Discover Germany | Issue 18 | September 2014

Issue 18 | September 2014

ANDREAS GABALIERTHE VOLKS-ROCK’N’ROLLER FROM STYRIA

PLUSTOP ARCHITECTS

GERMANY’S BEST SHORT-TRIP DESTINATIONS

HOW TO BOOSTYOUR CAREER

DESIGN, FASHION,CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

2_0_DiscoverGermany_Sept2014_Issue18:Scan Magazine 1 3/9/14 11:41

Be part of the unique design festival at the LeipzigTrade Fair and across the entire city.For the tenth time in a row, the Designers

,Open put

forward latest trends in product, fashion and industrialdesign as well as in architecture.


23 78

ContentsSEPTEMBER 2014

Discover Germany | Contents

Novartis Cube. © Damaris Betancourt

Issue 18 | September 2014 | 3

Photo: FEUERRING

COVER FEATURE6 Andreas Gabalier

Meet Andreas Gabalier, Austria’s greatest phe-nomenon in folk rockmusic.The Styrian superstartalked to our editor Tina Awtani about his newshow and how it all began with a love letter.

SPECIAL THEMES39 Vienna’s hidden treasures

Our journalist Jaime Schwartz went off thebeaten track to discover the city’s hidden treas-ures. Read our insider tips for a trip to Austria’scapital.

46 Oktoberfest SpecialThe tents are up and the Steins are ready as Mu-nich prepares for the largest and the only trulyoriginal German beer festival on the famousWies’n.

54 Great Short Trip Destinations thisAutumn in GermanyPlanning a quick visit to Germany? How abouta Garden Kingdom or a lovely coastal resort?Wehave plenty of inspiration for you including the-Hotel Schindelbruch, a former hunting lodgein Germany’s Harz mountain region.

66 Top 10 Swiss ArchitectsSwiss architects are world famous for their strik-ing and understated designs. Our top 10 Swissarchitects present their latest eye-catching proj-ects.

100 Top 3 Austrian ArchitectsAustria’s finest architects have a passion forperfection. We introduce you to some of thegreatest names in the country and their amaz-ing creations.

110 BoostYour CareerClimbing to the top of the career ladder requiresmore than just a good education. Excellent pres-entation skills, a clear understanding of what toexpect from life and other important factors areequally as important. Brilliant career coacheshelp you to make the most of your skills.

REGULARS & COLUMNS10 Fashion

It is lederhosen and Dirndl time again.Oktober-fest, here we come.

12 DesignThis month’s picks are dedicated to the Okto-berfest, and we’ve added a little fun factor. In-dustry expert Barbara Chandler talks to award-winning architectural interior designer StaffanTollgard in his London showroom. And pleasemeet our Swiss designers, who came up withsome truly remarkable products.

25 Wine & DineWine expert Iris Ellmann recommends the idealwines for BBQs and we present our threefavourite Austrian vineyards, each of which is afamily business with a long history and sometruly amazing produce.

35 Restaurant of the MonthVienna’s El Gaucho steak house sources succu-lent Angus beef directly from Argentina, allow-ing guests an authentic and tasty gourmet expe-rience.

Hotels of the Month36 Austria’s three Natural Beauties, DasPosthotel,

HochLeger and the GolfLodge are the perfect lux-urious hideaways in the popular holiday regionof Austria’s ZillerValley.

56 ‘My home is your home’ is the motto at Ger-many’s Hotel La Casa, an oriental oasis in thetown of Tübingen.

62 BusinessOur legal expert Gregor Kleinknecht treats us toa lecture about pensions. In addition, you willfind world-class architecture studios, great careeradvice and a truly gifted business photographerin this section.

120 Culture CalendarWhat to do and where to go this autumn?Whether you’re planning a visit toVienna, a shorttrip to Germany or full immersion in the Okto-berfest, we have it all covered.

123 Barbara GeierOur columnist Barbara Geier explainsVolksmusikin her own special way.

58

Photo: CUXLAND-TOURISMUS


4 | Issue 18 | September 2014

Dear Reader,Summer is officially over, the days are get-ting shorter and temperatures are plum-meting. But as we sadly wave goodbye tothe beach season, the jolly Oktoberfest cel-ebrations are about to begin. On 20 Sep-tember – and for the 181st time in history –the original beer festival will be officiallyinaugurated with the traditional tapping ofthe first beer barrel. With the words

“O’zapft is! Auf eine friedlicheWiesn,” Munich’s mayor ChristianUde will get the party started.

With Dirndl and the lederhosen a must-wear for the season, whocould be more suitable for this month’s cover than the man whosesignature look is the full lederhosen outfit?Austrian singerAndreasGabalier gives the traditional legwear a contemporary touch byadding a crisp white T-shirt and cool sunglasses. Just like his fash-ion sense, his music is a mix of traditional and modern styles.With his own interpretation ofVolksmusik, he really rocks his au-dience. In our star interview he talks about life, his passion forRock’n’Roll and how a broken heart led him down the road to suc-cess.

State-of-the-art contemporary masterpieces are the stars in our ar-chitectural special theme. Read all about the top 10 Swiss architectsand the top 3Austrian studios, including their amazing stories andaward-winning projects. From residential villas to striking officecompounds, there is no room left for desire when it comes to thedesign of such structural masterpieces.

We also offer some great advice on how to improve your career inour business section. If you still have a few days off work and noplans as to where to go yet, take a look at our recommended shortbreak destinations in Germany this autumn. If you prefer Austria,do not hesitate to read our insider’s guide toVienna. Our Septem-ber issue is packed with inspiring content and there will certainlybe something in the following pages that will brighten up your au-tumn days.

Enjoy the magazine!

Tina Awtani

Discover Germany

Issue 18, September 2014

Published 03.09.2014

ISSN 2051-7718

Published by

Scan Magazine Ltd.

Design & Print

Liquid Graphic Ltd.

Executive Editor

Thomas Winther

Creative Director

Mads E. Petersen

Editor

Tina Awtani

Art Director

Svetlana Slizova

Copy-Editor

Mark Rogers

Contributors

Barbara Chandler

Emmie Collinge

Elisabeth Doehne

Iris Ellmann

Barbara Geier

Meryem Hauer

Jessica Holzhausen

Julika Huether

Sonja Irani

Gregor Kleinknecht

Cordelia Makartsev

Leonie Puscher

Dorina Reichhold

Jaime Schwartz

Marilena Stracke

Sales & Key Account Managers

Emma Fabritius Nørregaard

Laura Hummer

Antonietta Cutarelli

Noura Draoui

Jennifer Martins

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Andreas GabalierA Styrian superstarA love letter sparked what has turned out to be Austria’s greatest phenomenon infolk rock music. When musician Andreas Gabalier invented the Volks-Rock’n’Roll,so many of us were immediately hooked on the new sound that adds more thanjust a touch of rock to traditional music.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: MICHAEL-MEY.DE

Although Andreas Ga-balier began to studylaw, aiming towards acareer in justice, destinyhad a different plan inmind for this charmer.As a huge Rock’n’Rollfan, his passion for mu-sic was more of a hobbythat he carried out in thebasement at home withhis buddies. As we’rechatting I ask him if he’dharboured dreams ofbecoming a rock star asa youngster, and he in-stantly exclaims: “Ab-solutely not!” With agrin, he explains:“It wasa rather funny coinci-dence that started with alove poem for an ex-girlfriend, that we

turned into a song.That is howVolks-Rock-’n’Roll was born.”

The passionate declaration of love, So liabhob i di [That’s how much I love you], thatwas supposed to win back his girl’s heart,shot up the Austrian charts overnight andthe 29-year-old Styrian rose to fame in hishome country. With the release of his firstalbum Da komm ich her [That’s where Icome from], he gained a loyal fan base. Hissecond album Herzwerk [Matters of theheart] included a track that really caughtthe world’s attention, the brilliant I sing aLiad für di [I sing a song for you].When heperformed the catchy tune on a GermanTVshow, the track – despite not having beenofficially released on the German market –earned him instant success beyond theAustrian borders. In 2011Herzwerkmade itto the top of the Austrian charts and re-mained on the charts for 74 weeks in total– a number only beaten by Michael Jack-

Discover Germany | Cover Feature | Andreas Gabalier



son’s iconic Thriller.Herzwerkwas followedby Volks-Rock‘n’Roller andHome Sweet Homeand by 2012 Gabalier has already scoopednumerous prestigious awards for his work,including a Bambi, an Echo and severalAmadeus awards.

Rock’n’Roll and leather pants

The first thing that springs to mind whenconfronted with Andreas Gabalier is tradi-tion. Clad in Lederhosen [leather trousers],once the 29-year-old musician starts talking(or singing) there is no doubt that he is atrue original fromAustria’s Styria. He loveshis roots and those who think he may justbe a clever PR product can do little but ad-mit defeat. A true homebody, he explains:“Everyone loves to come home. You cansee that in every nation.We Styrians have abeautiful country, first class food, and theleather pants are simply a must-wear for usmen on special occasions. This is what Iembody and this is what I stand for withmy name.”

As much as he loves tradition and folk mu-sic, he was drawn to Rock’n’Roll from avery early age – as you may have guessedfrom his hairstyle. Inspired by Jerry LeeLewis, Elvis Presley and other kings ofRock’n’Roll, Gabalier invented the Volks-Rock’n’Roll, which has become his signaturefolk rock style. “This was always my way.Blended with Styrian tradition,”he admits.

Concert halls fill up quickly whenAndreasGabalier goes on tour. A recent milestonewas his show at the legendary BerlinerWaldbühne, where around 20,000 fans,from eight to eighty years old, all wearingthe classic Dirndl dress and Lederhosencheerfully sang along to his lyrics.“I didn’tknow that so many Lederhosen could evenbe found there!”Gabalier jokes. A first forthe Waldbühne too, Gabalier’s Lederho-sen fest happened just weeks after theRolling Stones held a gig here.“Berlin wasamazing, it made me so proud that allthese people had travelled so far to see meon stage,” Gabalier says in his charmingAustrian dialect and he adds:“It feels won-

derful to look out over the audience andsee small children, teenagers and the oldergeneration thoroughly enjoying my mu-sic.” With female fans often getting quiteexcited, if not hysterical, about Gabalier,Discover Germany wonders how he feelsabout that. “I would really be worried ifthat wasn’t the case,” he replies with achuckle.

Instead of hanging up his Lederhosen inhis spare time, Gabalier uses his free timeto climb mountains.“I love being up therea lot and I do lots of sport up in the Alps,from hiking to skiing to mountain biking,”he says. Occasional special treats are ex-tended weekends with his old mates, whenthey take their motorbikes out for a spin.“We cruise through themountains, throughItaly, Croatia or Switzerland, depending onthe season.These trips really bring me backdown to earth and I need them for my in-ner balance.”

TheVolks-Rock’n’Roll-Show

Before celebrating his 30th Birthday on 21November, he’s got an exciting Septemberto get through first as the Styrian starlaunches his own primetime TV show.Ga-balier – DieVolks-Rock’n’Roll-Show is an ex-citing mix of stage performances and a roadmovie, a musical and emotional journeythrough Gabalier’s repertoire. Guest starsinclude Italian singer Zucchero, the BritJames Blunt, the Scorpions, Germany’s na-tional folk music treasure Peter Kraus, Ire-land’s Rea Garvey, The BossHoss and UKrock band Status Quo. The show is veryspecial to Gabalier and he is really lookingforward to the exciting project.“It explainswhatVolks Rock’n’Roll really is, who I amand what made me who I am,”he says.Theshow features a lot of English elements andwhile Andreas Gabalier, who went on hisfirst school trip to London when he was 14,enjoys the occasional drift away from hismother tongue, leaving his authentic Aus-trian dialect behind to reach a wider inter-national audience is out of the question forthe amiable singer. “There will always bethe odd number in English, but I won’t

leave my roots. Besides, I am still over-whelmed by my success in Germany,”An-dreas Gabalier confesses.




As he says goodbye in deep Styrian with hissweet voice, we’re left with no doubt as toAndreas Gabalier’s authenticity and it’s

clear why girls go crazy for this humble su-perstar in his Lederhosen. So while the loveletter that sparked his career did not melt

his ex-girlfriend’s heart, Andreas Gabalierinstead won the hearts of millions far be-yond his hometown.



Munich-based designer Janina Maria is the mastermind be-hind the sophisticated label JAN&INA. Traditional creationswith a contemporary twist define her signature style. Dirndl£390

www.janinatrachten.de

Fashion FindsSeptember marks the start of theOktoberfest season, that time of theyear when ladies can’t wait to dragthe Dirndl out of the wardrobe (oralternatively have a good excuse toshop for a new model). Dirndl comein different lengths and from minito maxi there is a hemline suitablefor every girl. A good portion ofcleavage is compulsory and thanksto cleverly designed Dirndl blouseseven an A cup can magically betransformed into a true Oktoberfestdécolleté.

EDITOR’S PICKS


Discover Germany | Design | Fashion Finds


The so-called Janker is absolutely essential when it comes totraditional clothing. We love this blue model with the flowerembroidery. £135

www.janinatrachten.de

Beautiful Dirndl blouse by Mothwurf Austrian Couture. Clev-erly designed to present Oktoberfest cleavage in the bestlight. £168

www.mothwurf.com

The romantic Christel clutch is handmade with felt. The redand gold design goes perfectly with every Dirndl and offersjust enough space for all your personal belongings. £37www.margritli-country-style.de


Discover Germany | Design | Fashion Finds

Another gorgeous Dirndl in a classic polka dot design.Do keep in mind that single ladies tie the bow to theleft, while married women wear it on the right-handside. £312www.janinatrachten.de

Cute little stag ring by Lilii, anaccessory company that wasfounded in 2003 by Antoniaand Thomas Kalle. £12

www.lilii.net



Discover Germany | Design | Dedicated to Design

The lederhosen is a must-wear this season. If you don’tdare to cover your derriere with it in public, try thissmaller version for your smartphone instead. £23.30.www.proidee.de

Add a bit of Bavarian Gemütlichkeit to your home withthe Oktoberfest collection of cottage style cushionsmade by H.O.C.K. From £12. www.hock-dich-hin.de

A personalised Stein is probably a good idea to standout from the crowd. Even once the party is over, it’llhelp to keep up the good vibes and you can drink beerin a truly Bavarian style. £12. www.design-3000.de

Resembling the iconic German cuckoo clock, this tra-ditional weather station tells you exactly what the tem-perature is outside. If the weather is good, the Bavarianlady steps outside, but once the rain comes her hus-band appears. £12. www.bader.de

Dedicated to Design...This month’s picks are dedicated to Oktoberfest. Since starting in 1810, the festival of beer, considered a staplefood in Bavaria, has conquered the world. The original Oktoberfest takes place on Munich’s Theresienwiese, butcelebrations span the globe from Brazil’s Blumenau, Canada’s Kitchener and Waterloo and Japan’s Okinawa toname but a few. We have picked some gorgeous items that will transport the Oktoberfest feeling right into yourhome. EDITOR’S PICKS

2

1

5

3 Yes, believe it or not, us Germans do like to take the mickey occasionally. The Bavarian Seppl hat can not onlyyodel, but also whistle and dance. It’s an ideal Oktoberfest party accessory. £20. www.proidee.de

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Outside, around an imposing newly-pavedsquare with contemporary sculptures andlinked by elegant walkways, is one of Lon-don’s most exclusive recent developments:the Grosvenor Waterside complex of 800high-end apartments. There is the faintsound of rushing water from a dramaticweir alongside a private waterway thatleads, via a series of locks, directly into theriver itself.

Inside, where I am sitting, is a double-height über-modern space on the groundfloor of an otherwise residential building,the sun flooding in through tall windows. It

is exquisitely furnished and has the relaxed,comfortable feeling of a luxury home – in-deed, many passers-by think it is one. Buteverything I can see all around, from thedramatic chandeliers to the sofas, rugs, ta-bles and chairs – even the artwork on thewalls – is for sale.

This superb showroom is the result of oneman’s passion, vision and determination,and took Swedish-born, London-based in-terior architect StaffanTollgard around twoyears to make happen.

“Everyone wants a place in London”

Tollgard, brought up in Stockholm andtrained here in London at the prestigiousInchbald School of Design, has been prac-tising as an interior designer since January2005.Through skill, hard work and personalrecommendations, he now has an interna-

I have come to London’s fashionable Chelsea, just a stone’s throw from the lushgreen grounds of the Royal Hospital and the upmarket antiques and interior designboutiques of Pimlico Road.

BY BARBARA CHANDLER, DESIGN EDITOR FOR THE LONDON EVENING STANDARD | PHOTOS: STAFFAN TOLLGARD

Staffan Tollgard:the eye behind the red thread



Discover Germany | Design Feature | Staffan Tollgard

tional clientele that in-cludes financiers, entre-preneurs, politicians, doc-tors, lawyers, and peoplein the media and the arts,including a conductor ofworld renown. He hasbeen named twice inHouse & Garden’s portfo-lio of 100 Leading De-signers and was on theSunday Times’ recent listof the Leading 30 UKDe-sign Practices.

Whilst Tollgard’s practicefulfils commissionsworld-wide – from a chalet inSwitzerland to a Saudipalace and Portuguese vil-las – London homes forLondon-based interna-tional clients are themainthrust of hiswork:“Nowa-days, it seems, everyonewants to have a place inLondon.”

Tollgard, with his empa-thy, flair for originalityand meticulous attentionto detail, has built up a

reputation for sourcing appropriate and in-teresting pieces for his clients, who benefitfrom his travels to trade fairs, factories andworkshops worldwide in an ongoing questfor beautiful things.Over the past few years,he became aware that much of what he wastracking down was not available elsewherein London, or was not being shown to bestadvantage.

Domestic space of complete design

So was born an audacious idea: to fill themost beautiful showroom he could findwith beautiful, exclusive furnishings – andto use his skill as an interior designer tocreate the feeling of a home rather thanshop:“Yes, above all, I wanted my space tobe domestic… and a place where peoplecan see complete design, all of a piece, notlots of separate pieces standing on theirown,”he says.

Finding the right premises was a challenge,involving long searches on the internet andvisits to around 20 disappointingly unsuit-able units. Finally, success – a combinationof luck and very shrewd judgment. Thespace in which we sit is conspicuous for itssix-metre height, but was being used by thedevelopers up to completion as a site office,with a lowered false ceiling, when Tollgardcame to view it. He quickly realised the po-tential of the space up above and clinchedthe deal.Now, he not only has his beautiful,lofty showroom, but also a mezzanine forhis 14-strong interior design team.

Thus, someone is always on hand to helpwith details of any piece of interest.“We be-lieve that great design deserves to be sold bydesignerswho can tell its story,”saysTollgard.Everything in his showroom is for sale orcan be specified, from the architectural light-ing and invisible wall speakers to the sleek,polished concrete floor and the sophisticated,textured silver grey timber cladding salvagedfrom Austrian barns. He adds: “And, ofcourse,we greatly value the humans behinda piece: the designer and the maker.”

Stories of treasured suppliers

The better to tell his stories, Tollgard hastravelled all over the world visiting the de-signers and makers behind the exclusivebrands he represents – around 40 in all. Hebecomes increasingly animated as we chatabout some of his most treasured suppliers.

First, the background to the chair I am sit-ting in: with graceful tapered legs, its back isa slender arch of solid wood, made, I learn,by Porada, an old, established Italian firm.“This chair is virtually backless,”Tollgardpoints out,“so you can see right through it.This means that all the details of a table be-yond are visible – and stops that closed-inlook you can get with a line of solid chairs.”Back or no back, it was very comfortable.

Other Italian brands which Tollgard repre-sents are Porro (with a tradition of crafts-manship dating back to 1925) and Driade,with distinctive and often quirky signatureprovided by a huge stable of modern de-signers that includes many pieces by ar-

Left: A home rather than a shop: Tollgard’s Chelsea show-room has the feeling of a luxury home – indeed, manypassers-by think it is one.

Below: Dutch brand Linteloo, established 20 years ago andnamed after its founder, crafts elegant and striking designpieces.



guably the world’s best-knownmodern fur-niture designer, Philippe Starck from Paris.Also find Flos, a leader in technology forcontemporary lighting, and the pioneers ofgreat modern classics.

Behind me are more chairs, each one set inits own boxed display, like a piece of art.

Tollgard takes down another favourite insolid woodwith a woven wicker seat by J. L.Møllers, founded in Denmark in 1944. Heemphasises with a loving caress the lovelyway the wood is shaped.“Each one arrivesfully-assembled; it is literally impossible totake these chairs apart.”

Another of his favourites is the charmingMy Chair,made by the Swedish firm of Sto-lab, also with an impressive pedigree – theystarted making solid wood furniture inSmålandsstenar in 1907. Now the designstudio of Space Copenhagen has broughtthem right up to date with a playful and po-etic shape.

Tollgard’s originality and meticulous attention to detailhas earned him a reputation for sourcing appropriateand interesting pieces for his clients.



Discover Germany | Design Feature | Staffan Tollgard

Holland in recent times has become famousfor its own brand of modern design, andnew companies deliver a style that is light-hearted, witty – irreverent even. Moooi is agood example, founded by the maverickMarcel Wanders only in 2002. Moooi is theDutch word for beauty:“We just added anextra o for extra beauty,”Wanders once re-marked. Now his graceful yet bulbous whitechandelier is suspended as an arresting fea-ture of the showroom.Also fromHolland isLinteloo, established 20 years ago andnamed after its founder.Nowworking withthem is Piet Boon, famous for his signaturefurniture pieces, lending his name to thecompany he founded in 1983.

Also from Europe comes Eggersmann, craft-ing tailor-made kitchens in Germany formore than a hundred years. Brokis glasslights come from the Czech Republic wheremaster glassmakers can blow thin trans-parent shades for their Balloon range to anenormous size. These lamps can sit on thefloor, or be adapted to wall or ceiling.De LeEspade is a Portuguese company makingedgy modern furniture by the likes of Turk-ishAutobahn, and British designerMatthewHilton. From Spain comes BD Barcelonawith pieces by design greats such as RossLovegrove, Jaime Hayon, and KonstantinGrcic.

Further afield furniture and flooring

Travelling further afield, Staffan has recentlybeen to the States to discover Mark Al-brecht, whose furniture is slender in the ex-treme, just a minimal assembly of thin steelsections.Also from the States is Chilewatch,who has, a little improbably, made wovenvinyl chic for rugs, tablemats and more.FromCanada comes Bocci,with blown glassspheres grouped into a huge choice of chan-deliers – a coloured one hangs in the en-trance of the showroom. EOQ is a newbrand fromHong Kong, and Neri &Hu areChinese architects whose furniture designsare made by De La Espada.

Flooring here is as intriguing as the furni-ture. Tollgard tells me about Kasthall, withperhaps the oldest credentials of all, weav-ing rugs in Sweden since 1889.Yet the de-

sign of the Glimmer rug on display is cooland contemporary, with its silky shades ofgrey and distressed texture.

Shortly,Tollgard will launch his on range ofrugs for German JAB, significantly calledRed Thread. ‘Röda tråden’ is a powerfulScandinavian metaphor to describe a uni-fying principle in any creative work, be it acolour repeated in a painting or a refrain ina piece of music. Certainly, walking roundTollgard’s showroom you can sense a redthread at work in the personal and creativeedit, which uses natural materials, valuedcraftsmanship, and subtle down colours ina restful, neutral palette with shades ofcream, beige and grey, enlivened with sub-tle textures.

You cannot see the thread of course, and itwould rather jar the eye if you could. But aunifying force there certainly is – and one toenjoy, admire and trust.

