The German Interior Architecture Awards 2014 were given out last week, during Cologne’s Orgatec trade show. First prize went to Kplus Konzept for its project Open Space, realized in 2013 in the basement of the shopping mall Köln Arcaden with the client Mfi Development. With the prize, which is awarded only every four years, the German Association of Interior Architects (BDIA) has now honoured for the eighth time outstanding innovative projects.
Said BDIA president Vera Schmitz in her opening speech, “This award is an important format to present the public the quality and the comprehensive range of services of interior designers.”
For the interior designer Bettina Kratz, BDIA member and managing director of Kplus Konzept, the distinction is a highlight of her career: “Full of joy and pride I accept this award. Together with my husband [joint CEO Markus Kratz] and our great team of interdisciplinary specialists, we have put not only concentrated know-how, but a tremendous amount of passion and commitment in the Open Space project and the integrated Pop-up Store concept.”
Two other winners and additional 26 projects were awarded as well; all will be published in the book “Excellent Interior Design” (available from early December).
THE JURY STATEMENT
“Open Space describes a living, continually changing and evolving spatial structure in which improvisation, low budgets and creative imagination are no longer mutually exclusive.
Ready-made and uniform store designs are out; trendsetting is the joint development of start-up companies and interior designers, enabling people to engage in creative and identity finding processes and ensures up-to-dateness by a temporary design view. The result is a compelling concept that optimizes a formerly difficult spatial situation and keeps open a significant future development potential.”
ABOUT THE AWARDS
The German Association of Interior Architects is particularly concerned with honouring excellence in the field of interior design. It particularly emphasizes the artistic, social and cultural aspects of the interiors as part of the built environment and as a performance of the profession for the benefit of society. With the juried works it shall be demonstrated what contribution interior designers can make in these sectors.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Open Space in the basement of Köln Arcaden is far more than just a shopping mall. A white skeleton structure of concrete subdivides the black basement into individual zones, its shopping benefits being excitingly redefined. Around a central square with event kitchen, numerous small units – the Smart Concept Stores – allow retailers not only to offer their products but also to integrate and communicate with their customers by organizing workshops or MakerLabs. Sales, events and promotion activities are interwoven and form a merging experience area.
The icing on the cake of the interior design concept is the Master Pop-up Store with the integrated competition “Kalk’s next Pop-up Store.” Highly motivated new entrepreneurs can develop, together with the team of Kplus Konzept, the shop of their dreams. The prize: professional support until the opening of their store.
ALL ABOUT KPLUS KONZEPT
Kplus Konzept designs exciting worlds of experience for retail, hospitality and healthcare. In the fashion sector, the company plans and realizes the interior design for such brands as Tayler and Esprit; in the financial sector, the company completed the branch expansion of the Spanish Santander Group. For big retail destinations, the team develops trend concepts such as the Open Space in the basement of the Köln Arcaden; the multi-sensory Home of 5 Senses in Mönchengladbach; and the interior design themes in the sophisticated urban development scheme Höfe am Brühl in Leipzig (all with mfi – Unibail-Rodamco Group).
Founded in Düsseldorf in 2005, the company is run by the interior designer Bettina Kratz and the communication designer and photographer Markus Kratz. The team of 20 employees comprises interior designers, communication, product, 3D and web designers, as well as writers and photographers.
For more info, vist http://kplus-konzept.de/en