bulthaup regards as a living space. Cooking, living and communication are no longer discrete activities, and that's the case in the Haus der Gegenwart too.
On top of all this is the subject of "cultural relevance": The Haus der Gegenwart is not a museum, but rather a living world in which a family with two children could live. A concept for individual living and shared experiences that, as a model, offers possibilities for the future. The kitchen's developmental history is closely linked to the history of the bulthaup brand. And this is reflected by bulthaup's commitment to future-oriented projects.
With bulthaup, cooking, living and communication are no longer discrete activities, and that's the case in the Haus der Gegenwart too. The kitchen's developmental history is closely linked to the history of the bulthaup brand. The products are synonymous with innovation, precision and minimalist design and are of particular cultural relevance.
The designer of b3, Herbert H. Schultes, exploited the psychology of perception using minimalist material thicknesses to give his creations an incredible "lightness". The front of the b3 kitchen island in the Haus der Gegenwart sports the new "gray aluminum”, a very characteristic surface that changes its shadows according to the changing lightfall.