Above & far left bottom: Piet Boon, famous for his signaturefurniture pieces, has conceived many of the pieces shown atTollgard’s showroom, many defined by their minimalist ele-gance.

Below: Striking Eggersmann kitchen, penthouse in Knightsbridge, London.

Dubbed ‘the sharpest eye in London’, BarbaraChandler is a best-selling photographer andspecialist writer on design and the home, among

other things contributing regularly to Homes &Property at the London Evening Standard for thepast 20 years and more.

Chandler has won countless awards, includingContribution to the Design Industry, FurnitureWriter of the Year, and

Home Improvements

Journalist of the Year, and

she has written numerous

books and sat as the chair

of judges of many coveted

designer awards.

Staffan TollgardGrosvenor Waterside, Gatliff Road, London

SW1W 8QN; 020 7952 6070

www.tollgard.co.uk



Swiss designer Karin Sieber was looking fora product to stylise the daily habit of throw-ing things down.As an interior designer shebegan to look for the perfect keyholder for acustomer’s entrance hall.When she couldn’tfindwhat shewas looking for, she decided todesign exactly that: a useful accessory thatlooks great while simultaneously fulfillingseveral functions. To keep things like keys,

sunglasses, and a many other small objectsin order, Karin designed the simple andsmart solution of Schluesselbrett.ch. Itstartedwith a small number of products thatKarin offered to customers when designingtheir living space. “It was such a success thatI could hardly keep up with the demand,”the designer recalls. “Using this hype andlaunching my own label Schlüsselbrett.ch

Design or function? Pretty or practical? Elegant or plain? Schluesselbrett.ch mergesall of these aspects into a single product. When you come home and close the doorbehind you, what is the first thing you do? Chuck the keys and your sunglasses onthe chest of drawers in the hallway? Right. So do many others, probably most.

TEXT: LEONIE PUSCHER | PHOTOS: SCHLÜSSELBRETT

Karin Sieber, designer and Schlus̈selbrett.ch founder

SchlüsselbrettIngeniously simple. Simply genius.

DesignTop Swissdesign tips



Discover Germany | Design | Top Swiss design tips

seemed like the right thing to do. I wentfrom 0 to 100 with all that goes with it:searching for suppliers, creating a web pres-ence, marketing, tradeshows – it was veryexciting and it still is today. ”The effort waswell worth it and Karin Sieber describes herwork as “enjoyment, leisure and recreation.”Themultifunctional organising accessory ismade of anodized aluminium or oiled nut-

wood. Combinedwith design feltmade from 100%newwool, in 20 dif-ferent colours, it istruly an attractivepiece of art. Thesleek design of theexterior surroundsthe tightly-pressedfelt so keys can besecurely pushed inand ensures theystay put. Cleveradd-on accessoryoptions make itpossible to evenstore sunglasses,towels, jewellery ora dog leash on thedesign ledge. Alovely look is alsocreated by testtubes that can actas vases to holdsingle flowers. Thedesigner is full of

ideas andmore great add-ons are already inthe pipeline.A sneaky peak into future pro-duction reveals a picture ledge, which willlet you display photos of your loved ones ina completely new and stylish way.

It was only at the beginning of 2014 whenKarin Sieber founded her own company,Schlüsselbrett.ch and started production.Theunique design accessory is produced in asmall series and responsibly handmade us-ing the best materials. Everything you buyfrom Schlüsselbrett.ch comes from the de-signer’s local region in Switzerland,St.GallerRheintal. “Aluminium and nutwood are con-trastingmaterials.When choosing themate-rials for the series I listened tomy gut instinct.If someone doesn’t like one of them, they’reprobably going to like the other one.”

The personality behind this clever design,Karin Sieber, is driven by her passion fornew ideas and concepts.Taking care of cus-tomers and their specific needs comes withthe job for the Swiss businesswoman.That’s why all her products can be altered to

meet the special wishes of her customers; aservice that goes beyond the attractive webpresence of Schluesselbrett.ch.

A quick glimpse into the designer’s homeshows you that she lives what she sells. Aswell as having two design ledges right nextto the door, holding keys, sunglasses, ashoehorn and a dog leash, there are manymore that make her everyday life stylishand organised. One for towels in thekitchen, one for belts in the wardrobe, onein the kids’room for the son’s collection ofsunglasses and one in the bathroom forjewellery. Not forgetting the decorative60cm design list with seven test tubes forfresh flowers that lightens up the livingroom instead of a picture.

Along with her presence in her store andpersonal advice for customers, the designerhas quite a few things coming up.To intro-duce and develop her simply genius prod-uct further, Karin Sieber is participating inseveral design awards over the comingyears. On 25 and 26 October she can befound at Die Gustav, a special art and de-sign fair in Dornbirn,Austria. Portrayed areproducts that combine design, taste andsustainability. Its slogan ”Dive into a worldof good taste”provides the perfect platformfor Karin Sieber’s keyholder.

In answer to the question “what would youmiss in a life without a schlüsselbrett.ch”, thedesigner says: “That’s clear and simple: Iwouldmissmy practical organisation helper.Since using the Schluesselbrett I’ve stoppedsearching for things. Everything has its place,which means more time and less stress.”Schluesselbrett.ch: simply genius.

www.schluesselbrett.ch


A ring of fire- a passion for lifeObjet d'art, a blazing fire and a handy BBQ all in one. Sounds too good to be true?Steel artist Andreas Reichlin has developed just that: The Feuerring [ring of fire] isthe perfect contemporary outdoor sculpture and ideal for entertaining friends andfamily.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: FEUERRING


Andreas Reichlin, Beate Hoyer, Regina Mathis and Verena Singer



For over 20 years Swiss artist andsteel sculptor Andreas Reichlinhas beenworking with the pow-erful metal. The combination ofhis passion for the hardmaterial,his sense of practicality as well asan outstanding talent to createtimeless designs has resulted inthe invention of the Feuerring: asculpture, fireplace and BBQ allin one. Constructed from spe-cific alloy steel, a 12mm thickring is welded to a 6mm thickbowl.The ring serves as a handysurface to grill meat, fish or veg-etables and thanks to a tiny in-cline, grease and juices run to-wards the centre of theFeuerring, while the bowl holdsan open fire in the middle, cre-ating a warm and cosy ambi-ence.

What may appear simple at firstglance is in fact a perfect designdefined by “the combination ofaesthetic form, perfect crafts-manship and absolutely func-tional usability,”as Reichlin ex-plains, and he adds: “TheFeuerring is reduced to the bareessentials; the design, the instal-lation, the BBQ function and

even the cleaning requirements are mini-malistic. It is an absolutely coherent objectin itself, an all-round success.” The artist istruly proud of his creation, which nowgraces an astonishing number of outdoorspaces, impressing discerning customersworldwide.

Curious as to how he came up with theidea of creating a BBQ,Reichlin admits thathe has always been passionate about BBQs,but there were a few aspects of the classicritual that simply took the pleasure away. “Icouldn’t cope with the grease drippingdown and the fumes rising up while grillingover charcoal. But I love nature, the open fireand a good BBQ. For me as an artist, ap-pealing aesthetics are very important andafter extensive research and some trial anderror the Feuerring was born,” Reichlin says.





Feuerring – a lifestyle choiceFrom Austria to Australia, people are pas-sionate about this artsy garden feature withits high entertainment factor. “Our cus-tomers love the simplicity in usability andaesthetics, but also the ruggedness of thematerial and the perfect craftsmanship.Grilling is done next to the flickering flame– there is no need to wait for the right mo-ment when the charcoal has reached theperfect temperature,” Reichlin points out.“With the Feuerring, a BBQ turns into a so-cial event where the host and guests joyfullycome together around the sleek structure.And if the fire is not burning, the objectserves as an attractive garden sculpture too.”But who are the people who acquire aFeuerring? The artist reveals: “Our clientsare from all sorts of social and professionalbackgrounds, women as much as men, theold and the young. But they all have onething in common: they love the open fire,indulgence and memorable evenings withfriends and family around the blazingflames. Because it radiates heat, the Feuer-ring is particularly nice in the winter sea-son.”

Private clients are plenty, but professionalhospitality providers have also discoveredthe beauty of Reichlin’s creations and theirpotential to please guests. Fine restaurantsand luxurious hotels have incorporatedFeuerring design objects into their outdoorspace concepts. A great example of this isthe exclusive and globally unique WillyBogner-Chalet im Priesteregg in Leogangnear the city of Salzburg, where an impres-sive Feuerring Ovum sits magnificently onthe terrace against the backdrop of a spec-tacular mountain panorama. Feuerring orig-inals can also be admired and experiencedin Zermatt’s CERVO Mountain BoutiqueResort, German Hotel Grenzfall in Berlinand many other distinguished houses.

Award-winning design

Garden-designer Alex Schofield presentedthe Feuerring in his project for the compe-tition for new talents of garden-architec-ture during Britain’s Cheshire-based RHS

Flower Show Tatton Park inJuly. In the same monthFeuerring proudly opened anew office and exhibition inGermany’s Limburg an derLahn. From 25 to 28 Sep-tember, the Feuerringmodelrange is on display at the2014 Swiss Design-DaysRenens and until 12 Octoberthe gorgeous grills can beadmired as part of theGerman LandesgartenschauZülpich. But the excitementdoesn’t end there; earlier thissummer the Feuerring TheOriginal scooped two goldmedals in themost beautifulstand category at bothZurich’s Giardina and Lau-sanne’s Habitat et Jardins.

The original Feuerringcomes in three different di-ameters, and the productrange also includes varia-tions such as Luneli, Luna,Ovum and Gastro models,which range from 3,600 eu-ros up to 8,600 euros.As theFeuerring is set on a founda-tion ring, it can also beplaced on uneven gravel,making it ideal for use inmountainous regions. Ofcourse, accessories are avail-able too, including thehandy Cube seat and cush-ion, steel brooms and scrap-ers, blankets and oil bottleswith a pipette for easy clean-ing of the Feuerring. Thesleek structures may appeara little pricy, but oncehooked on the Feuerring,there is no way back to theclassic charcoal BBQ and themany design-savvy cus-tomers are living proof ofthis.

www.feuerring.ch

Below: Swiss artist and steel sculptorAndreas Reichlin


Clarity.Recognition.Solutions.

We listen to our clients. Sus-tainable, high-quality buil-dings are seen as a result ofsuccessful communicationbetween everyone involved.The common goals are quality,sustainability and the econo-mic viability of the building. Thequality of our work as architectseventuates in the intertwiningof innovation and experience.Stylistic surety and con-tinous sustainability areguarantees for our success.

!"#$&'(#)**$+#,&-./,-(,'012Refurbishment.Revitalisation.High quality private property.Luxury interior design.

www.EHRICHarchitekten.de



Last month my column was all about thewonderful world of rare and antique wines,a real passion of mine.This month I want toshare something rather different…sometried and tested advice on the best wines toserve with your summer BBQ. In my expe-rience of living in the UK, September oftenbrings the best BBQ weather, so it’s theperfect time to talk about it!

Robust flavours and darker meats needquality redsIf I had to choose a favourite food for theBBQ it would have to be a butterflied leg oflamb.This can be done by your butcher, orif you are handy with a knife yourself thereare some great videos on youtube showingyou what to do! The lamb is best whenmarinaded in chilli oil, garlic and rosemarybefore being cooked on the BBQ.To accompany this and other dark meats

I would recommend a fabulous red fromthe Aldinger estate in Württemberg. GerdAldinger, who is also President of theVDPWürttemberg, heads this 28-hectare winery.Three generations work here and all sharethe philosophy of dry wines, low yields andthe very best quality at all times.Traditionalgrape varietals, the careful usage of oak andthe appreciation of nature form the back-bone of the winery. My first recommenda-tion is Aldinger: 2013 Estate Lemberger(£173.40 a case includingVAT and delivery).This wine is typified by an aroma of dark

forest fruits, followed by herbaceous notes

and subtle tannins due to maturing in bigwooden casks. It is currently being served inthe followingMichelin-starred restaurants:Chez Bruce, Restaurant Sat Bains and TheHand and Flowers (Tom Kerridge), so serv-ing this to your friends is guaranteed toimpress!My second choice has to be a top qual-

ity Pinot Noir from the Becker estate.Becker: 2011 Estate Pinot Noir (£204.00 acase including VAT and delivery). Beckerand his family own around 14.5 hectares ofvineyards in the southern part of the Pfalzregion.He was the first of his family to distance

himself from delivering the grapes to thelocal co-operative and instead decided tomake his own wine. He immediately be-came known as one of the best producersin the Pfalz and one of the best Pinot Noirproducers in Germany.This delicious Pinot Noir is aged for 12

months in oak barrels following carefulhand selection of the grapes from the vine-yard. It is a pleasing ruby red colour and afine easy drinking Pinot Noir with a note ofcherries, raspberries and some forest soil. Itis currently available by the glass in GordonRamsay’s restaurants.

A chilled rosé is best for chicken and fish

For me, the only other choice to accompanyyour BBQ is a fine Rosé and they don’tcome much finer than the 2013 Spaetbur-gunder from the Meyer-Naekel estate. It is

produced using hand-picked grapes thatare gently pressed before clearing by sedi-mentation. The final stage is a cool, slowfermentation in stainless steel tanks. Theresulting wine is a refreshing Rosé that hasa perfect balance of sweetness and acidity,with elegant flavours of strawberry, peach,honey, melon and red cherries – delicious!It is best served between 6 - 8°C and is

the perfect partner for BBQ fish and lightlyspiced chicken dishes.This is also availablein some Michelin-starred restaurants: LaTrompette,Midsummer House and Restau-rant Sat Bains.Meyer-Naekel: 2013 ESTATESPAETBURGUNDER Rosé (£198.60 a caseincludingVAT and delivery).

I look forward tosharing somemore greatwines with younext month.

Happy Drinking!Iris

Iris Ellmann (above) is managing directorat The WineBarn, an award-winningmerchant of German wine based inbeautiful Hampshire.

The WineBarn, Clump Farm Barn, FarleighLane, Dummer, Hampshire RG25 2AF

E-mail: [email protected]

www.thewinebarn.co.uk

Discover Germany | Wine & Dine | The WineBarn Column

A BBQ and wine masterclassTEXT: IRIS ELLMANN | PHOTOS: THE WINEBARN



The lush terraced Bründlmayer vineyardseems to stretch endlessly towards the bluehorizon. The glistening sun gently warmsthe ripening grapes,whilst the wooded hills

protect the vines from cold winds from theNorth-West. Even the air seems fragranthere.

Passion and hard work go into maintaining a vineyard. But it is that extra bit of ded-ication, the understanding that you can taste the grapevine’s story, combined withthe vintner’s tender loving care that has made the Bründlmayer winery so specialand turned it into the number one address for Austrian wines.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: BRÜNDLMAYER

Discover Germany | Wine & Dine | Top 3 Austrian Vineyards

Vincent and Willi Bründlmayer © Chris Rogl

Bründlmayer- in tune with nature

Wine & Dine

Top 3 AustrianVineyards




Upstream along the Danube located in Lan-genlois, around 70 kilometres away fromVienna and right in the Lower AustrianKamp valley, the vines benefit from thecombination of cold nights and hot days.

Looking at this scenery, one understandsinstinctively what vintner Willi Bründl-mayer means when he talks about how thewine carries the story of the soil, of heat andcold, of storms and sunshine, of the land-

scape and of the people whoharvest it. It communicates asense of place.Acknowledgingthat the grapevine is alive, thatit is deeply connected to ourplanet, literally and figuratively,and that the taste depends onhow it is handled, can be seenas the pillars of Bründlmayer’sphilosophy.

The unique ecological diversityof the first class Bründlmayervineyards, such as the Lamm,Heiligenstein, Kaeferberg andSteinmassel, allow for great va-riety. They are home to the fa-mous white wine GrünerVeltliner, Riesling, several Bur-gundy varieties, Chardonnay,but also the sparkling winesBründlmayer Brut, Brut Roséand Extra Brut amongst others.

The most popular wine is theGrüner Veltliner. As Bründl-mayer explains, it is consumedby the Austrians with almostany meal, as its discreet pep-pery aroma goes very well withso many other flavours. OlivierPoussier, French SommelierWorld Champion says: “TheLamm is a perfectly vinifiedwine with remarkable bodyand freshness. Willi Bründl-mayer probably produces thebest GrünerVeltliner in Austria.”

Bründlmayer adds: “With theHeiligenstein, we can offer one

Edwige and Cecile Bründlmayer

Left, main image: Terraced vineyard along the river Kamp

Above, from top to bottom:Riesling terraced vineyard Heiligenstein

Grun̈er VeltlinerVines



of the top Riesling sites in the world. Thesoil of the Heiligenstein is absolutelyunique and so is the wine it produces.”

And the awards keep flying in. Bründl-mayer, who ranks amongst the 50 most in-fluential personalities in the world of wine,takes it modestly and adds: “Each vintageis a new challenge but thanks to our vine-yards and our people we are able to con-vince our customers year after year, whichmakes us really happy.”

The top wine magazine Falstaff sum-marises in the Ultimate Austrian WineGuide 2014: “Almost every wine, fromthe lightest Grüner Veltliner to the red

and the sparkling wines, has what ittakes to be the best of the vintage in itscategory.”

Because nature is all the vine needs

After taking over his parents’ vineyard,Bründlmayer started to introduce sustain-able viticulture. He remembers: “It was atthe end of the 1970s when I began workingat the winery, and the on-going shift to theindustrialisation of agriculture annoyedme.I did not want my employees or myselfhaving to deal with poisonous substancesand possibly inhale the fumes when doingplant protection.The grapevine is actually afairly undemanding plant, which takeswhat it needs from the bedrock through its

deep roots. Chemical fertiliser is completelyunnecessary.”

That is why Bründlmayer uses exclusivelyorganic fertilisers such as green manureand compost. Exhausted vineyards arecleared and lie idle for five years before thereplanting process. Small watering holescan be found around the vineyards to im-prove the microclimate and prevent ero-sion. Bründlmayer focuses on promotingnatural processes instead of interfering - astrategy that has paid off.

The family business has been running fordecades and today the estate includes thevineyards, the main house and a top-notch




wine cellar. Bründlmayer runs the estatetogether with his French wife Edwige andhis sonVincent. Maintaining the premiseswith passion and respect has always beenimportant. For Bründlmayer it was alreadyclear very early on that he would take overhis parents’vineyard.

“My early childhood memories from the1950s include the cheerful oinking andromping around in the pigsty as well asthe delicious milk, fresh from the cows. Foras long as we can trace it back, my ances-tors have produced wines as well as main-taining their farm. In the 1950s my parentsdecided to specialise in premiumwines andquit everything else. Back then, after the

war, the terraces were se-verely damaged, whichmade them affordable tobuy, unlike today,” saysBründlmayer.

The beauty of simplicity

A typical day in Septem-ber begins at 6:45amwhen the whole teammeets and divides theworkload from the vine-yards to the cellar. After-wards they start harvest-ing the grapes for the basewine of the Brut:“We cutfresh, intact grapes fromthe vineyards; grapes,where the acidity is stillfresh but not aggressiveanymore, where the sugarand aroma is light andmodest.”

“The ideal grape for thesparkling wine has a faintly green-goldencolour, just before it reaches its fullripeness,”explains Bründlmayer.“We selectand clean every grape by hand. They arecarefully put into small crates, neverthrown! In the cellar we want to work withfresh grapes that are not crushed or dam-aged.”

The grapes are pressed in two pneumaticwine presses, which are so gentle that thepressure is comparable to a handshake.Theaging process then takes place in the veryhumid cellar, where the barrel stays be-tween three and 18 months.

Sharing the passion

In the evenings and on weekends frommidday, the Heurigenhof Bründlmayer, afantastically preserved renaissance vintner’shouse with its charming, timeless court-yard, is the place to be for food and winelovers. If the weather permits, guests can sitamong the vines and on chilly days an openfireplace keeps everyone warm. All winesand a selection of mature bottles are avail-able by the glass and can be purchased atcellar price. Enjoying a glass with home-

made local cuisine whilst overlooking thevines is truly an adventure itself.

“A lot of great wines are coming out ofAustria these days, but Bründlmayer’s seemto go a level deeper, a step further,”saysTaraQ. Thomas of the Wine and Spirits BuyingGuide.

It takes time and genuine care to producethese outstanding wines and Bründlmayerknows that quality cannot be rushed. Theecological balance between plant and wine,between human and earth, is importantand well respected here. Maybe this is thewinning detail, the secret that brings suchsuccess to the Bründlmayer vineyard.

www.bruendlmayer.at

Pinot Noir Cecile 2009 Bottom: Rare vintage wines in the vinotheque



A family business since 1816, the Schützen-hof in the county of Südburgenland in East-ern Austria is run by the Faulhammer-Kör-per family.A true family business, all of theduties included in running a winery areshared between viniculturalist Markus Faul-hammer, his wife Kristina, his parents Mikeand Karin and his grandmother Hilde.“Acategorical division of tasks is neither pos-sible in a family business, nor is it desirable,”explains Markus Faulhammer.With the re-cent addition of the newly born Louis Felix,

four generations now live and work to-gether at the vineyard, producing an excep-tional choice of wines.And by tradition, thegrape harvest at the Schützenhof is a cele-brated get-together for the extended familyand friends. Strong family ties, the supportof friends, custom-made architecture andthe unique blend of soil make the winesfrom Schützenhof so special.

Friendship, not rivalry

When asked about rival viniculturalists,Faulhammer denies that any exist. For him,there are only competing colleagues. ”Hereat the Eisenberg and generally in Südbur-genland, we have a wonderful sense of sol-idarity among the vine-growers. We getalong brilliantly, talk to each other on a

Situated at the foot of the Eisenberg mountain in Austria, the Schützenhof vineyardproduces exceptional wines thanks to the ferruginous slate of the mountain, auniquely designed cellar and strong family ties that reach well beyond consanguinity.

TEXT: JULIKA HÜTHER | PHOTOS: SCHÜTZENHOF

SchützenhofExceptional family, exceptional wines

Mike, Markus and Karin Faulhammer




regular basis and exchange knowledgeabout technical novelties and future activ-ities.”

The small size of the area of cultivation andthe fact that it produces outstanding anddistinctive wines, full of character and oneof a kind withinAustria and even rare in in-ternational terms, helps bind together thecommunity of viniculturalists in this area.“Ipersonally try to make the best of the spe-cial natural environment we have beengiven. But what defines the Schützenhof isthe personal relationship we have withwine lovers who will always receive a warmwelcome here and who can enjoy our finewines in a relaxed atmosphere,”says Faul-hammer.

A custom-made winegrowing estatePressing the best possible wine out of everyvintage has always been the top priority atthe Schützenhof. The best grapes are thuscombined with plenty of experience andknow-how and are gently matured with agreat deal of personal dedication to pro-duce well-rounded wines. But anotherequally important secret of the Schützen-hof's success is their openness to technicalinnovations and the custom-made cellar. In2004, the vineyard was completely restruc-tured and new rooms for wine tastings,storage rooms and workspaces were cre-ated, comprising 1,000 square metres. Ayear later, the vineyard received a local prizefor its outstanding architecture,which com-bines functionality and transparency. Thecellar has been designed to allow Faul-hammer to work mostly on his own with aminimum amount of mechanical opera-tions needed, which benefits the diversityof grapes and prevents the loss of aroma.

Unique wines from Eisenberg

The special ferruginous soil around theEisenberg mountain infuses the wines withan extraordinarily high degree of mineral-ity and fruitiness, giving them a fiery,unique character. Interference with the nat-ural maturation process is kept to a mini-mum at the Schützenhof and the full ca-pacity of the storage potential is used foreach wine. The maturation process thuslasts at least 12 months, with some havingmore than 33months. Some supreme qual-ity wines stored are over 65 years old. Thevariety of wines is exceptionally high forthis area of cultivation and goes far beyondthe indigenous reds Zweigelt andBlaufränkisch and includeMerlot, CabernetSauvignon, Pinot Noir and a semi-sparkling wine crafted out of yellow Mus-catel andWelschriesling.

Markus Faulhammer is especially proud ofhis signature wine:“Blaufränkisch from theEisenberg mountain is a rarity inAustria, letalone the world. Thanks to the special fer-ruginous slate on the Eisenberg and in itsvicinity, the Blaufränkisch has a unique,punchy and complex character which alsomakes it my personal favourite. We offerEisenberg DAC Blaufränkisch ‘Pur’, classi-

cally matured in a large barrel and steeltank and the most popular DAC Reserve‘Senior’. The latter has been named notonly referring to our oldest vines but also asa homage to our recently deceased seniorviniculturalist, Felix Körper.”

Beyond the vineyard

Visitors are welcome to attend wine tast-ings, stay in one of five cosy double bed-rooms in the winery, or enjoy one of themany events held on its premises through-out the year. For those who want to dis-cover the full culinary range of what theSüdburgenland has to offer, the Paradi-estage offers a perfect opportunity to tastelocal produce fromwines,meats and fruit tochocolates and honey.

The Faulhammer-Körpers are an excep-tional family. Not just because they pro-duce exceptional wines, but because theyknow they are best enjoyed in the com-pany of good friends and family.

www.schuetzenhof.cc




Below: Bienenfresser Reserve 2012

Middle: Johannes and Hans Pitnauer



A colourful exotic bird represents one ofAustria’s most famous wines.The Bienen-fresser Zweigelt Reserve is the lifetimeachievement of Hans Pitnauer. The darkred wine with a vibrant taste was created in1986 and quickly became an iconic wine inAustria. It is named after the exotic bee-eating bird, the Beecatcher, which mainlylives in warm regions. Its appearance inthe Carnuntum vineyards is celebrated inPitnauer’s famous Zweigelt Reserve.

Residents since the 16th century

Situated in the small town of Göttlesbrunnin LowerAustria, a 40-minute drive fromVi-enna, the Weingut Familie Pitnauer lies inthe heart of thewine-growing region of Car-nuntum. The name is of Celtic origin, fromawordmeaning stone, cliff or firm place, andit was first associated with the region in Ro-man times.The area has been used for wine-production ever since Celts settled in theregion. The Romans built a military base inthe Celtic town of Carnun-tum, bringing about its rapidexpansion. “In the year 300there were already 50,000 in-habitants,” explains Pitnauerproudly. His own family hasbeen living in the regionsince at least the 16th cen-tury.

Through Pitnauer’s perse-verance and skilful net-

working, the name was re-established inthe wine region, making it a trademark foroutstanding Austrian wine. Carnuntumcovers an area southeast of Vienna andsouth of the Danube river.The close prox-imity to the river, the ideal microclimateand the stony lime and loess soils offer ex-cellent conditions for producing high qual-ity wines. Weingut Pitnauer is the mostdistinct wine producer in the area, havingwon several different awards and Pitnauerranks amongst Austria’s top wine produc-ers. This success is based on a long familytradition of winemaking. Hans Pitnauerpassed his examination as a certificatedwine producer in 1979 and has put an em-phasis on high quality produce from thevery beginning.

A family affair

Today, he is proud to intensely immersehimself in producing his 42nd vintagewine. The wine estate’s roots and family

The Pitnauer family winery cultivates first-class wine and preserves a part ofnational wine history for future generations.

TEXT: DORINA REICHHOLD | PHOTOS: PITNAUER

PitnauerAustrian wine history in the10th generation




history are something Pitnauer holds inhigh regard and will never compromise.“We are a family-run business in the 10thgeneration and want to keep it that way.Our goal is not to be bigger and faster, butto maintain and improve life quality andhave happy customers.” His whole familyis involved in the day-to-day work. Hiswife Edith helps mainly in the cultivatingand nurturing of the vineyards, while theirdaughter Theresia helps with the admin-istrative side of the business.Their son Jo-hannes has already passed his exams atthe world’s oldest school for vinicultureand enology, in Klosterneuburg, and willsoon obtain a university degree in wine-producing and wine business. Hans Pit-nauer exports his produce to Switzerland,Germany and even has customers as faraway as the USA, though the most presti-gious hotels and restaurants in Austria arealso amongst his list of customers.

Quality over quantity

A long list of wine dealers is testimony tothe demand for Pitnauer’s wine and hesometimes loses track of how widely hisproducts are enjoyed: “I am always de-lighted when I am dining out and find ourproducts on a wine list.”The family pro-

duces using only their own 22 hectares ofhigh quality soil in their 20 vineyards anddo not add any bought wine or grapes totheir produce. The idea is not to producequantity, but high quality.“Eventually, ourwine will be sold out and drunk,”summa-rizes Pitnauer regarding the approach tohis work. His produce is especially famousfor its great development potential andsolid storability.

Beside the daily business, the family alsofinds time for new projects. One of thevineyard’s old wine cellars has been con-verted into a stylish and cosy wine-tastingparlour and offers temperate wine-safesto customers who wish to store their winesfor future use. Every customer has his ownkey to ensure that the wine-safe is avail-able at any time and, if they wish to invitefriends for a private celebration, the Pit-nauer family will provide the essentials,such as space, tables or cutlery.

Hans Pitnauer finds it hard to pick out afavourite wine. Naturally, he has a soft spotfor his Bienenfresser and especially rec-ommends the 2013 vintage. He also enjoyshis Cabernet Franc because of its com-plexity and the red Cuvée Franz Josef. The

latter was named after his father andgrandfather to say thank you for a proudand successful family business that doesnot forget its roots and one that is being ledinto a prosperous future.

www.pitnauer.com




The best steak: from Buenos Aires toVienna isthe theme of the stylish restaurant in Aus-tria’s capital.This is to be understood quiteliterally, as the meat that is served in themost mouth-watering variations is sourceddirectly fromArgentina.The famousAngusbeef is of highest quality and its mellow,tender taste makes it the most popularsteakmeat of all: outstanding in taste,whilelow in fat. The traditional Argentinianbreed is traditionally farmed on large fieldswhere it feeds on fresh grass. This naturalfreshness translates directly into the dis-tinctive taste of the beef. Only the most ex-quisite meat enters El Gaucho’s kitchen,where it is almost magically grilled to per-

fection.With the choice of dry aged beef orGaucho beef, a large variety of sides andspecial add-ons, every guest can design hisown mouth-watering menu.

For those wishing to unwind after a longday at the office and indulge in great food,El Gaucho is the perfect destination. Thehouse specials are made to surprise andexcite the taste buds. Guests may choosefrom a variety of starters that form a perfectbeginning to a tasteful journey. An insidertip is the buffalo mozzarella with Spanishbeef gammon and tomatoes.What’s more,El Gaucho is said to serve the “probablybest lobster risotto in town”– grilled lobster,

homemade risotto and dried tomatoes.An-other yummy house special is the signaturelamb chops choice, served with peperonataand rosemary gnocchi.

For the sweet tooth El Gaucho offers ex-traordinary desserts. Ever had strawberrytartlets with nougat chilli ganache andmar-inated strawberries on top? Or raspberrypanna cotta with melon mint salad toppedwith honey ice cream?Awaiting guests inVi-enna’s DesignTower some simply deliciousdesserts that make the perfect finale to thebest meat in town. El Gaucho restaurant iscertainly a hot tip, not only amongst locals.

www.elgaucho.at

A place for foodies, families and friends, El Gaucho promises great meals, fine winesand an elegant interior. Based in Vienna’s Design Tower, this steak restaurant leavesnothing to wish for.

TEXT: LEONIE PUSCHER | PHOTOS: EL GAUCHO

Restaurant of the Month | Austria

A whole bunch of deliciousness

Restaurantof the Month

Austria



”We are fervent supporters of the genuine,the authentic and the beautiful. For us,beauty is always found in naturalness,”ex-plains Christina Binder-Egger, the host of

the three Natural Beauties. The dominantmaterial of the hotel and holiday apart-ments is wood from spruce, oak and Swisspine trees.“The untreated wood continues

to live. We love to see it change its colourover time. The patina gives life and ele-gance to the rooms,”adds Christina Binder-Egger.The unique result is a warm and ex-clusive ambiance, where the guests feel athome as soon as they set foot on the prop-erties.

Variety, individuality, quality of service andculinary delights are high on the agenda ofthe host family and the staff at the NaturalBeauties. All the accommodation is certi-

Allow me to introduce the 4-Star DasPosthotel, the Chalets Deluxe HochLeger andthe GolfLodge, which together are known as the “Natural Beauties”. These threeluxurious hideaways in the popular holiday region of Austria’s Ziller Valley each of-fer an outstanding design concept based on the combination of high quality woodand other natural materials, modern comfort and loving attention to detail.

TEXT: CORDELIA MAKARTSEV | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES

The incomparable charmof three Natural Beauties

Hotelof the Month

Austria


Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Austria

fied with both theAustrian and the EU EcoLabel, ensuring that each of them offers itsvery own charm and advantages for itsguests.

Life is beautiful at the Posthotel

There must be a reason why the Germanfootball club Werder Bremen chose Das-Posthotel as the accommodation for hissummer training camp in 2014. Flair, styleand charisma characterise the design hotelin the centre of Zell in the heart of theZiller Valley, a gateway to one of Austria’sbest ski arenas in winter and its most ver-satile hiking area in summer.The possibil-ities to experience nature up close are end-less, while you’ve also got smart boutiques,cafes and restaurants just round the corner.

As the first of the threeNatural Beauties, thePosthotel opened its doors in 2010. Withthe natural warmth of the materials, theharmonious interplay of fabrics, coloursand light and the purist simplicity of the de-sign, the hosts have created a home-away-from-home for their guests. Each room,apartment and suite is equipped with Sky-TV, Wi-Fi and a SuitePad with the latestnews, internet, movies and games.A read-

ing selection including the latest magazinesand good holiday reads awaits on everyfloor.

To ensure that their guests have the free-dom to tailor their holidays to their indi-vidual wishes the host family have come upwith some innovative ideas;“Book a cook”is just one of them. Guests who are reluc-tant to leave the cosiness of their apart-ment but do not want to miss out on a de-licious dinner can order a cook who willtreat them to freshly preparedTyrolean cui-sine made from local, organic ingredients.“Beauty means buying the products fromthe local farmer and thus being able to en-joy the full flavour of these honest dishes,”is the philosophy of the house, which isperfectly reflected in the breakfast buffet:Zillertal dairy products, handmade organicjams and honey from the hotel’s hives…

After an active day in the fresh mountainair, a visit to the small but exquisite wellnessarea will be more than welcome. Four dif-ferent saunas and a Turkish steam bath re-lax your muscles.The heated outdoor poolmakes swimming a real treat all year round.Massages and beauty treatments from an


Left: Posthotel

Below: HochLeger Chalets



experienced professional team completethe indulgent experience.

High above of everyday life:the HochLeger ChaletsRelaxation seekers, nature lovers and thosewho enjoy the finer things in life will findtheir holiday haven at the HochLegerChalets amidst the untamed nature of themountains. Following the same design phi-losophy as the Posthotel, the host familyopened these luxurious mountain chalets in2013.Wood types such as pine, larch and fircome together with natural materials tocombine a warm and “fragrant” atmos-phere. At an altitude of 1,054m the chaletsprovide unrivalled solitude and tranquilitywithout compromising on service and com-fort. Upon arrival there are organic foodssuch as farm-fresh eggs,milk, freshly bakedbread, butter, and muchmore awaiting youin your food pantry.Wine lovers will find awell-stocked wine rack too. In the morn-ings, freshly baked rolls and pastries aredelivered. And again, if you prefer not tocook, simply “book a cook”.

With a private open-air hot tub at eachchalet, the mountain sauna and a pool witha small waterfall guaranteeing pure relax-ation after an eventful day outdoors, your

body will be grateful and beauty treatmentsandmassages can be booked at the Postho-tel.

Time out on the Green at the Golflodge

Opened in January 2014, the GolfLodge isthe youngest child in the family of theNat-ural Beauties. Located right by the 4th tee onthe Zillertal golf course in Uderns, golf fansfind an 18-hole championship course, largepractice facility with a covered drivingrange, short-course and a PGA golf schoolon the doorstep. Guests are free to book asmany or as few services as they like: freshbread delivered for breakfast, book a cook,kitchen stocking service, to name but a few.For the ultimate reinvigoration, a pinesauna with a wellness shower, relaxationroom and an outdoor pool await the tiredguest.

So, why not recharge your batteries beforethe Christmas hassle starts? The NaturalBeauties offer great packages in autumn in-cluding three nights at the Posthotel, apampering massage and dinner with a pri-vate cook.

www.natuerliche-schoenheiten.at

Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Austria

This page: Golflodge



To get a feel for the creative pulse of the cityone only has to head to the centrally lo-cated Museum Quartier. Comprised of aunique mix of 18th and 19th century archi-tecture, the compound is home to theLeopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien,and the Museum of Modern Art(MUMOK), among other institutions. Itsexpansive courtyard is a cultural oasiswhere one can either hang out and soak upthe atmosphere or enjoy numerous art andcultural events. Film,music, literary and artevents can be taken advantage of by thoseof every age and across a myriad of inter-

ests. For those who are especially inter-ested in contemporary art don't miss out ontheViennafair, taking place at the beginningof October.

With an early autumn visit one can also ex-perienceVienna's museums during its par-ticipation in the Lange Nacht der Museen[Long Night of the Museums], which thisyear falls on 4 October. On this evening al-most everymuseum in the city will stay openwell past their closing times. With just oneticket, visitors canmove between the exten-sive variety of museumsVienna has to offer

until 1am and a range of special events ac-company the extensive choice of exhibitions.If your cultural interests lean more towardsthe historical, the city's Tag des Denkmals[Memorial Day] might be a more excitingoption. Taking place on the last Sunday inSeptember, this annual event allows freepublic access to otherwise inaccessible his-torical monuments.

If you’re looking for something even moredynamic, theHaus derMusik [House ofMu-sic] offers a perfectly suited option.Here vis-itors are encouraged to discover and playwith sound and music through the interac-tive installations, which actively engage allthe senses. Their innovative approach tosound and music seeks to connectVienna'smusical past with its musical future. Be sureto check the Haus der Musik's on-line cal-endar for an updated list of special program-ming and concerts for adults and children.

In many of the world's major cities one must be in-the-know to find all the great andoften secret spots that locals take advantage of. Luckily, for visitors to Vienna, onedoes not have to stray far from the familiar tourist spots to be surprised. Its mix ofcontemporary culture and historical treasures lends Vienna a sense of magic andglamour that everyone can enjoy, outsider or insider.

TEXT: JAIME SCHWARTZ

Exciting Vienna- by no means off the beaten path

Culture & Lifestyle

Vienna’s HiddenTreasures

Above: Strudlhofstiege.© BDA. Photo: Bettina Neubauer-Pregl



For more auditory adventures, autumn inVienna provides options across the musicalspectrum. For those looking to take advan-tage of Vienna's rich classical music heritage,September kicks off the re-opening of thecity's opera season after the summer break.However, book tickets as soon as you bookyour flights asmost showswill sell out quiteearly. In early October theWavesVienna fes-tival and conference comes to town. Fulfilling

its “East meetsWest”mission, local and in-ternational alternative, electronic, rock, andclub acts will be performing aroundVienna’s1st district.The conference will feature pan-els and workshops that are also centeredaround this exchange and themusicmarketsand scenes unique to each region.

Vienna, however, does not only possess amultitude of cultural offerings, it has plenty



to offer in the nature department as well.Just west of the city lies the picturesqueVi-enna Woods or, Wienerwald, a pre-Alpinelandscape with both open spaces and fourdifferent types of forest. September andOctober are some of the best months tovisit as visitors get to witness the dramatic

colour changes of the natural scenery. Fish-ing, trekking, hiking, cycling, climbing andhorseback riding can all be done within thearea. Great deals can be found on accom-modation with autumn being the off-sea-son for those who would like to overnightor stay longer.

Of course, one cannot mention Viennawithout mentioning its wines. Septemberand October are particularly great monthsto sample what is produced locally. Thesetwo months are the city's high season forwine as the harvest is over, meaning theJunge Wiener, or young wines are beingpoured in the wine taverns on the edges oftown. It's also the best time to try a glass ortwo of theWiener Gemischter Satz, a mix ofthree different white wine varieties pressedtogether.

With its incredible offerings of public eventsin some of the city's most beautiful andhistoric settings, the key to a good time in

Vienna is provided by the city itself. Due toits long and varied cultural history, archi-tectural, cultural and culinary gems can befound in just about every corner of the city.It is no wonder that with such a plentitudeof treasures Vienna has no reason to keepthem hidden.

Discover Germany | Culture & Lifestyle | Vienna's Hidden Treasures

Top left: Wiener Staatsoper.© WienTourismus / Christian Stemper

Bottom far left: Annatheater.© BDA. Photo: Bettina Neubauer-Pregl

Below from left to right:

Dom zu Gurk.© BDA. Photo: Petra Laubenstein

Schlosstheater Schon̈brunn.© BDA. Photo: Bettina Neubauer-Pregl

Hofmusikkapelle red salon.© BDA. Photo: Bettina Neubauer-Pregl



Besides giving you a unique insight intothe world of sound, fun and entertainmentare guaranteed when strolling through theHaus der Musik.Housed in the spectacularformer Palais of Archduke Charles, furtherresidence of Otto Nicolai, composer of The

MerryWives of Windsor and original found-ing place of theVienna Philharmonic con-certs, the museum opened its doors in theyear 2000 and is honorary chaired by noneother than Maestro Zubin Mehta. 5,000square metres of exhibition space are

spread over the courtyard and spanningfour floors, each dedicated to experiencingthe past, the present and the future ofsound. “The Haus der Musik combines themusical heritage and the musical future ina globally unique way. Alongside from thehistorical elements, the interaction betweennatural and electronic sound creation, be-tween analogue and digital, plays a vitalrole in our concept,” director Simon K.Posch explains. Visitors of all generationstruly enjoy the interactive and playful jour-ney of musical discovery offered in the formof exciting installations such as The VirtualConductor, the Mozart name play Na-madeus, the Waltz Dice Game, or the VirtoStage. Children are most welcome and thelittle visitors revel in playing gigantic in-struments or making their ownmusic withthe help of a computer. School groups areflocking to enjoy the musical experiencefor all senses and, in some cases, one visitas a child to the Haus der Musik couldspark a lifelong passion for music.

Highlights in autumn include the HOME-COMING music festival on 20 Septemberfeaturing indie stars like Garish, Gin GaandVelojet.On 4October and as part of theORF Long Night of the Museums the Hausder Musik offers entry until 1am in themorning. A special attraction is the newKLANG:TEPPICH [SOUND:CARPET],whichhas been installed by multimedia artist To-bias Hermeling. Yet there is more to lookforward to as in November the STAIRPLAYwill be inaugurated, an exciting interactivepiano staircase with 13 touch-sensitivesteps.

Parts of the museum are available for pri-vate hire in order to offer event organisersa fantastic backdrop and backing track fortheir special occasion. Come in and findout about the wonderful world of music.

www.hausdermusik.at

The Haus der Musik in the heart of Vienna is an interactive award-winning soundmuseum offering visitors a new playful approach to music with a scientific note.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: HAUS DER MUSIK

Discover the world of music

Main image: Haus der Musik, Vienna. Photo: Inge Prader

Left, from top to bottom:

Sononsphere © Inge Prader

Virtual Conductor © Inge Prader

Waltz Dice Game © Inge Prader

Zeitperlen (time pearls) © Wulz



Of course, this is not just wishful thinking:“Vienna Sightseeing:Simply the best” has been offering tours throughout the capitalsince 1972.Themarket leader for tours inVienna is popular amongstvisitors as itsHOPONHOPOFF tour lets you see the city in a newand relaxed way. There is no schedule – just the one you set your-self. Choose your pace andhop on and off at one of themany stopsaroundVienna.Depending on the season, there are between 25 and37 options.

There are four routes to choose from and these can even be com-bined with a boat ride on the Danube. Have your cameras ready!

Tomake sure that tourists do not just observe the city but also trulyget to know it,Vienna Sightseeing Tours offers audio guides in 16languages and there is a kids channel available inGerman andEng-lish too.Additional benefits includeWi-Fi on all buses as well as aguided walking tour starting at the State Opera.

For those wishing to explore beyond the capital, the friendly teamfromVienna SightseeingTours also offers excursions into the greaterarea. For example, a half-day trip to themost beautiful sights in thesouthern part of theViennaWoods.Or perhaps a full-day trip to theromantic and picturesque Danube Valley, Salzburg, Budapest,Prague and Bratislava. No plans for NewYear’s Eve yet? ViennaSightseeingTours’NewYear’s Eve Special Tour is a great option.

NowHOPON for your chance toWINa free ticket for one ofAus-tria’s best experiences:Vienna SightseeingTours has 5x2HOPONHOP OFF tickets up for grabs.These are valid for 48 hours on allroutes – boat trips inclusive (cash pay-out is not possible). Simplyanswer the question“Howmany bus routes can visitors choose toexplore?” For your chance to win, send the answerwith “HOP ON HOP OFFVienna” as the subjectto [email protected] before 30 September2014.

www.viennasightseeing.at

Burgtheatre, Hofburg Palace, Parliament, Schönbrunn Palace– these are some of the most magnificent buildings to visit inVienna. What could be a better way to explore the whole va-riety of Austria’s capital than sitting on a comfortable bus thatstops at themost picturesque spots while shielding you fromthe wind?

TEXT: LEONIE PUSCHER | PHOTOS: VIENNA SIGHSEEING TOURS / BERNHARD LUCK


SeeVienna in its best light



For goldsmith Karl Nikl it was not the1920s that were golden but the late 1930s,

when he opened his own jewellery storeand workshop inVienna.

From generation to generation, this suc-cessful business has remained in Nikl fam-ily hands and expanded in 1980 with a sec-ond store and workshop at 79 Taborstreet.

Today, Karl Nikl’s grandson Stefan Niklruns the third generation family business.Having never planned on taking over hisparents’ business, he eventually returnedto his roots.“For a long time, it was not myintention to work as a goldsmith. After

graduating from high school, I studiedmedicine for three semesters and trainedwith the military for a year. It was only af-ter that, when I was 20 years old, that Istarted the apprenticeship at my father’sworkshop. I am grateful that my parentsgranted me complete freedom in my careerchoice,”Nikl says.After gaining his Master’scertificate as a goldsmith, Nikl continuedhis education and trained as a gemstonespecialist. He also successfully finished hisstudies in business management at theVi-ennese University for Applied Science.

Becoming a goldsmith certainly proved tobe the right choice for Nikl as he adds witha smile: “To bring joy to our customers oreternalise a special moment in timethrough designing a piece of jewellery isour daily motivation.”The philosophy ofgoldsmith Nikl is to merge craftsmanship

Do you ever dream of an individual piece of jewellery, something that no one elsehas, something made just for you? Established Viennese goldsmith Nikl is theanswer! With fine craftsmanship, decades of experience and a great sense for de-sign, Nikl’s goldsmiths meet virtually any creative challenge.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: NIKL

Goldsmith NiklIndividuality, art and tremendous skill

Stefan Nikl and Siegfried Baumgartner




with art. This is also reflected in their logo,which symbolises the spiritual and the ma-terial world.

The designs are timeless and elegant, occa-sionally with a simple touch of contempo-rary style.The store is a veritable heaven forjewellery lovers who appreciate the craft andlook of sophisticated designs that stay awayfrom mainstream trends. Whether it is forprecious stone necklaces, classic cufflinks orstar sign inspired brooches, a great range offine materials is chosen and modern meth-ods are used during the crafting process.

Often Nikl and his team create uniquepieces upon demand: “We do all kinds of

different jewellery, from individual engage-ment or wedding rings to a chain for theuniversity’s principle.We specialise in cre-ating jewellery to our customer’s own de-sign ideas.” Nikl and his team even take onstrange requests, such as a locket carryinga little glass container of blood. The gold-smiths take it with a great deal of humourand are keen to find beautiful, creative so-lutions to meet any design demand, nomatter how complicated. Of course, theyalso do repairs and redesign old jewellery.

Themost exciting project is without a doubtthe new Wiener Ring (Viennese Ring). To-gether with architecture student and de-signer Siegfried Baumgartner, Stefan Niklhas created a beautiful ring in the exactshape of the famous Viennese Ring road.With its striking shape and distinctivename, theWiener Ring has a lot of charac-ter and stands in direct reference to won-derful Vienna. The ring is available in dif-ferent variations and comes as part of aseries, like the two brilliants series or theprincess series. For the customised version,one can choose between different types ofstones as well as adding an engraving.Thebackground for this smart creation is the150th jubilee of the popularViennese ringroad next year.The special jubilee collectionwill be professionally showcased duringthe festivities and the Wiener Ring is al-ready certain to be a real treat for Viennaenthusiasts.

Aside from focusing on his remarkable cre-ations, Nikl pays great attention to the nextgeneration of goldsmiths. It is importantto communicate the passion for the craft toyoung people, he says, and work as a rolemodel. At his workshop, it becomes clearthat being a goldsmith is anything but bor-ing and does not automatically have to beold-fashioned.

There is so much more to be said about theNikl jewellery workshop and store, and thebest advice is to simply go and have a look.Watch the goldsmiths at work, have a chatabout the inspirational city of Vienna orfind a precious gift for your loved ones.Whether you are in town for business or

holiday, Stefan Nikl and his team are happyto show their handmade treasures, or cre-ate one from scratch just for you!

www.nikl.atwww.wienerring.at

The Wiener Ring



In October 1810, Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hild-burghausen. The new kingdom of Bavaria was only four years old at the time. The festivities lasted almost a week. An old stylehorse race was held to the south-west of what is now the Altstadt and this marked the close of the festival. The area in frontof Munich’s gateway was christened Theresienwiese to honour the new Crown Princess. The horse racing was held every yearas it proved so popular.

TEXT: WWW.OKTOBERFEST.INFO | PHOTOS: GNTO

Oktoberfest history



The character of the Oktoberfest haschanged over the decades.More and morestalls and travelling game booths joinedthe horse racing and the first carnival ridessoon followed. The current form of Okto-berfest, with beer tents and the festival last-ing more than two weeks, evolved towardsthe end of the 19th century. The start of

the festival was also brought forward toSeptember. Since 1850, the Bavaria statuehas watched over the Oktoberfest,Munichand Bavaria. The bronze statue was de-signed by Ludwig Schwanthaler. The Ok-toberfest is only cancelled very rarely. In200 years, there have only been 24 yearswhere the Oktoberfest has been cancelled

– during the wars in particular. The horseracing was discontinued after 1945. Thishas only been held again to celebrate the150th anniversary, and also in 2010 to cel-ebrate the 200th. Horse racing was part ofthe Oktoberfest for the anniversary.

The Oktoberfest is now one of the biggestand most popular festivals in the world.More than six million people visit the Ok-toberfest every year, and they come fromall over the world. As well as Italians, youwill oftenmeetAmericans,Australians andthe Japanese in particular.

The Oktoberfest has also established itselfin the homeland of foreign Oktoberfestfans: there are around 300 Oktoberfestsaround the world that follow the exampleof the original in Munich.

Culture & Lifestyle

OktoberfestSpecial

Culture & Lifestyle | Oktoberfest Special

Main image: Munich: 'Himmel der Bayern', beer tent at theMunich Oktoberfest. Photo: Büro Gaff Adenis, Pierre

From left to right:

Munich: traditional costume at the Oktoberfest. Photo: RainerKiedrowski

Munich: felt hat at the Oktoberfest. Photo: Rainer Kiedrowski

Munich: dancing at the Oktoberfest. Photo: Rainer Kiedrowski

Tapping of the first beer barrel, 2013. Photo: Nagy/PresseamtMun̈chen

Munich/Isar: Brass band in traditional costume on parade atthe Munich Oktoberfest. Photo: Büro Gaff Adenis, Pierre


Every year millions of people from all overthe world travel to Munich to take part inone of Germany’s most famous, traditional,beer-heavy holidays, Oktoberfest; one ofthe rare festivals where guests are whole-heartedly encouraged to adopt local cus-toms and wear traditional clothes. To tellyou the truth, one simply cannot go to theOktoberfest without the obligatory Dirndldress or typical Lederhosen. It just wouldnot be as much fun.

So, ladies, if you go, do it properly. But doingit properlymeans choosing a Dirndl that re-

flects your personality and emphasises yourindividual body shape perfectly. And be-cause that is generally quite a mission, it isbest to consult an expert. The inspiringNeuburg-based mother-daughter designerteam of Alpenmaedel is just that, and somuch more. The Alenmaedel team designslovely traditional German dresses that havea very special and appealing modern touch,without compromising the classic cut.

Claudia Nowka and her mother Marion,two warm-hearted and creative ladies, havelong designed traditional costumes for his-

toric festivals together, but it wasn’t until2005 that they launched their own dresscollection.Their unique, custom-made de-signs are fresh and fashionable while stilloozing the enchanted Dirndl flair.

Claudia Nowka explains: “A Dirndl com-bines fashion, tradition, couture and art inone dress. That is what we always keep inmind when we design our distinctiveDirndl. We only use high quality fabricsfrom all over the world such as silk, brocadeor hand embroidered lace from France, Italyand England. A lot of the fabrics are oftenmade exclusively for Alpenmaedel.”

Creating the perfect fit with a passion fordetail, the mother-daughter team has suc-cessfully managed to design a distinctivestyle and completely re-invent the classic

Dirndl by Alpenmaedel- because it is more than just a dressIf you have never been to Oktoberfest then it is high time to pack your suitcase.But what to wear? Don’t worry – Bavarian design atelier Alpenmeadel has got youcovered.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: ALPENMAEDEL




Discover Germany | Culture & Lifestyle | Oktoberfest Special

Dirndl. “We design our Dirndl with tradi-tional patterns, but by combining unusualmaterial and colours with glamorous ac-cessories we create a new and very indi-vidual look,”explains Nowka.

The well-crafted Dirndl complements theshape of a woman’s body perfectly. It is theideal piece of clothing for women of allages, so it isn’t just for Oktoberfest. A cute,little Dirndl for the baptism ceremony,communion Dirndl for the next generation,as well as playful Oktoberfest Dirndl forthe youngsters are part of theAlpenmaedelcollections.Nowka says:“Of course,we alsodo exclusive couture Dirndl for the fashionconscious trendsetters amongst us, but wealso offer bridal Dirndl for that very specialday. Furthermore, we have the more subtlebut still very sophisticated Dirndl for theolder generation.”Alpenmaedel dresses arein demand and there is even a collection forpregnant ladies. Due to the clever designs,these Dirndl can still be worn post-preg-nancy without any special alterations.

Working as part of a mother-daughter teamis a very special situation and ClaudiaNowka praises the good working relation-ship with her mum: “Our relationship isbased on intimacy and deep trust. I owemymother so much. Without her I simplywould have never been able to build the la-bel and manage the workload. In fact, I amvery grateful to my entire family and friendsfor their support!”

“Naturally,”Nowka reveals with a smile,“my mother and I do argue occasionally,mainly because I am quite impulsive. Butmymother is more laid-back and just waitsuntil I have calmed down.”That sounds likea typical mother-daughter relationship, andmaybe that is the final ingredient that onecan feel in the soulful creations that ap-peal to so many different types and gener-ations of women.

Only recently, in 2012, the Alpenmaedelteam, which used to have just one store atMunich’s Viktualienmarkt, opened a sec-

ond store in Austria’s Kitzbuehel. Thecourageous step turned out to be very suc-cessful. Now, two years later,Alpenmaedelhas become a household name in the dis-tinctive village and mother and daughterare very happy that the expansion hasworked out nicely.

From an international perspective, Alpen-maedel is still an insider’s tip, but it certainlywill not stay a secret for long.Whether youchoose a dress from one of the collectionsor opt for a tailor-made design, all theircreations are absolutely fabulous. And ifyou do not happen to be in Bavaria rightnow, the Alpenmaedel’s website offers agreat way to explore the current collectionof gorgeous dresses.

But beware, it may trigger your desire to at-tend the Oktoberfest and use it as a runwayfor one of those stunning Dirndl.

www.alpenmaedel.de



In Wimdu's home country of Germany, amultitude of accommodation enables thevisitor to explore this vast, central Europeancountry. Oktoberfest, the world-renownedboisterous beer festival, is a staple on theBavarian calendar. Originally conceived in1810, the city's breweries, beer taverns andcobblestone-squares chink to the jovial clinkof stein glasses and mirth each October.

For those wishing to explore something alittle more intimate, a few steps off thetourist track – a variety of Oktoberfests, setin different German cities, take place each

year.TheMünsteraner Oktoberfest may nothave as many illustrious beers as those ontap in Munich, but Pinkus Beer - a tradi-tional, Münsteranean brew - has delightedthe taste buds of locals and foreigners alikesince 1816. Wimdu have a variety of ac-commodation options on offer in the cityand,with prices as low as 30 euros per night,allow visitors to base themselves in one ofthe city's neighbourhoods and gain agreater understanding of the place.

Even Frankfurt – synonymous with busi-ness and the economy – now has an Okto-

berfest. The Binding brewery is an officialpartner of the Frankfurter Oktoberfest, andits local house brew is enjoyed across Ger-many. Wimdu have a variety of city centreapartments and holiday villas in Frankfurt,enabling the visitor to scratch beneath thesurface of its somewhat spotless, sterile ex-terior and discover exactly why the city is

Wimdu is an online portal that lets you book private accommodation, holidayhomes and apartments. So whether you are searching for a city apartment in down-town Manhattan, a beachside villa on the island of Mallorca, or even a houseboatin Amsterdam, Wimdu have a vast spectrum of properties to match every taste.

TEXT: LEONIE PUSCHER | PHOTOS: WIMDU

Arne Bleckwenn (left) and Hinrich Dreiling

WimduSimply better than a hotel



Discover Germany | Culture & Lifestyle | Oktoberfest Special

the perennial winner of the ‘most liveablecity in Germany’award.

Wimdu was started in 2011 by two friends,Arne Bleckwenn and Hinrich Dreiling. Bothare passionate travellerswhohad grown tiredpaying extortionate prices for featureless, im-personal hotel rooms.The idea of private ac-commodationwith city-specific informationprovided by locals seemed so appealing thatWimduwas born.Wimdu aims to bridge thepassion for exploration and travel,with tech-nical know-how and individual customerwishes.TheWimdu team is dedicated to pro-viding a real alternative to a hotel, providingquality, caring, handpicked accommodationacross the globe.The fact that over one mil-lion people have bookedWimdu accommo-dationmight be down to the prices – up to 50per cent lower than a hotel. Or it might bedown to the variety of offerings, or the ever-expanding list of countries in whichWimduproperties now feature – over 150 at the lastcount.

Wimdu's concept is simple and accessible.Just type in the location you want to visitandWimdu will provide you with a varietyof urban apartments and holiday homes inyour chosen destination. If you want to rentout your apartment, you can register on thewebsite too.As many glowing testimonialsfrom hosts on the website testify, hosting aWimdu property can be rewarding.Wimduoffers photo services and free customer sup-port to their hosts. Melenia, a host in Ger-many states: “My experiences with the guestwere all positive – they were all so nice!Youdevelop a personal relationship, it’s so dif-ferent to being in a hotel.”

Are you exploring the numerous Oktober-fests all over Germany? Or just want to en-joy the variety of different landscapes Ger-many has to offer? Whatever your plansare, staying in overpriced, faceless hotelroom doesn’t need to be part of your jour-ney. Enjoy Wimdu’s private accommoda-tion at friendly prices and make your holi-day experience more authentic, moreintimate, and more enjoyable.

www.wimdu.de



Passengers have the luxury of travellingwith an ultra-modern fleet of MercedesBenz coaches at the best value ticket prices.The service is aimed at travellers looking foran environmentally friendly, affordable andcomfortable travel option with a high stan-dard of safety.

Long-distance coaches were only recentlyintroduced in Germany. In 2013, the marketwas liberalised and ever since coach travelhas been booming in the land of the Auto-bahn. city2city belongs to the five leadingcoach companies on themarket. Fifteenme-tropolises are part of the constantly growingcity2city route network so far. Running fromHamburg in the north to Munich in thesouth, the network also includes major air-ports such as Cologne or Frankfurt Airport.Passengers can enjoy a relaxed travel experi-encewith few stops on each route.The serv-ice operates seven days a week and offerstravellers three to five connections a day. Acooperation with the coach operator berlin-linenbus.de addsmanymore destinations tothe network that can be booked online.

Ticket prices start from 8 euros and aresupplemented by a variety of special offers,which are regularly promoted. Students,youths, children, seniors (from 60 years),disabled people and groups get a discounton regular prices. Spontaneous travellerscan buy last-minute tickets on board too.city2city was the first coach provider tooffer a loyalty scheme for frequent trav-ellers. With BusPlus each booking earnscustomers points that can be redeemedlater on for free tickets and exclusive dis-counts. Loyal customers also enjoy moreflexibility when changing and cancellingtickets.

Passengers are guaranteed a reserved seatin an air-conditioned, comfortable Mer-cedes-Benz coach with XXL-legroom.Withfree Wi-Fi and ample sockets on-board,passengers can stay connected while trav-elling.

“We aim to be the friendliest coach providerwith the best customer service,” explainscity2city Managing Director John Gilbert.

“We are proud of our high punctuality andthe excellent value for money we offer.”With the upcoming Oktoberfest, why nothop on a coach to Munich and try outcity2city’s vision of modern travelling?Ticket prices from Frankfurt, for example,start from 17 Euro.

www.city2city.de

The coach provider city2city offers value-for-money travel to major cities through-out Germany, such as Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Cologne.

TEXT: DORINA REICHHOLD | PHOTOS: CITY2CITY

Exploring Germany by coach



In the southern part of the Harz, in theheart of central Germany, nestles the well-ness hotel Schindelbruch. This beautifulspot was first used in 1928, when Earl zuStolberg-Stolberg built his lavish huntinglodge right upon it. Today this historicallysignificant building has been carefully ren-ovated and turned into a lovely garden caféand grill restaurant, which form part of thehotel.

From meadows to forests, lakes and high-lands, the Harz is known for its natural di-versity. Looking at the scenic environmentit should come as no surprise that the ho-tel’s philosophy is based on sustainability. It

is the management’s mission to show thattourism and ecology can go hand in hand.Owner and CEO Dr. Clemens Ritter vonKempski, has been interested in sustainableforestry and the questions raised by climatechange since the 1990s, so it was only nat-

ural that his spa hotel would follow strictgreen guidelines.

Embracing sustainability

Earning the title climate-neutral did nothappen overnight. After an 18.5 millionEuro investment, the hotel now uses 100%green electricity, works with local produc-ers, has its very own water treatment sys-tem and pellet heating as well as water andenergy saving features in each of their 98rooms and suites. And those are just a few

The nature resort and four-star superior wellness hotel Schindelbruch in Ger-many’s Harz mountain region takes its principles seriously, offering supreme re-laxation without leaving a carbon footprint.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: HOTEL SCHINDELBRUCH

Discover, enjoy, sustain



Discover Germany | Culture & Lifestyle | Great Short Trip Destinations this Autumn in Germany

of the ever-optimised methods, whichmake the hotel unique in its comprehensiveapproach.The staff are well trained not onlyin hospitality but also in sustainability andcan advise on green travel arrangements.

“What makes our wellness hotel quite spe-cial is our careful handling of natural re-sources, which is incredibly complex, con-sistent and based on achieving long-termresults,”says hotel manager Susanne Kiefer.In 2009 the hotel was presented with the

state’s tourism award ”Vorreiter”(pioneer)and is often held up as a shining examplesince it is also the first climate-neutral ho-tel in Central Germany.

A green spa is possible

It is remarkable how efficiently the hotelhas embedded this fantastic approach, evenincorporating it into their new spaciouswellness world.Yet what looks effortless isin fact the result of hard work and com-mitment to the cause, something that isincreasingly appreciated by today’s sophis-ticated and nature-conscious traveller.

At Schindelbruch guests can enjoy luxurywith a clear conscience. The excellent spaarea measures 2,500 square metres and in-cludes a large family-friendly swimmingpool as well as a newly built bathhousewith a second larger pool for guests over 14years. “Natural materials promote a cosyatmosphere and invite one into a kingdomof rest. Lights, acoustics, colours and fabricsare harmoniously aligned and allow gueststo immerse themselves in our sensual wa-ter world. In various relaxation rooms,guests can unwind on heated waterbedsor vibration loungers whilst looking at thebeautiful landscape outside. And on ourroof terrace we have comfy sun loungers,”SPAmanagerTanja Peters says enthusiasti-cally. Various treatments and training ses-sions can be booked individually.

Also worth mentioning is the hotel’s saunavillage, which is comprised of four differenttypes of saunas, such as the steam or fra-grant sauna. All the saunas are connectedthrough the rustic village square, whichtransforms into a romantic outdoor back-drop as the fireplace and candles are lit inthe evening, making it in a firm favouritewith guests.

Three restaurants, the bar and the gardencafé make sure food and wine lovers arewell cared for. Chef Markus Koindek spoilsguests with local culinary delights and findshis inspiration in the surrounding nature.Dishes of wild game and freshly caughttrout come highly recommended. “Themembership in the Slow Food Associationstands for the thoughtful handling of food,for freshness, liveliness and health,”Kieferadds.

A lot to discover

With its forests and cliffs, the Harz area isperfect for outdoor activities such as walk-ing, hiking and climbing. The famousBrocken is the highest mountain in north-ern Germany and can also be reached by acharming steam engine. On guided toursnature enthusiasts can visit the moors, hid-den orchid meadows and caves.

Nearby lies the picturesque first historicEuropean town of Stolberg with its histor-ical half-timbered houses.Monuments andcastles throughout the Harz remember aforgotten time of kings and emperors, wholeft their mark more than a thousand yearsago.The staff are happy to point out manymore attractive destinations for culture andart fans, for sporty guests or history buffs.But you can also just stroll around the ho-tel’s own forest and enjoy the comforts ofnature while keeping the accommodationand spa in close proximity.

The fabulous facilities at Schindelbruch al-low guests to regain their natural balance.Indulging in luxury without harming ourplanet is more than just a holiday; it is alifestyle to take home with you.

www.schindelbruch.de

Culture & Lifestyle

Great Short TripDestinations this

AutumnGermany



If you want to feel like you’re on the otherside of the world but you don’t fancy trav-elling too far around the globe, then thebeautiful Hotel La Casa is the place to go.In southwest Germany’s city of Tübingen,you can experience a unique oriental staywith a relaxing atmosphere, friendly staffand fine cuisine guaranteed.

Be prepared for love at first sight.Your arrivalin the well-decorated entrance hall will im-mediately get you in the mood to relax.While a pianist provides the soundtrack toyour welcome, a small fountain in the cen-tre of the entrance hall catches your eye.Thefamily-owned five star hotel was built anddecorated by the owners themselves.Taking

inspiration from the Iberian peninsula, theEuropean Orient, the design emits an un-paralleled feeling of freedomwith its speciallight and color choices.With stone elementsfrom southern Spain, lamps from Veniceand mosaic from the Provence, the ownershave succeeded in creating a truly special at-mosphere.“Hospederia La Casa” is the phi-losophy the staff aspires to: Welcome to adifferent world.

Thirty-four individually decorated roomswelcome guests with elegance and aMediterranean touch.The hotel also offersfive suites and apartments with fully-fittedkitchens; this is where you sit back and en-joy a bit of peace and quiet.

Do you feel stressed and exhausted? Notfor much longer: the La Casa has an ex-tensive array of facilities to pamper yoursenses.The wellness facilities are located onthe upper floors, including a rooftop withstunning views over the surrounding area.The two areas, La Casa Spa and Arabic Bath& Hamam, will allow you to forget aboutwork and chores. The look of the facilitiesreflects warmth and ocean freshness. If thisis not enough, you can enjoy the hotel’ssauna, massages, cosmetic treatments,steam bath or tepidarium, which are com-forting and purifying on all levels.

The hotel’s own restaurant offers gueststop class dining and promises tingling tastebuds. Thanks to its Mediterranean feel,every evening feels like a lovely summerevening in the La Casa. The menus are anexquisite composition of amuse bouche,appetizers, intermediate courses, sorbets,main courses and a selection of cheeses or

Hospitality, fine cuisine and an oriental oasis in the southwest of Germany –whether you are visiting or here on business, Hotel La Casa in Tübingen will makeevery wish come true.

TEXT: LEONIE PUSCHER | PHOTOS: HOTEL LA CASA TÜBINGEN

Mi Casa es su casa es ‘La Casa’



Discover Germany | Hotel of the Month | Germany

desserts. OnWednesdays, Fridays and Sat-urdays your meal is accompanied by live pi-ano music, and in summer you can enjoyyour meal on the lovely garden terrace.

Alongside the first-class menus, the hotelalso offers a la carte dishes, typical Swabianmeals and different pastas. The tastefuljourney doesn’t quite stop here though; allthe ingredients are carefully selected fromlocal, organic farmers to ensure that onlythe freshest and best ingredients are served.For ultimate variety, the menu changesweekly.

Whether you are on vacation and lookingto relax, travelling through and in need agood rest or are here for business to use oneof the hotel’s conference rooms, the hotelhas endless possibilities. The friendly staffmake it their mission to make sure you feelwelcome and carefree. Courteous, alert andalways there to make your stay as enjoyableas possible, the staff of the hotel La Casahave received excellent visitor reviews.Made up of great personalities, the teamworks in a familial-like atmosphere, whichis positively received by the guests.

In addition to the regular entertainmentfrom the local pianist, La Casa also offers anumber of special events. For example,make the most of an exquisite brunch thatwill leave you with nothing else to wishfor. Sparkling wine, a large selection ofjuices and a great variety of food: eggdishes, salmon and fish specialties, cheeseand sausages, fresh fruit, homemadeBircher muesli, sweet cut-up pancakes andwaffles and much more. If that’s notenough, they also serve a variety of starters,two main courses with side dishes anddessert varieties. This brunch is accompa-nied by live classical piano music and ever-greens with ReimerTreplin.Dates for out ofthe ordinary brunches are the 5th of Octo-ber 2014, 9th of November and the 7th ofDecember. If you feel like experiencing anextraordinary evening, you should not missthe “Pasadena Roof Orchestra”.Their fourthlive performance in the hotel La Casa guar-antees an evening youwill never forget.Theintimate concert evening is a feast through-out as an exclusive seven course menu willcomplement the evening.

www.lacasa-tuebingen.de

Hotelof the Month

Germany



Set in amongst the Wadden Sea NationalPark, the tranquil region of Cuxland, whichstretches from the North Sea to the rivers ofElbe andWeser, is one of Germany’s best-kept holiday secrets. A state-recognisedseaside wellness resort for almost fiftyyears, it attracts hordes of holidaymakersseeking that much desired fresh sea breezeand an almost unparalleled level of naturalbeauty.

Perhaps more than any other coastal re-gion, theWadden Sea’s appeal comes fromits ebbs and flows, from the natural forcesthat shape the landscape, from its thou-

sands of years of evolution. Since the IceAge, the sea’s omnipotence has created aflat panorama, one that changes in an in-stant as the tide comes in.Where fresh wa-ter meets salt water, birds soar above andcrabs scuttle across the sand, its importancewas recognised officially in 2009 as theWadden Sea was granted a place on theUNESCO World Heritage list. RunningfromDenmark through to the Netherlands,it’s the Lower Saxony area of Germany thattempts Discover Germany on a trip duringautumn, an ideal time for some outdoorexhilaration, local culinary treats and natu-ral wonders.

Coastal comfortWhether you’re reclining in one of theiconic German beach chairs on one of Cux-land’s white sandy beaches or kicking backamongst the daisies on a grassy expanse ofcoast, this seashore couldn’t be more invit-ing. As the kites circle above, held aloft bythe ever-present gentle breeze, a picnic anda ball game are called for.

In the port town of Cuxhaven, the shorehas been developed and a 1.5 kilometrepromenade is now present. Not just easyon the eye, it works as yet another sea de-fence, while also providing space for out-door cafes and chilled-out areas fromwhich you can gaze over the expanse ofsea.

Despite the odd lighthouse and harbour, it’sthe vastness of the mudflats and the salt-

Over two hundred years ago the first bathing house was built in Lower Saxony’s Cux-haven. Today, a quick glance at Google Maps is all we need to tempt us to visit thisunspoilt coastal area of northern Germany.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: CUXLAND-TOURISMUS

Autumnal short-breaks and tidal treasures



Discover Germany | Culture & Lifestyle | Great Short Trip Destinations this Autumn in Germany

marshes that draw the eye in. Home to re-markable nature, seals are prone to wallowon the sandbanks and there are seahorseslurking in the shallows.

Hiking as you’ve never experienced itbefore

Mudflat hiking, one of the region’s mostpopular activities, is the key to one of thoseprecious memories that you can cherish foryears. Enticed by the fauna, flora and 10,000different species of land and water-livinganimals, a barefoot hike across the mudflatsto one of theWadden Sea islands gives youa rather different experience to the usualstroll through a town. With various routespossible, each one strictly marked to avoiddangerous tidal areas, Discover Germanyhas chosen a route that spans 10km fromthe port of Cuxhaven to the island ofNeuwerk. Given the tides, it’s a journeyagainst the clock but one that can be en-joyed at leisure. For those less keen oncleaning between their toes, there are quitea few carriages drawn by horses who aremore than willing to make the crossing tothe island and for morning risers, there’sone ferry that crosses to and from on a dailybasis.

More to theWadden Sea thanmeets theeye

Spread across the Wadden Sea NationalPark are several interactive and inspira-tional visitors’centres. Directly on the mud-flats stands the Cuxhaven visitors’ centre,where an experienced guide waits patientlyfor the right moment to cross the mudflats.Placing our trust in the guides and theirknowledge of the tidal flows,we prepare fora hike like no other. Before embarking on amudflat hike it’s vital to ensure that thetide is on your side. With a packed sched-ule of workshops, guided tours, mudflathikes, bike rides, seminars and craft ses-sions, the site at Cuxhaven gives you muchmore than just an overview of the nature,it’ll take you on a complete journey throughthe habitable mudflats.

Speaking of habitats, the region’s secondvisitors’ centre in Dorum-Neufeld has justundergone a very striking renovation. Ar-

chitecturally impressive, it provides youwith a sea of knowledge to accompany youon your exploration of the region, whilealso introducing you to everything that re-sides there – including, of course, Gabi thehermit crab. Peering into her aquarium, tryand spot the delightful sea urchins and fel-low creatures that share the space.

Getting there

The region of Cuxland includes Beverstedt,Cuxhaven, Hagen, Hemmoor, Lamstedt,Loxstedt, Otterndorf, Schiffdorf, StadtGeestland, the Wingst and the WursterNordseekus̈te. These locations are all suit-able bases while on holiday for wider ex-ploration of the region.

www.cuxland.de

Top left, main image: A popular way to make the crossingover the mudflats is by the 'Wattwagen', a traditional horseand cart. Photo: Nordseeheilbad GmbH

Left from top to bottom:

The 12km stretch of sandy beach and Cuxhaven's landmark,the Kugelbake.

An aerial view over Cuxhaven with the islands of Neuwerk andScharhoern visible.

A fishing boat in Wremen passes by the Kleiner Preuße light-house.

Nordholz's jetty into the Wadden Sea.

Below: The Wadden Sea's mudflats render it one of theworld's most remarkable areas of natural beauty

Bottom: The fishing boat habour in Nordholz-Spieka



Leopold III Friedrich Franz Prince of An-halt-Dessau is regarded as the creator ofthe Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Woerlitz,which is located between the Elbe andMulde rivers. After travelling Europe, andEngland in particular, the prince returnedinspired and in 1764 the monarch began totransform the landscape according to theEnglish model.

Initially he focused on the gardens of Gor-litz, which became the first landscape gar-den in Continental Europe. In cooperationwith his friend and architect, FriedrichWil-helm von Erdmannsdorff, Prince Franz cre-ated each one of the gardens in a new styleby involving the existing countryside mead-ows. To embellish the landscape, he added

buildings, sculptures and various plants.The basic principle was to combine the use-ful with the pleasant.

Connoisseurs like to call it the birthplace oflandscape gardening in Continental Eu-rope because of its unique fusion of culture,nature and art. Nowadays, it covers an areaof about 142 square kilometres. The build-ings constructed in the 17th and 18th cen-

tury fit harmoniously into the landscape.The country house in Woerlitz, built be-tween 1769 and 1773, has since becomeknown as the first fully-furnished Neo-Classical building in Germany.

Built between 1788 and 1794, the Stein is-land in the gardens of Woerlitz is a spec-tacular attraction as Europe’s only artificialvolcano. The island with its grottos andcaves, the artificial volcano and the VillaHamilton represent the memories PrinceFranz collected from his visits to Italy.

What makes the Garden Kingdom stillunique nowadays is the diversity of epochstyles, ranging from Baroque, Rococo andClassicism to Bauhaus architecture.Withinthe narrowest of spaces, the visitor is able toexperience these differences in their fullbeauty.

A unique cultural landscape

Constructed between 1773 and 1813, theGothic House heralded the beginning of

Retracing history, everything seems untouched in the Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Woerlitz, creating an incomparable cultural landscape with palaces, gardens andcountless intricate architectural creations. A masterpiece of architecture and gar-dening, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

TEXT: MERYEM HAUER | PHOTOS: KULTURSTIFTUNG DESSAU-WOERLITZ

The Garden Kingdom of Germany

”It is now infinitelybeautiful here”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1778)



the Neo-Gothic style.Over a period of fortyyears, the area around Dessau grew andbecame interconnected to other gardeningprojects as well as to some existing gar-dens like Oranienbaum andMosigkau.Thelandscape seemingly has a life of its own, asover the ages it has turned into an archi-tectural encyclopaedia from classical antiq-uity to the modern age.

In 1683, the Dutch architect Cornelis Ryck-waert began the construction of Oranien-baum on behalf of Princess HenrietteCatharina of Orange-Nassau. With thiswork, a balanced, mainly Dutch-inspiredBaroque garden was created. After thedeath of the princess, her son Leopold onlyused the house as a hunting lodge, but latergenerations took care of the palace andgardens again.

The palace of Mosigkau is also considereda pearl of the Rococo period, as it is one ofthe last works remaining from this period.Inside the palace are 17 rooms, partly orig-inally furnished. Furthermore, Mosigkauhas an exclusive art collection of Flemishand Dutch painters.Originally built in 1752,the house was converted after the death of

Princess Anna Wilhelmine into a founda-tion for unmarried noble ladies, which ex-isted until 1945.

Another significant sight within the GardenKingdom of Dessau-Woerlitz is theGeorgium. It was created by Prince JohannGeorg, the younger brother of Prince Franz,in 1780 and it is named after him.

The Luisium, the Neo-Classical countryseat of Princess Louise of Anhalt-Dessau,the wife of Prince Franz, is one of the mostidyllic areas within Dessau and Woerlitz.The delightful house has most of its origi-nal furnishings and was built between 1774and 1778 by Prince Franz.The cubic build-ing is a typical example of Erdmannsdorff’sarchitecture and it is influenced by the fa-mous Italian architect Andrea Palladio.TheEnglish-style landscape is surrounded by anumber of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Classicalpieces of architecture, such as theSchlangenhaus, the Orangery and the Ru-ined Arch. The view leads from the Lui-sium towards the church in Waldersee,which is crowned by a striking obelisk. Itstower contains the tomb with the remainsof the princely couple.

Near the old fishing village of Vockerode,where the river Elbe makes a bend, PrinceFranz created a woodland park. This his-torically important area served as a meetingpoint for Prince Franz’s diplomatic negoti-ations at the time when some minor Ger-man princes formed a secret allianceagainst the House of Habsburg.A little spawas built to ease Prince Franz’s disease ashe suffered from rheumatism.Additionally,an underground pipe system was estab-lished to provide a water supply.

www.gartenreich.com

Top left: Chinese house in Oranienbaum Gardens

Top middle: Toleranzblick in Woerlitz

Top right: Lake Concert in Woerlitz

Above left: Luisium Castle

Above right: Great Hall in Gothic House



Discover Germany | Business | Solicitor Column

If you are anything like me, and in factprobably like most other people, fewthings will make you glaze over morequickly than the word ”pensions”.

Assuming that you are, again like me, of average

intelligence and reasonably educated, you will

have, like me, no idea what the difference is be-

tween a personal pension, a stakeholder pen-

sion, an occupational pension, a group pension

and a workplace pension, if there is any differ-

ence, or what bits of pension you have with what

provider, which took over your previous provider

who merged with the provider before that. You

may at best have a vague idea where the box of

unopened letters marked ”pension stuff” is in

your attic. You may have lost track of how and

when you are allowed to save money and what

the tax thresholds and tax rates are, given that

ISAs that were here yesterday, have been re-

placed byNISAs for today,which will be replaced

by something else again by tomorrow.You may

also share the view that only two bodies are guar-

anteed to do well out of your retirement: your

pension provider and the government. I think

there can be few countries anywhere whose pen-

sions system is quite as fragmented and incom-

prehensible as the British system, and has been

tinkered with more incessantly by every succes-

sive government in livingmemory.However, one

thing is clear: I don't know about you but the

maximum basic state pension of £113.10 per

week for a single person is not going to see me

through retirement gracefully.

So, very helpfully, the current government,

knowing that you and I can't be trusted with our

ownmoney, has come to our rescue by reforming

pensions somemore: not by clearing up themess

and creating a ”plain English” pension system,

which pools pension information for each indi-

vidual and makes it accessible through a single

portal, or enables working people to engage with

pensions and to understand how to save for their

retirement in a predictable manner, but by de-

ciding to add another layer of regulation on top

of the existing system and attempting to force you

into yet another pension scheme. This is called

”auto-enrolment”. You are not even allowed to

opt out before you have been enrolled, only af-

terwards; the anticipation presumably being that

many employees won't bother to go through the

formalities of doing so. Even then the govern-

ment will not take ‘no’as an answer and you will

automatically be re-enrolled every three years –

until you eventually give up opting out.

The basic idea appears to be that every em-

ployee is, by hook or crook, a member of at least

one workplace pension scheme. The employee

puts in somemoney by way of payroll deduction,

the employer makes a compulsory contribution,

and even the government chips in by way of tax

advantages. So hopefully there will be some

form of pension at the end of the day for the gov-

ernment to tax, for the pension provider to

charge management fees on, and maybe even to

top up those weekly sums of £113.10.

The auto-enrolment reforms sprang from a

decade-long process that started in 2002 when

the Turner Commission was set up to address

long-standing concerns about the inadequacy

of pension savings (or should that be pension

legislation?) in the UK. The PensionsAct created

the legislative foundation for reform in 2008 and

a raft of detailed secondary legislation (there are

more than 30 separate statutory instruments

containing implementing legislation) has subse-

quently been brought into force. The original

Pensions Act 2008 was amended by the Pen-

sions Act 2011 and will be amended some more

by the PensionsAct 2014.The Labour opposition

has already indicated that they will carry on tin-

kering with the legislation even further should

they come to power after the next election.

Not surprisingly, a whole satellite industry of

pension advisers has since sprung up to guide

employers and employees through the thicket of

piece-meal rules that do not exactly appear to be

logically thought through and clearly structured.

As matters stand, the following are some of the

key aspects of the reforms as they are now being

implemented:

• All employers subject to the new employer

duties are required automatically to enrol all

eligible jobholders as an active member of an

automatic enrolment scheme unless the job-

holder is already a member of a qualifying

scheme.

• The new employer duties are being imple-

mented over a five-and-a-half-year staging

period that started on 01 October 2012, larger

employers passing their staging dates first,

smallest coming last.

• The employer of an eligible jobholder who

has been auto-enrolled must pay mandatory

minimum contributions to a defined contri-

bution scheme or offer a minimum level of

benefits in a defined benefit scheme.

• Eligible jobholders have the right to opt-out of

their employer's scheme but must automati-

cally be re-enrolled every three years.

• A jobholder is defined as a worker who ordi-

narily works in Great Britain under a contract

(which need not be a contract of employment,

need not be in writing, and need not be per-

manent), is aged between 16 and 75, and is

paid qualifying earnings; but not all jobhold-

ers are eligible for auto-enrolment.

Better go and get some advice then; be quick

though before the rules change again …

Gregor Kleinknecht LLM MCIArb

is a German Rechtsanwalt and English solicitor,

and a partner at Hunters Solicitors, a leading law

firm in Lincoln’s Inn.

Hunters Solicitors, 9 New Square,

Lincoln’s Inn, London WC2A 3QN,

E-mail: [email protected]

www.hunters-solicitors.co.uk

Pension Potty TrainingTEXT & PHOTO: GREGOR KLEINKNECHT


www.econstra.de

Find us onfacebook

October 22 + 23Exhibition Center

Freiburg, Germany

architecture and engineering

structural fi re protection

construction methods

consulting

renewable energy

infrastructure

steel-, concrete-, reinforced concrete- and timber constructions

econstraTrade Show for civil engineering, architecture and building maintenance

®

Architektenforummit

The parallel congress

Access to the convention programme



In today’s fast-paced business world, con-vincing professional images are crucial –whether they’re for an application, an onlineprofile, a corporate strategy, or attractingnew employees and customers. In order to

For Markus Püttmann, business photography is more than just creating a good firstimpression. It’s all about who you are, what you have to offer, and what makes youunique.

TEXT: SONJA IRANI | PHOTOS: MARKUS PÜTTMANN

The best you, you can be



Discover Germany | Business | Markus Püttmann Photography

present yourself in thebest possible light, itmakes sense to consulta professional businessphotographer likeMarkusPüttmann. “My specialtyis that I spend time withthe people to figure outwhat effect they wouldlike their photos to haveas opposed to what theywant to look like,”explainsthe experienced businessphotographer who prefersto specialise in the field hehas spent years perfect-ing. “Those who becometrue experts are those whoconcentrate on one spe-cialist subject instead oftrying to be good at every-thing. In my case, it’s theauthentic portrayal ofpeople and companies,the liveliness of personal-ities, their accessibility andcredibility. My portraitsare filled with honesty andauthenticity.”

Fall in lovewith yourself

In addition to his photog-raphy venture, Püttmannalso runs his own busi-ness coaching companycalled impulsraum andconveniently located just20 minutes from Frank-

furt airport.As a coaching expert, he has theadvantage of knowing exactly how to cre-ate that convincing effect powered by peo-ple’s individual strengths.“Photography is10% technical and 90% psychological,”heexplains.“Coaching covers this part. It helpsme to quickly engage with different per-sonalities and their individual characters.”Püttmann is always trying to discover whatis real about his clients and how to showthis off to the outside world. “A portraitphoto shoot does not only produce por-traits; it is an emotional journey to yourtrue self. ‘What’s important to me and us?What defines me and us?’A portrait showsyour inner attractiveness and can even

boost it: Make an impression – quietly andunobtrusively. Even impress yourself. Lookat yourself and fall in love. And get somegreat inspiration.”

Corporate imagery

The business clients that approachMarkusPüttmann include a wide range of profes-sions such as entrepreneurs, self-employedfreelancers, doctors, lawyers, attorneys, (tax)consultants and coaches, but also top man-agers.What they all have in common is thequest for the perfect imagery set that trans-fers their message as well as attracting newcustomers or employees. Images are key tounderstanding what makes a particular per-son or company special: The key to his, heror its authenticity, potential, strengths andessence. “My clients start thinking aboutwhat it is that their customers want to seefrom them,”says the photographer.“Uniteyour brand image with your identity. Thisway, you will find the customers that fit inperfectly with your business – simply be-cause they share the same values as you.After all, relationships in the business worldare not that different from love relation-ships. I will help you and your customers to‘fall in love’with each other. That’s the keyto your success.”

Employer branding

When it comes to talent that drives yourbusiness forward, employer branding is theway to go.“It is all about what makes yourcompany attractive as an employer,”Püttmann expands.“How do you impressthe employees that you already have andthose that you would like to have on board?Through photos, we can present peoplewho have found their perfect workplace –at your company. In turn, they will attractthose for whom working at your companycould be the right fit, too.” If you’re aftermarketing goals, go for character boards.This is a range of photos of the same per-son aimed at different target groups that acompany or a business professional is look-ing to win over. Using either a type 240Leica M, a Canon 1D X or the 40Megapixelmedium format camera Hasselblad H5Das well as the highest possible quality ofbranded materials, you can be sure to ex-pect premium products from Püttmann.

But what is it that the German entrepre-neur himself finds most fascinating abouthis work? “People who have found theirplace in the world and have established aconnection to their inner core,”he reveals.“These people have a particular charismafor me. It’s difficult to describe.Have a lookat my website, the people you see therehave all had contact with their inner core –at least in that moment.”So regardless ofwhat business goal you’re after, a coach likeMarkus Püttmann can certainly help you tofind your core strength.

www.markuspuettmann.de


In Arosa in Canton Graubuenden, at an elevation of 1,850m, the famous Swiss architect Mario Botta constructed'Light Trees' or 'Light Sails' covering the wellfeeling facilitiesof the Grand Hotel Tschuggen. ©Switzerland Tourism.swiss-image.ch/Christof Sonderegger




Discover Germany | Special Theme | Top 10 Swiss Architects

The public sector plays a central role inSwitzerland’s architecture culture. Withmany architectural competitions often wonby public developers, this allows up-and-coming firms to step up to the professionalmarket, and this type of contract procure-ment remains at the core of establishedfirms as well.The close ties between policymakers, building owners and users benefitprojects too.

Architecture should rise above its regularfunction as the backdrop to our lives, reach-ing a more alert,more observational stand-point. It should, providing the observer is incertain circumstances receptive to beauty,be attractive. In addition, the work – at leastto those with knowledge of the field –

should be seen as avalid contribution toarchitecture as a disci-pline. The workshould therefore begranted entry into theimaginary Museum ofArchitecture, yet notbased onmasterpiecesof certain epochs, butinstead each workshould be consideredin its own context.

When we speak ofSwiss architecture, we

could speak of realism.Yet this term,whichcontinues to rear its head in discussions ofarchitecture in Switzerland, is rather eclec-tic. However, it does capture one significantfeature of this country’s architecture cul-ture: its foundation in the concrete reality ofthe everyday, that is then duly interpretedand transformed into a distinctive work ofart. Stemming from the polytechnic cul-ture of problem solving, it is architecturethat creates meaningfully valid pieces ofwork, which go far beyond appropriate-ness and purpose.

Over the course of the last few decades, aconsiderable number of Swiss architectshave received widespread internationalrecognition. In the 1980s,Ticino’sTendenzamovement received extensive acclaim for itsprecise formality and artisanal qualities.Since the 1990s, German-speakingSwitzerland and Romandie’s austere Min-imalism has attracted similar attention.These trends have launched many archi-tects to international fame, such asTicino’sMario Botta and the Basel-based Herzog &de Meuron. Anchored internationally,Switzerland’s architecture shows itsstrengths. Shaped by the constructivethinking of the engineers and the archi-tects, it remains, despite its sensitivity, re-served and minimal.

www.swissworld.org

Switzerland’s home builders are to thank for the high standard of architecture in thiscountry. As befits Switzerland’s discrete nature, illuminated towers are few and far be-tween, and the grandest and themost expensive houses can be found elsewhere. In-stead, it is the diversity and depth and breadth of quality that is impressive, stretch-ing across themountains and into the lowlands, from the border regions into the cities.

TEXT: FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, PRESENCE SWITZERLAND | TRANSLATION: EMMIE COLLINGE

Switzerland'sarchitecture shows

its strenghts

Nicolas Bideau,Head of Presence Switzerland

Special Theme

Top 10 SwissArchitects



“When I think about our architectural of-fice, I like to use the word‘atelier’and thinkof everything this term implies,”says AldoCacchioli. An atelier is the workplace ofcreative people with great and new ideas;for architecture, this means that every pro-

ject is unique, each one is the product of ex-ceptional, continuous and distinctive cre-ativity. But it also means that an architec-tural project is influenced by itssurroundings, the location and the inhabi-tants, without being restricted by preju-

dices. For nearly 20 years, Cacchioli’s workhas thrived on this concept.

After working for a renowned architectural office for more than fifteen years, AldoCacchioli successfully founded his own architectural office in 1997. To summariseAldo Cacchioli’s ideas: “On the one hand, an architect has to think of the people, buton the other hand he has to accept challenges and let a certain amount of interfer-ence happen.” Residential projects are part of the architect’s current portfolio.

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: © MATTEO AROLDI

Aldo CacchioliExceptional, continuous and distinctivecreativity in architecture

Aldo Cacchioli © Chiara Tiraboschi




The architectural office is constantlygrowingHead architect Aldo Cacchioli was born inJanuary 1959 in Borgo Val di Taro, which

lies in the province of Parma in Italy. Aftercompleting his PhD studies in Lugano, heworked as a project manager from 1981 to1997 at a large architectural office in Lo-carno before founding his own independ-ent architectural office in the same city.

Initially the office counted just three staffmembers. Since then the number has con-stantly grown and today 14 skilled expertswork in Aldo Cacchioli’s office. The team isresponsible for the planning, the architec-tural management, the construction man-agement, the cost control, the hand-overand the guarantee.Their main focus lies onsingle- ormulti-family houses, but the officealso designs commercial and administrativebuildings.

Tradition and new challenges are part ofmodern architectureLiberty in design is important for the ar-chitect Aldo Cacchioli. “Of course, some-times a design is stretched to its technical oreconomic limits, but we always find a solu-tion that pleases the client.”Not only doesarchitecture constantly present new tech-nical and technological challenges, the ar-chitect has to consider the art of construc-tion and its ancient rules; tradition and newchallenges go hand in hand.

“Our common themes revolve around theuse of certain forms and colour elementsthat can be found – in a diverse and inde-pendent way – in nearly all our projects.These reflect our philosophy and vision,”says Aldo Cacchioli.To get a better grasp ofwhat this includes one could take a look atsome of the architect’s more recent projects.

Villa Urbana in Ascona has a doublefaçade and is reminiscent of Max Billand De StijlA prime example of a recently finishedproject is the Villa Urbana in Ascona, abuilding that plays with two independentfrontages. The first façade is a closed wallthat faces inwards towards the quarter,while the second one opens up towardsthe park. One side is made from quarry-stone, which provides the surface with a vi-brating optic as its colour changes accord-ing to the naturally shifting daylight.Inspired by Max Bill and De Stijl, the otherside is linear and chromatic.

Another great project in Ascona is the loftand atelier Casa Roes, which involved acomplete renovation of an existing build-ing and can be held up as a prime exam-ple of the aesthetic use of colour elements.Three new elements were used for thestreet-facing front façade: a socket (actingas a platform/foundation) on the groundfloor, an arcade or portal that frames thepublic part of the building and at the sametime is used as lookout point for the one-bedroom studio on the first floor. Finallythe façade ends with a high gable. Themain part of the building is painted blackwhile the upper balcony is bright red and

Above: Casa Roes

Below & right: Villa Urbana




the new portal is made from grey con-crete.

Two residential buildings in Ascona dis-play Aldo Cacchioli’s architecture andideasThe Residenza Eos Uno in Ascona is an en-tirely freely designed body without any re-strictions to form or context.The body restson a fixed, geometric structure. Two vol-umes, which were deliberately chosen to bedifferent in form andmaterial selection, arein contrast to each other, repel each otherand finally harmonise. The first volumeused is a monolith from Pietra Dorata[golden stone] with a rough surface. The

façade is composed of thick plates that de-termine the interior of the building. Thesecond volume is a platform made of con-crete that raises the building from the soiland defines its independence.

Another Aldo Cacchioli residential projectin Ascona is the Residenza Due Vizi that isdefined by its irregular form. It is part of anas yet finished plan for the area.The idea forthe building was inspired by the plot ofland and its form is reminiscent of a trian-gle with a tip. The tip forms the northernpart of the building area.The special layoutas a triangle was a true challenge for the ar-chitects when planning and designing such

a sophisticated building for owner-occu-pied flats. Aldo Cacchioli has been suc-cessful in his attempt as his design speaksof originality, individuality and functional-ity, integrating two different main bodies incomplex surroundings.

The first part of the building faces south to-wards the base of the triangle, the secondpart is aligned from east to west.The build-ing has a strong architectural identity andembodies a simple rule: it allows its users,the architect’s client, and even the wholecity, to have more than one perspective.Seen from different angles, the buildingchanges its look and attitude constantly. Afurther bonus for the flat owners is the lo-cation’s good infrastructure.

Ca’roma – terraces define the buildingstructure

A free form is the signature look of the Res-idenza Ca’roma in Losone with its align-ment from north to south. Built in 2010 and2011, the freedom in design is found in thedifferent terraces in particular, as they varyin size and form, in expanse and height.The surface consists of exposed concreteand perforated aluminium plates line theterraces.As the main focus, the terraces de-fine the building’s complete composition.

Railway traffic was the challenge whendesigning the residential building Paola

The Residenza Paola in Gordola lies in anurban area, south of the railway line be-

Left: Eos Uno

Bottom left: Due Vizi

Right: Ca’roma

Far right: Paola

Bottom right: Villa Minusio



tween Locarno and Bellinzona, thereforea noise-insulating wall had to be inte-grated into the design concept. Thebuilding’s body is covered with travertinetiles. While the first element is alignedalong the railway line, the second ele-ment is designed to meet the city’s plan-

ning standards. The building gainsuniqueness by its use of materials and byincorporating a coloured wall in a darkbut bright red.

Using design elements to emphasize abuilding

Last but not least,Aldo Cacchioli designeda villa in Minusio. He designed a spectac-ular renovation and expansion of a build-ing from the 1960s. For this, he used pro-truding structures and slender, bent pillars.A wavy wall is the main outer element of

the building that forms the complete exte-rior of the building. This also serves as anelement to separate the building and thedeveloped part of the property from therest of the valley.

www.aldocacchioli.com




The combination of Hosoya’s Japanese aes-thetics, succinct urban planning and theteam’s foresight has garnered the studio aninternational following since opening in 2003.Named after its founders, Hiromi Hosoyaand the Swiss Markus Schaefer, the studiodoesn’t limit itself to restrictive briefs and in-stead is dedicated to “the process of findingand formulating the correct question.”Asvague as that sounds, an important part oftheir expertise, explains Schaefer, is how tounderstand a project in its larger context,leading them to a holistic and systematic ap-proach to architecture and urban design.

This altruistic manner of thinking has ledthe team to the fore of Swiss urban plan-ning and testament to this is their positionat the helm of this year’s Salon Suisse at the

Venice Biennale for Architecture 2014.Schaefer’s enthusiasm for this prolific ven-ture is contagious as he outlines the studio’sdiscursive approach to Switzerland’s fu-ture, a topic they are broaching in a seriesof dialogues, under the title The Next 100Years, Scenarios for an Alpine City State.

Never one to shy away from challenging projects, the intimate team at the Zurich-based studio Hosoya Schaefer Architects are working on a range of projects, fromlarge-scale urban redevelopments (most notably, Areal V-Zug) to public buildingsand spaces, residential properties and multimedia installations. Something of apolymath, Hosoya Schaefer takes a wider approach to urbanisation.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: HOSOYA SCHAEFER

The symbolism of a city

Bottom: The graphic patterns of the AnAn restaurant weredesigned by a select group of young Japanese graphic de-signers. Photos: Iwan Baan

Bottom, opposite page: The light and airy Butterfly Housekeeps the garden as the focal point. Photo: VisualisierungRendertaxi




The urban predicament

The urbanisation of his home country fasci-nates Schaefer, which, he explains: “stub-bornly resisted the accumulation of urbanmass as well as of political power and builta federated, polycentric country held to-gether by a perfectly oiled clock-work ofinfrastructure and common sense.”Acrossthe Alpine landscape, there is, however, agrowing dissatisfaction with services, hesays.“The biggest gap is where the desire forurban conveniencemeets the idyllic dreamsof living in the countryside. In Switzerland,the urban periphery is called the ‘agglom-eration’ or ‘agglo’ for short. Neither urbannor rural, we are only gradually finding thetools to support this agglo.”

The role of the architect

While urbanisation appears to be in-evitable, Switzerland’s attitude is uncer-tain.With space at a premium for ensuringour quality of life, architects and town plan-ners have to not only tackle current infra-structure and administrative boundaries,but also the overwhelming necessity to findenvironmentally sound ways of accommo-dating this urbanisation. Yet the Zurich-

based studio benefits fromHosoya’s Japan-ese roots,where architects have been forcedto respond to radical urbanisation.“Japan-ese cities are fascinating in the density ofexperience they provide,”continues Schae-fer.“Many functions that are private in Eu-ropean cities are public and shared in Japan.The individual consumes less space; com-munal spaces gain importance.” WithHosoya’s touch of Japanese design, the stu-dio are ideally placed to deal with thesematters in Switzerland.

Regularly approached to take on more un-conventional projects, ones demanding awider, more holistic approach, HosoyaSchaefer enjoy a variety of projects.“Goodclients who bring the right mix of tenacityin vision and openness for solutions arenecessary for any good project,”says Schae-fer keenly.“For such clients we travel thepath together from initial idea to final resultas a team. Such collaborations are ulti-mately what we live for.”

Citing their areas of expertise as buildingdesign and realisation,media installations,strategic planning and consultants, theteam of 12 full-time architects (specialists inurban design and/or technology) recognisethat outside input can be invaluable in cer-tain projects. In the light open-plan officethere is also a scenographer and an art his-torian working alongside the team.

Notable projects include a refurbishmentfor the iconic St Moritz landmark, Badrutt’sPalace Hotel, which now includes the cel-ebrated NOBU restaurant. In Ain, France,the team’s efforts to create a second homealongside the client’s parents’ house, re-sulted in the delightfully light and airy so-

called butterfly house given its wing-likestructure and the garden as the focal point.InToronto, the studio created a unified im-age for four train stations on the newUnionPearson Express line, with London’sWinkreative developing the overall corpo-rate identity. Relying on local and naturalmaterials, and in collaboration with localfirms, these stations are reaching the end ofconstruction phase while the entire projecthas already won several internationalawards.

A more long-term project that veers awayfrom traditional architecture towards mediacomes in the form of MobiGlobe, a ‘visualdatabank’made in collaboration withVolk-swagen that addresses questions relating tothe future of transport, lifestyle, resourcesand city development.

An infrastructure for culture

Architecture projects in their wider contexthave an irrefutable appeal to Hosoya Schae-fer, as Schaefer explains in his eloquentmanner:“Cities feel right when they are builtfor people and their manifold ways of ex-change, not cars or GPS systems.Cities res-onate with us.They are an infrastructure forculture; they form us while we form them.”

www.hosoyaschaefer.com

Left & below: VZug project. Photo: Visualisierung Rendertaxi

Right, below: The project 'Europahof' on Zurich's Europaallee. Photo: Visualisierung Rendertaxi

Right, middle: The Badrutt's Palace Hotel and an added extension to house a new NOBU restaurant. ® Adrien Buchet



The renowned British architecture maga-zine BD listedATP among the top three of-fices in continental Europe and amongstthe top 35 worldwide. In 2013, IDA, theUS-American Int’l Design Award, nomi-nated ATP as architect of the year in thefield of sustainable design and planning.Ayear later, in 2014,ATP were honoured withthe Green Building Integrated DesignAward.

Integrated design

520 architects and engineers work for ATPat eight independent offices in Europe –five of which are situated in Germany,Switzerland and Austria. On average theATP supervises 155 projects in 14 coun-

tries. What all the offices have in commonis their planning culture and the desire tomake the world a little bit better by creat-ing outstanding buildings.

ATP is a pioneer in the area of integrateddesign, which involves the perfect interac-tion between architects, structural engi-neers as well as the engineers for buildingservices and object monitoring – all of themin-house and integrated in the ATP offices’teams. For the past 35 years ATP have beendeveloping and refining this planningmethod that is uncommon for the DACH-area.Today,ATP is the only architectural of-fice worldwide with an ISO 9001 certifi-cated integrated design process. This also

explains the group’s constant growth, thewell-developed structures and the out-standing know-how in this field of archi-tecture.

A European architecture network

ATP works internationally but has a clearfocus on the European market.“We like towork together with people who have thesame cultural identity and live for Euro-pean values,”saysThomas Mattesich, Part-ner at ATP Munich, the first ATP office toopen in Germany in 1989.

www.atp.ag

ATP architects engineers, short ATP, is one of Europe’s leading architectural of-fices. What makes ATP special is its design culture: The architectural office isknown as a pioneer of integrated design throughout Germany, Austria andSwitzerland.

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN

ATP– a new DNA for integrated design

Award-winning G3 Shopping Resort in Vienna.Rendering: ATP architects engineers

Photo: ATP/Florian Schaller




Even before the ATP office in Munich wasfounded in 1989, ATP’s activity on the Ger-man market represented 50 per cent of thegroup’s overall work. Munich became thethird ATP office after Innsbruck andVienna.“To open an office in Munich was the rightdecision,”says the company reflectively.

ATP Munich is a success story. Soon afteropening, the office won first place in a com-petition run by the SüddeutscheVerlag andcould therefore be counted among the firstleague of design offices in Bavaria.Temporaryoffices in Leipzig, Dresden and Prague fol-lowed, cooperating closely with the office inMunich.TodayATPMunich has 70membersof staff,making it one of the big players in theSouthernGerman architecture scene – espe-cially when it comes to design buildings forautomotive or retail use, as well as officebuildings and hotels.

Munich’s “Admin Schwabinger Tor”is set tobe a fine example of a five star plus hotelwith approximately 280 rooms.Central to thehotel is a building integral to thewhole quar-ter as it links the surrounding buildings andfunctions in an energy-saving capacity.

To work most effectively on projects such asthe SchwabingerTor project,ATP uses mod-ern planning tools. In 2008 ATP architectsand engineers were one of the first offices intheGerman-speaking regions to use BuildingInformation Modelling – an important stepinto the future. Today, all of the ATP officeswork with virtual BIM building models thatoptimally depict the integrated designprocess, allowing obstacle-free planning anda smooth process promising strong resultsfor clients as the process runs much moresmoothly. Clients can virtually walk throughthe 3D-model of their buildings even duringthe early planning stages and simulate pos-sible overheads in advance.

Even thoughATPMunich’s main focus maybe in theGerman region, the officeworks in-ternationally too. “Often enough our Ger-man clients want us to accompany them toforeign countries,” says Thomas Mattesich,partner at ATP Munich. German companiesoperating in other European countries orworldwide rely onATP to design their build-ings not only in their home country but alsoabroad.

ATP Munich was the first ATP office in Germany and today it is still one of the com-pany’smain pillars. ATPMunich has been designing production and research facilitiesfor the automotive industry for years, working for brands like Daimler, MAN or BMW.ATP Munich have also developed a prize-winning prototype for the German super-market chain EDEKA Süd.


ATP Munich– a big player in the south of Germany

Below: Thomas Mattesich, Partner, ATP Munich.Photo: ATP/Becker Lacour

Below middle: BMW-GAZ. Munich.Photo: ATP/Sandra Goldschmidt

Bottom: Kemmelpark, Murnau. Aesthetic design for a retailpark. Photo: ATP/Florian Holzherr

Bottom left: E-center, Ingolstadt. Award-winning design:Corporate architecture EDEKA Süd.Photo: ATP/Engelhardt/Sellin




In 2007 the well-known architectural officeN+M – best known for its skyscrapers in“Mainhattan”in Frankfurt – needed to re-define itself when the founding fathers leftthe office. It became a member of the ATPgroup and therefore part of one of the lead-ing architectural and engineering offices inthe DACH area.

Back in the fast lane in only five years

“After being a full member of the ATPgroup for five intensive years, we can saytoday that we are able to plan and designoutstanding buildings integrated and up tothe highest standards,”says Ulf Bambach,partner atATP Frankfurt. “In this short timewe have brought the office back into thefast lane and increased our staff from 25 to

70. ”This increase went hand-in-hand withthe widening of their performance spec-trum; ATP Frankfurt now also works withexisting building stock in the housing in-dustry, trade, industry and science along-side its previous (but ever present) compe-tences of designing new high-rise officesand administration buildings. In the lastthree yearsATP Frankfurt has won eight ar-chitectural competitions and is today ex-panding its portfolio towards healthcarebuildings by establishing ATP health.

Integrated design is well percieved

“In our experience integrated design forcomplex challenges is well perceived es-pecially in Germany, Austria and Switzer-land,” says Ulf Bambach.“We are able to

find individual solutions according to placeand situation.We have a lot more potential– either with new buildings or in existencewith current building structures.”This in-cludes questions of sustainability andmod-ern technology.With ATP sphere and ATPsustain,ATP runs its own research facilities.New insights and technological develop-ments find their way into ATP planningprocesses – regardless of whether the proj-ects are conducted by ATP Frankfurt, Mu-nich or another of the younger offices.

ATP Frankfurt, formerly ATP N+M, is one of the most sucessful ATP offices. Withits origins as a well-known Frankfurt architectural office, it has been reborn as partof the ATP group and the office has since gained a wider architectural spectrumand witnessed a return to success.

ATP Frankfurt– a fast growing member of the ATP group

Above left: Ansgaritor, Bremen - competition winner.Rendering: ATP

Top right: Dresdner Bank ”Gallileo”, skyscraper, Frankfurt.Photo: ATP/Dziallas

Right above: Office/retail Göppingen, competition.Rendering: ATP

Ulf Bambach, Partner, ATP Frankfurt. Photo: Becker Lacour




Today 35 employees work for ATP Zurich,more than twice as much as in the found-ing year of 2010.ATP Zurich functions as acompetence centre for “residential con-struction”. Working together with otherATP offices they support each other in re-alising projects or exchanging staff and ex-pertise.This network – of whichATP Zurichis part of – makes ATP unique.“Using thesame planning tools company-wide en-ables a smooth and non-stationary staffemployment,”says the ATP Zurich generalmanager Matthias Wehrle.

Strategies according to the clients’needs

Clearly defined strategies and a full under-standing of the client’s requirements arethe basis for a successful project:“We knowour clients’needs and processes before weeven make the first draft. If necessary, wehelp our client to develop a strategy andinitiate a project.”All of this happens in a si-multaneous and integrated process.“At theend of every stage we ensure that we are ontrack to meet the project’s aims, which are

outlined and defined before embarking ona project.”

Successful projects

In summer 2012 one of ATP Zurich’s morerecent projects was finished:The BMGMISresearch and production complex in Ulm,Germany – an industrial building requiringsound interaction of architecture, technicaland media equipment. One of the key ar-eas of their design was to make sure thatthis building did not resemble a factory, in-stead it should fit the urban context.

Currently ATP Zurich is constructing acomplex of 150 flats in Cham, Switzerlandand a residential and commercial buildingfor the Losinger Marazzi AG Zurich inLenzburg, Switzerland. Situated in a formerindustrial area, the second example requiresthe firm to integrate the historical identityinto a new and modern environment.

Last but not least,ATP Zurich is planning anew watch production facility for IWCSchaffhausen.Together with the client,ATPis designing the manufacturing complex inline with the corporate identity and sup-ports an optimised process layout by design.

For MatthiasWehrle there is no recogniza-ble “ATP-style” – rather, every project isunique and therefore treated as such tomake it even more specific.“A project’s aimis the optimised synthesis of functionality,genius loci and the client’s own identity.”

By integrating the domestic Zurich architectural office kfp into the ATP groupsome years ago, the new office strengthened ATP’s presence on the Swiss market,although ATP had worked for regular clients there before.

ATP Zurich– a competence centre for residential buildings

Above: Matthias Wehrle, Managing Director, ATP kfp Zürich.Photo: ATP/Becker Lacour

Bottom left: Morges – Gare Sud, Morges, CH. Competition.Rendering: ATP/Nightnurse

Bottom middle: Zur̈cher Kantonalbank ZKB, Steinfels, CH.Photo: ZKB

Bottom right: Im Lenz, Lenzburg, CH.Rendering: ATP/Atelier Achermann



OOS is in the business of purposeful de-sign.The Zurich-based architecture and in-terior design firm specialises in corporatearchitecture and builds spaces and envi-ronments that create, establish and main-tain an identity that resonates with clientsand all its users.

Driven by curiosity and creativity, they gobeyond the obvious. OOS strive for inno-vation, added value and benefits for theircustomers – through planning spaces that

embody a company’s culture on several di-mensions. Because architecture surroundseverybody and everything, their approach isto consciously design intelligent and in-spiring environments.

“We create spaces on all scales, and designit comprehensively.Our team is made up ofspecialists in architecture, interior design,urban planning, scenography and branding.We transform the requirements, subjectsand values of users and clients into a cus-

tomised spatial environment,” says theOOS management.

Thinking with and for their clientsThe Swiss architects and design specialistsAndreas Derrer and Christoph Kellen-berger founded OOS in Zurich in Decem-ber 2000. Both partners are members of theManagement Board, which leads a team of15 to 20 highly skilled and motivated ar-chitects. OOS’s open, airy and inspired stu-dios in Zurich are the firm’s headquarters as

Good architecture and good design can make a vital contribution to the effective-ness of brands, companies and institutions. Yet good design is not simply aboutlooking good. Ideally, it also performs, converts, astonishes, arouses all senses andfulfils a purpose.

TEXT: ELISABETH DOEHNE

Corporate architecture beyond the obviousOOS AG creates spaces on all scales




well as the melting pot for ideas, discus-sions and creative work.

The young, ambitious and multiculturalteam and their trans-disciplinary approachset OOS apart from many other designfirms in Switzerland.“Teamwork is a basicprinciple of our corporate culture.We placegreat value on transparent and solution-oriented dialogue. The interaction withinthe OOS team and in the network is basedon a successful exchange of know-how, ex-perience and ideas,”says OOS partner An-dreas Derrer.

The firm’s artistic inspiration and joy alsocomes from the passion of working withpeople; the process of directly liaising withclients and helping them to manifest theirthoughts, ideas, visions and goals into anactual room, building, or surrounding.

Moving the abstract towards identity

CorporateArchitecture is the conscious de-sign of spaces and atmospheres in which acompany or institution can express theirvalues, culture and goals. According toOOS, it is a three-dimensional, spatial andemotional form of communication that cancreate differentiation and a strong identity.This relatively new form of architecture op-timises the use of space, expressions and at-mosphere that attract customers (outwards)and also motivate employees in their work(inwards).

OOS know that building an identity is astrategic process. It means moving awayfrom the abstract ideas of buildings andenvironments in their isolated form.Rather, they incorporate all contexts andseek to provide specific insights into thetradition, the functioning and the self-un-derstanding of businesses and working orliving spaces.

A holistic approach to building

Certainly, a large part of the firm’s successis their drive to support and promote com-munication and increased productivity, andquality of life through atmospheric andspatial organisation. Their designs are, as

the company states, a result of tailor-madeadventures that explore the many facets ofa client’s company culture or vision. Even-tually, with their creative work,OOSwantsto trigger emotion, convey, create and rep-resent a corporate identity and increaseproductivity or service.

From the first project phase of planningand consulting,OOS always looks at spacesholistically. Their perceptions of an envi-ronment are consciously controlled on allsensory levels (sight, hearing, smell, touch,surface, taste). By merging different conceptlevels (including organisation of space,ma-terialisation, lighting, construction,acoustics, furniture, structure, facade) theteam can propose a unique, holistic projectthat has an intimate yet professional at-mosphere.

Lean processes and holistic methods

While OOS places great emphasis on boththe content and the quality of their designs,the same demands hold true for an effectiveand efficient cost and process management.“We make use of forward-looking tech-nologies (BIM, Parametric Design, etc.) aswell as lean processes in all the phases ofconsulting, design and planning,”explainsthe OOS management.

Above & far above:Novartis Basel – a multilevel and mix use building.

Bottom left: OOS studio, Zürich

Bottom right: CLAUDIA - House of Sounds, Zürich.© Michael Egloff

Left, main image & right top and below:Novartis Cube – a multilevel and mix use building.© Damaris Betancourt




Above & left: Wüest+Partner office, Zurich. © Damaris Betan-court

Below: Urban development project, First District, Zurich

“In addition to our wide experience, wecontinually observe new trends and devel-opments and ensure that the knowledgegained flows into the projects.A trans-dis-ciplinary approach and holistic methodscharacterise the development process andthe results of our work.”

In the last few years and up until to now,the firm has completed numerous success-

ful projects that range from temporaryshops and showrooms, to corporate offices,health clinics, catering establishments(restaurants, bars), hotel buildings, manu-facturing plants, and industrial and labora-tory buildings. Through their strategic ap-proach and by focusing on the needs andgoals of customers, users and other stake-holders, their solutions have always provedto be innovative yet effective.

Successful projects andmoving forwardThe OOS team has worked with a varietyof customers and industries, from start-upslike Urban Farmers to global corporationssuch as Novartis or IBM.A recent exampleof their work is the project Claudia-House ofSounds, a space where musicians, creativestart-ups and entrepreneurs work, createand bring life into the rough industrial en-vironment.




Other highlights in the history of the youngfirm include their house for the only Swiss as-tronaut, a ”James Bond” house design in theBrazilian jungle, the remodelling of a 16thcentury castle, and the transformation of theOld Stock Exchange in Zurich into amodernexchange of knowledge and ideas for a lead-ing real estate consulting firm.This project ex-pertise in a broad range of industries, cre-ative strategy consulting and interior designs,strengthenOOS’s vision to develop their cor-porate architecture branch even further.

Recognition and awards

In addition to their on-going projects, theteam has also been recognised with designawards and nominations for their creativework.They are currently nominated for theGerman Design Award – Nominee 2015(Claudia\Dental Club Luzern). Previously,OOSArchitects won the AIT InternationalRetail ApplicationAward 2011 – Best ShopConcept (Reichmuth), the IALD LightingDesign Award 2002, Special Citation –Glowing Wall, and the Swiss Art Award2011 – ENTER OO(S)PACE IV.

“WE CORPORATE DESIGNTHEFUTURE”

Having worked in many branches and suc-cessfullymastered a plethora of projects,OOS

is confident and excited to help shape thefuture of corporate design solutions. Withinthe next decade, the firm seeks to specialiseand focus even further by customising andhelping companies translate their vision intoenticing designs. This future developmentalso applies to their own company.

“We will continue to create a high-perfor-mance team with development opportu-

nities and career prospects. And we willaccompany companies and brands in thefuture. Our vision is that ”WE CORPO-RATE DESIGNTHE FUTURE.”

www.oos.com

Above: Albert Reichmuth wine store, Zürich. © DominiqueMarc Wehrli

Below: Dental Club, Lucerne. © Claudia Luperto



The newly built Festival Hall Pentoramacaptivates admirers from far beyond theborders of Amriswil, a small village inSwitzerland. It took three years to createthis beautiful copper giant, which had itsceremonial opening in November 2007. Ahistorical village, Amriswil is first men-tioned as Amalgeriswilare in the year 799and now the region counts 11,500 residentsand the community flourished thanks toits textile industry. Since 1907 people havecelebrated every festivity in the original hall,

which was located directly in the centre ofthe village. Mueller Sigrist Architects fromZurich then received the mission to build anew Festival Hall.With their design for thenew building, they aimed to create a con-nection between the village and its sur-rounding landscape.

Quality before quantity – that is one of the main principles of Mueller SigristArchitects, a dynamic company with the aim to provide sustainable buildingmethods and long-term benefits for society. Their buildings have the ability tochange the whole identity of the surrounding environment in an entirely natural way.

TEXT: MERYEM HAUER | PHOTOS: MUELLER SIGRIST ARCHITECTS

Every building is unique




The Pentorama now acts as amagnet for theregion as well as enticing lovers of cultureand art there. According to the motto ofAmriswil, ‘Living the Culture’, the venueprovides enough space for concerts, ban-quets, events and other festivities. A fasci-nating building that hides the inner life in aclever and elegant way through the closedfacade. The entrance area offers a briefglimpse of themystery behind the 28 tonnesof copper,which allows a seamless transitionfrom the roof to the facade.But that is all partof the plan. The building is supposed to befull of life and therefore the surface wasshining during the grand opening and it isgradually changing its colour. The sculp-turally concise impression of the building iscreated through the use of copper, concreteand steel as the main materials.

Once inside, there is a pentagonal centralfestival room and the full effect of the im-pressive tent-like roof can be seen above

the heads of the visitors. While onepanoramic window looks at the landscape,the others are hidden behind perforatedplates.Wood panelling embellishes the fes-tival room, which contains acoustic-en-hancing, oblong-shaped holes for an un-forgettable sound experience. With theinstalled special illumination system it ispossible to adjust the light to suit the par-ticular mood. Special perforations, colourdesigns and lighting communicate an im-pression of a textile-like surface. It was veryimportant for the architects to integrate thebackground of the Amriswil village, whichhas long excelled in the textile industry.

Hundreds of heat pumps that use under-ground pipes supply the Pentorama withenergy in a sustainable way. The FestivalHall stands out first and foremost for thiseconomical exemplary function.To describethe Pentorama Festival Hall in three words:ideology-free, empiric, pragmatic.

Passionate to be one of the bestBut who are these passionate architectswith the far-sighted attitude? MuellerSigrist Architects was established in 2001 byPeter Sigrist and Pascal Mueller, and a thirdpartner, Samuel Thoma, joined them in2007.The company is now able to call sev-eral awards their own: the Award for Mar-keting andArchitecture in 2010; theAwardfor Good Buildings in 2011; and the Europe40 under 40 Award in 2009, to name just afew.

Furthermore, the architects also double asteachers, inspiring the next generation. Pas-cal Mueller was visiting professor at theBern University for Architecture betweenthe years 2010 and 2012.At theTongji Uni-versity in Shanghai, Peter Sigrist acted as avisiting teacher in 2010.The architects gainacceptance through their interest in takingarchitecture beyond ideological principlesand dogmatic architectonic attitudes.

Left, main image: Festival Room inside the Festival Hall. Photo: Hannes Henz

Bottom left: Festival Hall. Photo: Hannes Henz

Bottom right: House in Bern. Photo: Ariel Huber



Architecture as a reflection of societyOne challenging project stands out for Pas-calMueller and SamuelThoma: the cooper-ationwith the cooperative Kalkbreite,whichinvolved 97 apartments and commercialpremises in the city centre, behind the trainstation of Wiedikon, Switzerland. With en-vironmental awareness and sustainability of

the utmost significance for the architects,instead of an underground parking, thebuilding has 300 ground level parking spacesfor bicycles.The first tenantsmoved into thenew city sector, as it is called by the devel-opers, during April 2014.The tram depot ofthe Zurich Public Transport was integratedinto the project too, posing a unique plan-

ning challenge for the team. Living spaceoverlaps with public transport and industrywithin one building as the whole area en-closes the tram depot and presents itself ina yellow-orange-blue cover.

While many of the apartments do not havea private outdoor area, that is all part of the



concept to bring people together withinone of the community areas, such as theshared kitchen, garden, cafeteria, studio orroof terrace.Of course,most people need toget used to the glass entrance doors and theopen view into their apartments. But com-munal living has its advantages and it ispart of the concept to find tenants who areinterested in sharing space and living in asocial, economic and ecological way.

The green roof terrace, located 8.5 metresabove the city, offers a beautiful view andcan be used by anyone for free, also bynon-tenants.Thanks to the integrated play-ground as well as a day-care centre, thenew building has also become a centre ofattraction for families. As with all of theirprojects, sustainable energy provision wasan absolute must for the architects.The airconditioning equipment has energy-opti-mised components as well as efficient heatrecovery systems.Additionally, photovoltaic

systems have been installed on the roof touse the produced energy for the buildingcontrol system and the operation of theheat pumps.

A wooden construction settlement

During 2010 the construction of what iscurrently the biggest wooden construc-tion settlement within Central Switzer-land began. Having been founded by theZug Estates Group, Mueller Sigrist Ar-chitects received an offer to be part ofthis construction project. The client wasconvinced by the fact that one of theirmain ideas is that the work integrates it-self into the surrounding environmentconfidently.

Through multi-sided apartments it is pos-sible to realise versatile views and to leavecommon line structures behind. Point-likebuilding seems to be a new trend, whichmay lead to higher quality outdoor spaces.

A combination of high glazing to 3-4 sidesand open relationships between the livingand cooking areas create oases for wellbe-ing. The facade has a direct connection tothe wooden constructions on the inside,these are built as ventilated wood casings.The area itself has apartments for 1,500tenants, 2,500 jobs within the commercialpremises as well as an after-school carecentre. Wooden surfaces need to be pro-tected by weather protection, and it isthanks to exactly this lacquering methodthat gives each building a shimmering sil-ver surface.The whole area is operated withzero CO2 emissions and completely free ofpollutants. Wasted heat during the sum-mer is collected and stored with under-ground pipes,meaning that it is efficient toheat up the pumps during winter and re-sults in an economic energy cycle through-out the year.

www.muellersigrist.ch

Left: Kalkbreite yard. Photo: Martin Stollenwerk

Bottom, from left to right: Kalkbreite outdoor. Photo: Michael Egloff; Kalkbreite living space cluster. Photo: Martin Stollenwerk; Kalkbreite foyer. Photo: Martin Stollenwerk. Rendering: Atelier Brunecky

Bottom right: Suurstoffi visualisation




In today's crisis-ridden architectural indus-try, it's not always easy to establish an ar-chitectural practice and then stay afloat overthe years. Talent and qualifications areneeded, of course, as is the ability to adapt.

The architects that really stand out nowa-days are the ones who are not afraid to em-bark on a project with a particular idea inmind and then totally discard this first ideabecause the circumstances have changed.

Another important factor that sets one ar-chitectural practice apart from another is avaried portfolio too. In Switzerland, cele-brated architect’s office Pfister Schiess Tro-peano& PartnerArchitektenAG is clearly acompany that embraces a challenge andcan present an impressive portfolio includ-ingmany distinctive projects and prizes.“Injob interviews with new applicants we al-ways hear that it is our versatility that makesour architectural practice so different from

Zurich-based architectural practice Pfister Schiess Tropeano & Partner Architek-ten AG impeccably masters the art of combining beautiful old buildings with for-ward-thinking installations necessary for the security of the future.

TEXT: SONJA IRANI | PHOTOS: PFISTER SCHIESS TROPEANO & PARTNER ARCHITEKTEN AG

The perfect blend of old and new




others,”says Rita Schiess, one of the mainarchitects at Pfister Schiess Tropeano &Partner Architekten.“We work on entirelynew constructions as well as on old build-ings, investment buildings and culturallandmarks. And we do both the planningand the realization of these projects.”Withinthe German-speaking Swiss architecturemarket, it has become particularly importantto set one’s company apart from the com-petition as Rita Schiess recounts:“Themar-ket is small and has clear boundaries. Thefact that the same players encounter eachother in different constellations again andagain is this market’s strength as well as its

weakness. Some-thing we’ve no-ticed is that thecompetition is get-ting increasinglyfierce, as many ar-chitects becomebetter experts intheir field. At thesame time, tradi-tionally craft-ori-ented architecturefaces new chal-lenges due to thefact that the finan-cial crisis hasmadeproperty an attrac-tive investmentobject once again.”

Flexibility is key

Given the compet-itive nature of themarket, it is crucialfor any architec-tural practice to actwith flexibility, sothat plans can bechanged quickly ifan unforeseen fac-tor suddenly arises.Luckily, flexibility isa core strength of

Pfister Schiess Tropeano & Partner Ar-chitekten. Their highly qualified master-minds often have to think outside the box asevery building task is different. The mainquestion the architects have to ask them-selves every time is whether or not an al-ready existing building can continue to‘live’.That’s why they simply cannot use the sameprocedure for every project.“Instead, a ra-tional and architectural design analysis de-termines our approach to a particular proj-ect,” explains Schiess. “The complexity ofbuilding tasks has grown a lot. New con-structions usually require conversions andthe other way round, the boundaries be-tween pure new construction and pure con-version increasingly combine and disap-pear.” This is precisely why Pfister SchiessTropeano & Partner Architekten’s website

simply says that the architecture designedby their team is precise, persistent, eco-nomical, quick and always exciting. Thissentence captures the fundamental diffi-culty of an architectural plan.“In particular,that’s pursuing the most different designsketches under pressure and over the dura-tion of several years,”adds Schiess.“Whatreally helps us to do this is the variety of ourbuilding tasks and the internal discussionsin our office.”

Villa Patumbah

One example of how Pfister Schiess Tro-peano & Partner Architekten have solvedthe numerous challenges of a complex his-torical building restoration is embodied inthe Villa Patumbah in Zurich – a projectconducted between 2010 and 2013. Origi-nally built between 1883 and 1885 by Swissmerchant Karl Fürchtegott Grob, who hadmade his fortune on tobacco plantations inSumatra, the villa combines the historicalarchitecture of the time with its owner’s ex-otic vision. Elements of Gothic, Baroque,

Left & above:Villa Patumbah. Photos: Pfister Schiess Tropeano

Bottom right: Jumbo Arbon. Visualisation: Vis-Steffen-3d



Renaissance, East Asia,Art Nouveau, SwissDomestic Revival and the Industrial Agecan all be found within the beautiful build-ing, which nowadays also serves as thehead office of the Swiss Heritage Society.Because the technical equipment installedin the 19th century was long out of dateand various conversions had damaged in-stallations and paintings, the project

proved a highly tricky one for the archi-tects. They had to find ways to renovate thefaçade, the roof and the terraces.They alsohad to start a long quest for the ideal solu-tion of how to integrate modern technol-ogy in a manner that would be invisibleand cause no damage. Finally they had tounite all the rooms, including the adjoiningrooms, into the all-encompassing design

concept. Due to the many artistic connec-tions that were only discovered when thework had already begun, many measureshad to be rethought several times.This re-quired the architects to adopt a way ofthinking, which instead of having a reli-able, valid project in mind was navigatedby an internal compass. In the end, this ledto an impressive result.





Winning ideas for a better futureOn other occasions, Pfister Schiess Tro-peano & Partner Architekten has evenhelped to resolve a conflict. In Arbon,Switzerland, the Swiss Heritage Society ob-jected to the construction of a new DIY su-perstore by project owner Jumbo. The rea-son behind this was the existence of hallsdesigned by acclaimed architect Georges-

Pierre Dubois rightbehind the head-endbuilding. Jumbo wasplanning to demolishthese historically im-portant halls becausethis was seen as theonly way to makeroom for its newer,much bigger productrange. But PfisterSchiess Tropeano &Partner Architektenthen conducted a fea-sibility study, whichshowed that thanksto a different drive-way onto the prem-ises, the halls could befully integrated intothe new constructionsite. The Swiss Her-itage Society has sincegiven up its resistanceand both parties areon the right track tocome to an agree-ment.

Similar tact and sensi-tivity were displayed

when Pfister Schiess Tropeano & PartnerArchitekten renovated, extended and con-verted the 100-year-old, six-storey woodenbuilding of Hotel Paxmontana in centralSwitzerland between 2006 and 2011.“As amatter of course we used a wooden con-struction to make the building earthquake-resistant. That was quite a challenge,”saysSchiess.“In January 2015 wewill submit our

application for the prize of earthquake-re-sistant construction in the historic monu-ments category. If we win this prize,we willnaturally be very proud.”

Meanwhile, the architects have enjoyed suc-cess beyond Switzerland.One example wasthe commission to convert a Grade II listedlate Georgian/early Victorian Nash typehouse in the conservation area of LittleVenice, London where their precise plan-ning style "à la Swiss" really stood out.“Ourproposal to integrate the technical equip-ment in a similar way as in theVilla Patum-bah was seen as very innovative in Eng-land,” recalls Schiess.

www.pstarch.ch

Left & below: Hotel Paxmontana, Flüeli-Ranft Obwalden.Photos: Francesca Giovanelli

Above:

House in Little Venice, London. Photo: Edmund Sumner

Bottom, from let to right:

Hallenstadion, Zürich. Photo: Giorgio Hoch

Hallenstadion, Zürich. Photo: Onorato & Krebs

Central station, Schaffhausen.Photo: Pfister Schiess Tropeano

Hamel, Arbon. Visualisation: Raumgleiter GmbH

Residential project, Rapperswil-Jona.Visualisation: 3D Kraftwerk GmbH



The history of our cities has always beenshaped by one task: every building andstreetscape has to master the challenge ofmerging visual aesthetics with the practicalrequirements of its users, its people. Tal-ented architects are the masterminds be-hind such clever building processes and inour modern times they often have to han-dle complicated circumstances. Such archi-tectural artists are Swiss brothers Piet andWim Eckert,who have what it takes to com-bine function with beauty, simplicity withsophistication, whilst keeping an eye onsustainability.

Their architecture firm E2A, based in Zurich,has been running successfully for over thir-teen years. The headquarters of the Hein-rich-Boell-Stiftung in Berlin, the expansionof the Centre of Hearing and LanguageZurich and the current planning of the newpublishing house of themajor German dailynewspaper tageszeitung (taz) are only a fewhandpicked examples, which literally standfor the success of E2A.

The brothers’ creative power is based on asolid foundation. Born into a family of ar-chitects and structural engineers, Piet and

Wim studied architecture at the renownedTechnical University in Zurich. Piet broughtfresh ideas home from his continued stud-ies at Columbia University, New York andthe brothers were once again united in Rot-terdam as they worked at RemKolhaas’s ar-chitecture firm OMA for several years.

In 2001, after gaining valuable experience,the natural step for the Eckert brothers was

Piet andWim Eckert’s approach to architecture can be described as down-to-earthand modest. Designing buildings that they can be proud of, putting a lot of heartinto their projects and finding solutions for the impossible, is their secret, which hasled them to on-going international acclaim.

TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE | PHOTOS: E2A ARCHITECTS

E2ATwo brothers build their success

Left & above:Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin.

Photos: Jan Bitter

Below:Wim Eckert and Piet Eckert.Photo: Christian Aeberhard




to open their own firm back home in Zurich.The brothers love the challenge of ambi-tious and complicated projects: “We thinkthat we work especially well when the cir-cumstances of a building project are com-plex. For example, when the context is dif-ficult, when the client is demanding, theagenda extensive, or when the budget istight.”

Thanks to their architectural creativity, theysucceed in overcoming such obstacles andharmoniously balance vision and reality.The projects of E2A stand out through aninterest for classic conceptual architecture,which the Eckert brothers take up innova-tively and review to what extent those con-cepts are still sensible at the present time.

“We are most comfortable when our clientsare looking for content over representation,”explain the two architects of their work pref-erences. “We understand our work as an in-tellectual discipline,which does not chase acertain design but a certain thought.That isthe reason we often design cultural build-ings and spaces for the public sector, butequally for private investors, who also seethe building process as an expression of cul-tural activity.”The size of a project only playsa secondary role. From a small detachedfamily home to the spacious Baufeld H ofthe Europaallee in Zurich, the portfolio ofE2A contains commissions of various di-mensions.

The work of E2A is highly regarded nation-ally as well as abroad, which is manifestedin the many awards Piet and Wim Eckerthave received in past years. In 2009 thebrothers won the prestigious BDA AwardBerlin 09 from the German confederation ofarchitects, followed by the GreenGoodDe-signAward for the building of the Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung in 2010. Amongst otherpraise, E2A can also be proud of the SwissSolar Prize, which they received in 2008.

As flattering as these awards are, the Eckertbrothers simply focus on the work.“To usthe awards are not too important,”the twoheads of E2A admit.“We just try to createbuildings that we can be really proud of.What matters to us is, for example, our abil-

ity to realise the headquarters of the Hein-rich-Boell-Stiftung in Berlin with a tightbudget but withmaximum architectural de-sign. Close to our hearts is also the expan-sion and redevelopment of the Centre forHearing and Language, where severelyhearing-impaired children receive highquality education.The project was only pos-sible with a great deal of personal commit-ment and has been on-going for over tenyears now.”

The next projects are already in the pipeline.After finishing the planning phase for thepublishing house of the taz in the very heartof Berlin, E2A will focus on the biggesthousing project in Hamburg outsideHafenCity, the Pergolenviertel, which willhouse 1,400 flats. E2A has already devel-oped the overall design concept for this

huge project and is ready to move into thenext phase.

E2A will also be responsible for the re-de-velopment of a 50,000 square metre indus-trial site near Basel.

This makes for happy architects but doesnot mean the brothers rest on their laurels.“We always look for new challenges,whichspark our creative juices and result in inno-vative ideas,”they add with a smile.

www.e2a.ch

Top left: taz Berlin. Photo: E2A

Above left: Zentrum für Gehör und Sprache, Zürich.Photo: Dominique Müller

Above right: Echer-Terrassen. Photo: Jan Bitter

Below: Europa-Allee Baufeld H, Zürich. Photos: E2A



Before basing the firm in Lugano, Switzer-land, Mr. Könz worked in both Germanyand Spain and lectured at various interna-tional institutions such as the Swiss FederalInstitute ofTechnology (Zurich), the RhodeIsland School of Design (Providence, USA)

Könz architectural firm has been creating designs for over twenty years and takesits name from its founder and principal architect, Jachen Könz. Considering itselfa traditional design studio, the small firm successfully demonstrates an ability towork within a large perspective.

TEXT: JAIME SCHWARTZ | PHOTOS: KÖNZ ARCHITECTURE

Space, structure, light- building as an expression of a way of life




and the Accademia di architettura (Men-drisio). Holding a degree in Urban Plan-ning and Design too, Mr. Könz's broadknowledge across the field is put to use onmany federal and local architecture boards.The influence of Mr. Könz's background isevident in the way the firm's projects takeshape.

“My personal experience includes architec-ture and urban design, which are insepara-ble from my point of view,”explains Könz.“Every building, whether large or small, isproduced in a built context where it mustexist as one part.”This great considerationgiven to a project's surrounding context ispart of the way the firm is able to achievesuch meaningful designs. According toKönz,“each building has an inner life andouter life.Therefore, as important as the liv-ing room is, so is the geographical area towhich it refers.” Encompassing context intothe design helps to establish relationshipsbetween people and place and can rela-tivise the actual object.

The work Könz Architecture is involved inspans from designing office furniture, tosmall or large scale building projects as wellas urban infrastructure projects such asdams and bridges. The main philosophyand the driving force behind all of the firm'sdesigns is the desire to create somethingthat allows the space itself to become an ex-pression of a way of life. For the firm, this isachieved by engaging the relationship be-tween volume and the consequent space;and its interplay of texture and light to re-veal an inherent logic. By paying attentionto the synthesis of perception created bylight, materials are brought to life in a spe-

cial way.“Light exposes what is discerniblein a room and is what makes materials per-ceptible. It determines, for example,what isrough, soft, angular, or curved,”Könz pointsout. By thoughtful application of light's in-fluence into a space it thus increases theease and comfort one feels in that space.

The firm is comprised of a team of designersthat can deftly handle the diverse tasks ofeach project from the initial planning to fi-nal execution. The highly professionalisedteam is comfortable working anywhere inSwitzerland and beyond due to its impres-sive language competence in Italian, Ger-man, French, English and Spanish. Projectideas are developed from initial client re-quests and the relationship with the client isvery important throughout the planningprocess. The firm makes sure they have adeep understanding of the client's needs,leading with their expertise and includingthe input of an outside network of special-ists when needed.Mr.Könz sees the poten-tial in the role that all sides can have in thedesign process.“As important as it is to havea clear idea, it is also important to fully com-municate these ideas to all interested partiesin order to develop the project together.Through this collaboration and exchange,an idea is put to the test and optimised.”

The team's working method can be seen assplit into two phases: one of perception andone of interpretation. The former beingmore open and analytical and the lattermore focused. Mr. Könz explains: “In theanalytical phase, everything can have animpact on the work: art, literature, nature,everything that has to do with life.The sec-ond phase is where space is created.” Equal

and simultaneous attention is given to aproject's smaller scale details of design,ma-terial and costs and the larger scale concernsto the surrounding landscape, topography,and urban context.

However, enabling a creation to overcomethe personal motivations of its original in-ception is an important goal for Könz Ar-chitecture. For Mr. Könz and his team, theend result of a project is the power of aspace to speak on its own. “At the end aproject must be self-reliant, with a life of itsown, independent of the designers and theclient.The architect designs through mate-rial and technique a form, a space in whichlife should unfold.”

www.koenz.ch

Left, main image: Vertical dwelling, Lugano.Photo: W. Mair, Zürich

Above: Casa Accademia, Mendrisio, Ticino.Photo: W. Mair, Zürich

Bottom, from left to right:Galleria Miler, Lugano-Capolago. Photo: J. Könz, LuganoTotenzimmer, Mendrisio, Ticino. Photo: J. Könz, LuganoQuartier Mariöl, Zuoz, Engadin. Photo: J. Könz, LuganoChesa Mariöl Sur, Zuoz, Engadin. Photo: W. Mair, Zürich

Casa Camar, Lugano-Montagnola.Photo: P. Brioschi, Bellinzona

Suspended-house, Lugano-Pregassona.Photo: W. Mair, Zürich



Counting 90 members of staff in its stylishinner-city office with an almost equal gendersplit, the firm can gaze out proudly over acity that they, in part, are responsible for.Founded in 1946 by the renowned andsomewhat revolutionary Swiss architectWerner Stücheli, one of the earliest advoca-tors of high-rise buildings, the company’srise to prominence was rapid and today it isled by senior architects Christof Glaus, An-dreas Mosimann, Matthias Roth, EvaSchaub,HeinzWegmann andMathisTinner.

The first generation: rising high

Born to a large family in Zurich in 1916, thespirited Werner Stücheli studied architec-ture at the ETH in Zurich.Whilst there, hestudied under two key figures of the SwissModernism movement, Rudolf Salvisbergand Hans Hofmann, and their influence

As one of Switzerland’s most respected and celebrated architecture firms for overhalf a century, Zurich’s Stücheli Architekten are not one to rest on their laurels. Con-stant developments, efficient processes, rapid responses and responsible planningare just some of the characteristics that shape this forward-looking firm, althoughtheir past is not one to be overlooked.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: STUECHELI ARCHITEKTEN

Architecture that integrates

The Stucheli team




on his development was significant, instill-ing in him the yearning for simplicity, pre-cision and relevance. Upon graduating,Werner Stücheli went on to win the 1946competition to design the Tierspital [Ani-mal Hospital] and his overwhelming com-mitment to architecture led him to createhis own multidisciplinary practice.

According to Stücheli Architekten’s MathisTinner, Werner Stücheli showed real“preci-sion in his incisions in the city fabric.”Still verymuch visible in Zurich’s cityscape today,Werner Stücheli broke new ground withZurich’s ‘zoning’ scheme and is considered“one of themost inspiring and important ar-chitects of Zurich’s post-WorldWar II gener-ation.” Most notably, he created the BasteiHochhaus from 1953 to 1955, which wentdown in history as Zurich’s first inner-city

nine-storey residential building.This year sawthe building take on a new purpose as it wastransformed into a photo gallery and it wasonce again central to Zurich’s design scene.

Werner Stücheli’s interest remained in“thearchitecture of appropriateness” and hedived headfirst into substantial projects,withZurich’s population as his focus, such as theG59, the SchweizerischeGartenbauAusstel-lung 1959 [Swiss Gardening Exhibition1959]. Revolutionary for the Swiss horticul-tural scene, the riverbankswere transformedfor a period of six months to purvey the im-portance of green spaces – something thatremains important to the firm today.A sec-ond notable example from the firm’s so-called‘First Generation’was the building forthe SIA (the Headquarters of the Swiss En-gineering and Architecture Association).

The red thread of Stücheli Architekten

Not dissimilar to the firm’s approach today,the results ofWerner Stücheli’s work were“based on a timeless aesthetic in the searchfor weightless elegance.”The firm is not re-stricted to a predictable style and each site’sown context defines the style. Ever aware ofthe impact that buildings have on local res-idents, the environment and the region,the firm insist on possessing an unparal-leled awareness of the landscape and itsdwellers, proclaiming that “architecture issubordinate to the city.”During initial dis-cussions, they want to define the client’s vi-sion, the feasibility of the project and, interms of sustainable design, the harnessingof natural light and locally sourced materi-als is of key importance.

While the firm work predominantly inSwitzerland, they have also covered exten-sive ground across the globe with private

residences, retail and office spaces, muse-ums and public spaces.

UBS Grünenhof: Interest in the city

Just a stone’s throw from the infamousBahnhofstrasse, the firm have recently car-ried out the renovation of UBS’s central of-fice building. Since Werner Stücheli’s time

Main image: Europaallee

Right top: Holbeinstrasse

Right: Porsche 356 speedster - an example of WernerStuecheli's admiration for 'weightless elegance', simplicity andprecision

Far right: Helvetia AG, City Centre Man̈nedorf, Leue

Right bottom: UBS AG, Grun̈enhof, Zurich




at the helm of the firm, their interest in in-ner city urban developments has done lit-tle but grow.With this 12,600 square metreproject, the mass renovation of this pro-tected building has resulted in a new ener-gized building with a contemporary feel,entirely at home between the two originalstructures that flank it.

Bürgenstock:The place, the crevices, thematerials and the light

With over 60 per cent of the firm’s com-missions coming from highly competitivearchitecture competitions, the spectacular400 million Swiss Franks put into the tra-ditional Bürgenstock mountain resort havemade it perhaps one of the most impressiveand aesthetically-pleasing resorts withinSwitzerland.The location itself was the soleinfluence for the form of the expansive ho-tel resort. “The crevices in the mountainsover which the hotel gazes inspired us.Thislead us to a thorough investigation of po-tential materials and we ultimately‘carved’the site out of the present rock. In terms ofthe light and the orchestration, it was themagnificent views over the Vierwaldstät-tersee (Lake of Lucerne) and the crevicesimprinted into the Swiss Alps thatprompted our decisions.”

Credit SuisseUetlihof: Surface andhistoryZurich is perhaps embodied in the exten-sive Credit Suisse Campus, a cluster ofbuildings not unlike a natural “cell struc-ture”. In Stücheli’s capable hands since the1970s, the firm are now in the 8th stage ofa continuous development. In 2011, theUetlihof 2 was completed. It is the largestMinergie P Eco building in Switzerland,

the most coveted label for sustainability,comparable to LEED Gold. With the site’shistory as a clay pit, the firm’s interest waspiqued and their choice of materials in-spired, leading them to a building whoseform takes on that of a microscopic look atcells, most visible as one gazes up from in-side the atrium.




Taiwan: Urban planning and the weav-ing of two functions (library and mu-seum)A recent achievement on the internationalstage was a commendable place in the finalof a 250-strong competition to design adual-use (library and amuseum for the finearts) Cultural Centre in the City ofTaichung, Taiwan. Pitched against some of

the world’s most prolific architects, includ-ing Sanaa from Japan and Peter Eisenmannfrom the USA, the feedback given toStücheli for their noteworthy design hasbeen nothing less than glowing.

Europaallee: Building in the city centre

As a result of a competition for the SwissFederal Railways, the team designed theentrance building to Europaallee, one ofZurich’s largest developments. The firm’son-going interest in the urban context ofthe city led them to the conclusion that“structure becomes architecture and thuscreates urban relevance.”Due for comple-tion in 2017 and pre-certified with theDGNB Gold label from the SGNI, the firmconvinced the jury of their design forBaufeld B with their “simple and elegantsculptural form of an elongated building...leading to a welcome urban ensemble.”

TBZ: Urban context, building in the cityand structure

Taking on a project for Zurich’s TechnischeBerufsschule [technical college for furthereducation] led the firm to place an empha-sis on the materials, conflicting the con-crete and glass structural exterior signifyingdiscipline and rigour with a softer interiorcompiled of wood, composition rubber andtapestries.

As the population grows and urbanisationshows little sign of abating, it’s dynamicfirms like Stücheli with the tools to developliveable and practical spaces that hold thekey to our contentment. Ensuring that ur-ban aesthetics remain at the core of theircreations, they do not forsake function.With the hazy border between urban andrural living, it’s vital that our cities maintaintheir public spaces, their natural light andthe accommodating atmosphere. For the90-strong international team, their objec-tive is to create architecture that integrates,but does not confront.

www.stuecheli.ch

Top left: Credit Suisse, Uetlihof, Zurich

Below: TBZ School

Bottom, from left to right:Neue Zuricher Zeitung, Head Office, Zurich

Swiss Management AG, Bur̈genstock Resort, Bur̈genstockStansstad

Swiss Life AG, Splug̈enstrasse, Zur̈ich

The Bastei Hochhaus, one of Switzerland's first high-risebuildings designed by Werner Stuecheli

Taichung City Cultural Centre, Competition, Taichung, Taiwan



Starting your own architecture business inthemidst of an economic recessionwas cer-tainly brave. But founding kit architects in2009 was more a matter of heart than aneconomic calculation forAndreas Schelling,Gianet Traxler and Roman Loretan.“We allfocused on applied sciences in school,”saysSchelling, as he reminisces over the dayswhen the three Swiss design experts studiedarchitecture together at ETH Zurich.“At thesame time, we’ve always been very inter-ested in the arts. It’s great to now do both.”

Their commitment didn’t take long to payoff. In 2010, kit architects received the“Foundation Award” for promising, up-

and-coming Swiss architects. Decisive forwinning this prize was the internationalexperience Schelling and co. gained whileworking in London and New York aftertheir studies.“These cities are tremendouslyrich in terms of culture,” says Schelling.“Trends develop and disappear againquickly.Through this, we have become ex-cited and open to new cultural influences.”They now aim to re-define those interna-tional impressions in Swiss architecture,which Schelling describes as low-key andhonest.

“Our architecture is a mixture of loyalty toour local ties and openness towards cos-mopolitan influences,”explains Schelling.“Each of our building projects has its ownsubtly independent character without im-posing itself. The radical simplicity of thefunctional organisation stands in contrastto a varied atmospheric experience.You cansee the interplay between our ‘essentialsonly’and‘playful design’themes in all of ourprojects.”Another specialty of kit architectsis in the exchange of job functions as leaddesigner, wingman and critic for every proj-ect:“We allow the critic complete freedom,which often leads to questioning the design

draft and new creative impulses.”The re-sults of their innovative practice includethe unique split-level residential home inSwitzerland’s March district, the workshopfor the disabled in Schönegrund and thefire station in Weinfelden. “With all threeprojects, we managed to translate our ar-chitectural ideas into reality,” rejoicesSchelling.

www.kitarchitects.com

kit architects combine creative ideas from vibrant global hotspots such as New Yorkand London with the simplicity of traditional Swiss architecture. The result is a re-freshingly new, award-winning concept.

TEXT: SONJA IRANI | PHOTOS: KIT ARCHITECTS

Simply stunning

From left to right: Andreas Schelling, Gianet Traxler, RomanLoretan © Marc Wetli

Top: March District House © Dominique Marc Wehrli

Above: March District House, concept model

Below: Fire Station Weindelden




Merging the old and the new, with archi-tecture that spans the last millennia and itsnumerous epochs standing alongside var-ious contemporary buildings that wereplanned by prolific architecture award-win-ners, the city of Basel is an obvious locationto house the SAM Swiss Architecture Mu-seum.

There are two core themes that the mu-seum addresses in one exhibition each peryear. The first one is History and Presentwhere architectural themes and expressionsof the 1950s, 60s and 70s are explored andtheir value and importance for today arediscussed. The second core theme dealswith ‘Interdisciplinary’. “Through this, wecan explore different crossroads within ar-chitecture,” explains Hubertus Adam, Di-rector of S AM.

A successful example of this concept wasthe exhibition entitled In Space andMarked by Time. Anna Viebrock – StageDesign as Architecture, which examinedthe work of the stage designer, costumedesigner and director AnnaViebrock.“Theexhibition was well received by a profes-sional audience, but it also attracted a greatnumber of cultural enthusiasts, withoutpushing a blockbuster-style theme or a stararchitect,”explains Adam cheerfully.

Completing the museum’s content, thereare an additional two exhibitions per yearfrom a series addressing the topic of “Spa-tial Positions”. These exhibitions examinethe positions of contemporary architectsand artists as well as interpreting the his-torical architectural position from amodernpoint of view.The upcoming exhibition Co-

operation. Diener & Diener in Coopera-tion with Martin Steinmann and Josef Fe-lix Müller / Peter Märkli and Hans Joseph-sohn is part of this series. It examines thesynergy between artists and architectsworking closely together on a project fromthe beginning. The exhibition contains in-stallations of models, plans, drawings andsketches.

As the leading institution for Swiss con-temporary architecture, S AM focuses onaddressing a broad audience that includesprofessionals as well as anyone who has aninterest in architecture. It has already stagedmore than 150 temporary exhibitions aswell as numerous accompanying eventssuch as podium discussions and work-shops. Situated in the tri-border area be-tween Switzerland, France and Germany,the museum attracts a large number of in-ternational visitors and is therefore a greatsupporter of transnational dialogue andnetworking.

Founded in 1984, S AM is celebrating 30years of exhibiting world famous Swisscontributions to contemporary design andarchitecture.

www.sam-basel.org

The S AM Swiss Architecture Museum presents contemporary Swiss Architecture toa broad audience.

TEXT: DORINA REICHHOLD | PHOTOS: S AM SWISS ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM

Swiss architectural historyin a European tripoint

Atractionof the MonthSwitzerland



To build, to think, to sense, and to live arethe maxims of their creative work.To installorder in a perceived natural chaos and toenhance existing structures, CUKROWICZNACHBAUR represent a new generation ofAustrian architects. In its essence, their ho-mogenised architecture is stylistic yet nat-ural, sustainable and integrative.

“The reduction, the peace that we seek, theconcentration on individual and specifictopics, all of this can create sensuality.This

sensuality is neither a single point nor canit be reduced to a material alone. It alwayscomes with the entirety,” states CUKRO-WICZ NACHBAUR.

Building on a history of success

The firm is led by Andreas Cukrowicz andAnton Nachbaur-Sturm, who returned totheir nativeVorarlberg,Austria, after study-ing architecture at theTechnical UniversityofVienna and the University of FineArts inVienna, and working on several creative

projects. It was in Vorarlberg thatCUKROWICZ NACHBAUR was foundedin 1992.

After launching their careers more than 20years ago, both partners have successfullyestablished their architecture firm as one ofthe most advanced and integrated designfirms in Austria, southern Germany andSwitzerland. In fact, their creative work andorganic approach have been widely recog-nised and applauded.

Andreas Cukrowicz explains: “Our potentialis that we find a coherent, self-evident andadequate solution for each task and gener-ate additional added value. We place em-phasis on moods, atmospheres andmateri-alisations, to appeal to all senses.Wemostlyuse natural, sustainable materials and workenvironmentally and economically.”

The designs of CUKROWICZ NACHBAUR ARCHITEKTEN are characterised by theirobjective of exploring the relationship between order, structure and natural beauty.By drawing influences from their immediate environment, using existing materials,modern structures and resources, the firm’s creative work has set a new bench-mark for Austrian architecture. It is an interpretation of Austrian building traditionsin a modern context, one that always draws on all senses.

TEXT: ELISABETH DOEHNE | PHOTOS: CUKROWICZ NACHBAUR ARCHITEKTEN

Form and sensibility

Special Theme

Top 3 AustrianArchitects



Discover Germany | Special Theme | Top 3 Austrian Architects

Austrian traditions in a modern contextTheir space-driven architecture is heavilyinfluenced by the culture and mentality oftheir native land and people.The landscapeof Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmostprovince, is known for its timber structures.Similarly, CUKROWICZNACHBAUR’s ar-chitecture is unpretentious, natural andsustainable. It explores the relationship be-tween the pastures, Alpine setting, rusticterrain, and timber in a modern context.Both traditional and cosmopolitan, it is justlike the people who live there.

The firm’s team is currently made up of 15architects. From their spacious office in Bre-genz, Austria, they plan, consult, manageand discuss a variety of projects. From pri-vate houses to trade centres, municipalbuildings, schools, churches, communitycentres, firehouses, and EU-headquartersfor global corporations, the firm can lookback on a broad portfolio of constructions.

In recent years, CUKROWICZ NACH-BAUR have completed a number of public-issued projects, and they have often builtcontemporary timber structures that com-bine wood and concrete with large glasssurfaces. Classic examples are the Fire-house and Cultural Centre in Hittisau and

the applaudedVorarlberg Museum in Bre-genz. All constructions are clear, calm, pureand integrative in design and functionalin use.

Reaching beyond the obvious

Even though these buildings may seemsimplified or minimalistic at first glance,they contain a great deal of complexity andthought. They are a reference to the landand resources.Their design explores far be-yond the visual and moves beyond the ob-vious. All senses are evoked to contextu-alise these constructions according to theirhistory, locale or social function they per-form.

Left, main image: Main entry and front of the VorarlbergMuseum. ® Adolf Bereuter

Top: Vorarlberg Museum. ® Darko Todorovic

Middle: Architectural detail of Vorarlberg Museum.® Adolf Bereuter

Above: The Vorarlberg Museum in Bregenz.® Hanspeter Schiess

Right top: New Fire Station in Goetzis. ® Adolf Bereuter

Right: Hittisau fire station and cultural centre.®Hanspeter Schiess




Through their creative work, CUKROWICZNACHBAUR seek to explore and exposethe interrelations between structural order,functionality and aesthetics. The complex-ity in their structures appeals to a sense ofnatural order and the relation between aes-thetics and functionality.

Clear, functional design and organic re-sources

The high aspirations of the buildings arealso reflected in the use of the materials.The critic Otto Kapfinger describes theirwork as: “CUKROWICZ NACHBAURderives designs and materials from theircontext – precise, pure and self-evident.They find unforeseen clear and economicanswers to complex tasks. With wood,glass and concrete as well as with naturalsurfaces, convincing day lighting and per-fect proportions they create robust andinspiring spaces for all the senses. Strongbut at the same time calm, their architec-

ture serves the evolvement of all scopesof life.”

Materialisation of senses

Their designs are well integrated withthe sites so that they become part of aunified, interrelated composition. Em-phasis is placed on both the ambianceand atmosphere of any given buildingsite. CUKROWICZ NACHBAUR strivefor a materialisation of all the sensesthrough the use of natural raw, ecologi-cal and sustainable materials that arealso economic.

In addition, the design facets such as vol-ume, mass, guided light and gatheredphysicality are profoundly important fortheir work. The architects strive to haveboth: materially-present space and thestrong relationship of the aesthetic to thelandscape and the light. Yet acoustic andhaptic elements, as well as the mood,make

their spaces become materially and sensu-ally homogeneous constructions.

This creative sensuality spans across severalprojects – and localities, from small villages,communities, to the state’s capital Bregenz,as well as in Switzerland andMunich.Theirsurroundings, from which they derive ma-teriality and form, are depicted though in-dividual traces of materials, intended to betouched, held, smelled and combined witheach other.

Coexistence of tradition and modernity

An important part of the firm’s work is thecollaboration with local and regional Aus-trian craftsmen, builders, contractors andbusiness partners. These craftsmen, tradi-tionally very skilled, versatile and knowl-edgeable about their surroundings and nat-ural resources, look at nature with respect,harmony and balance.This also epitomisesCUKROWICZ NACHBAUR’s approach to




look at things in their context and to em-ploy this contextual knowledge to buildonto it philosophically and practically.Thiscollaborative effort results in a lively coex-istence of tradition and modernity.

Awards and recognition

Lastly, the firm has won many competi-tions and realized projects. Their expertiseand interest encompasses a wide spectrumand they have planned and built a plethoraof buildings: from a small church, to a mu-

seum, individual projects, to the Europeanheadquarters of a large corporation.“Eachtask has its own charm and provides a chal-lenge,” concludes Andreas Cukrowicz.

Their International ArchitectureAward andBest Architects Award Gold 2014 for theVorarlberg Museum, the STAATSPRPREISARCHITEKTUR 2010 and 2008 top thelong list of recognitions and prizes forCUKROWICZ NACHBAUR.

www.cn-architekten.com

Top, far left: Innsbruck Trade Fair - completed in 2011.® Hanspeter Schiess

Top: Community Center St Gerold. ® Hanspeter Schiess

Bottom, far left & middle: Library of the PHILOLOGICUMMUENCHEN. ® cukrowicz nachbaur architekten

Bottom, far right: The Music House in Roethis was remodeledin 2010. ® Hanspeter Schiess

Below, left: Doren Primary School. ® Hanspeter Schiess

Below, middle: Andelsbuch Mountain Chapel.® Adolf Bereuter

Below, right: Public swimming pools in Dornbirn.® Hanspeter Schiess



By combining creativity and their vast pro-fessional expertise, BEHF corporate archi-tects create unique and meaningful experi-ences.Their designs put architecture into itsrelevant context; they merge the presentand the existing, with the effective, the in-novative and the aesthetic. Their workforms spaces and atmospheres in whichpeople can work, live and thrive in.

Company profileLocated in Vienna, Aus-tria, and founded in 1995,BEHF corporate archi-tects provide design serv-ices in corporate archi-tecture, urban design,restorations, and interi-ors for a wide variety of

public and corporate clients and industries.They have already completed a vast array ofprominent projects for various uses: Retailand Centre, Office, Refurbishment, Resi-dential, Interiors and Hospitality.

Subtle elegance and playful ease lift everyday design objects. The top Austrian ar-chitecture and design firm of BEHF corporate architects creates spaces that me-diate and also shape environments. Through their functional and innovative de-signs, they connect people and spaces so that the simple becomes the special. Thecorporate becomes the personal.

TEXT: ELISABETH DOEHNE | PHOTOS: BEHF

Expertise driven design- created by BEHF corporate architects

BEHF Partners Stephan Ferenczy, Susi Hasenauer and Armin Ebner

Left & above: Lloonbase

Right: Fleischmarkt




The three co-founders, Armin Ebner,Stephan Ferenczy, and Susi Hasenauer,head a team of 100 architects, makingBEHF one of the largest and most diversedesign firms in Austria.Their internationalteam thrives under the flat hierarchicalstructure, the highly interdisciplinary at-mosphere and strong personal relationsbetween the leadership and all employees.

“BEHF sees design as strategy in action,focused on results. We help our clients toenvision a better future and get there suc-cessfully.We help them leverage the powerof design to generate innovative solutionsthat result in real transformations,” saysArmin Ebner, co-founder of the firm.

A diverse, skilled and motivated teamBEHF are a large group of architects, urbandesigners and interior designers with anextraordinary depth of experience and ex-pertise in programming, master planning,design and project delivery.While they fo-cus on B2B projects, their work is ex-tremely diverse – in terms of project types,scale, user communities and conditions ofplace.

The firm embraces its diversity as a corestrength, and has organised its team care-fully into project-specific workgroups thatcan address the specific needs and circum-stances of each assignment. The modernstudios in Vienna characterize the team’saspirations and their multi-functional, in-terdisciplinary, and solution-based ap-proach to work.

“We understand architecture as a mediumof communication. Structures determinethe wellbeing of people. They can producewellbeing, encourage it through shapes,materials, colours, light, and through a har-monious appearance.”

Professional practice matters

An important pillar of BEHF’s success andtestimony to their continuous growth inEurope and abroad is their absolute com-mitment to delivering the best service, andto meet all deadlines and budget agree-ments.

“No matter how large or small a job or as-signment is, our team will always deliverthe best results. We never compromise onquality or professionalism during the entireplanning, consulting and building process,”assures the firm’s management.

To BEHF corporate architects, it is irrelevantwhether they are working on a local 20m²size retail stand, a large housing estate oroffice spaces; their commitment to qualityis the same. In fact, with each project, theyguarantee a sustainable approach of conti-nuity: extensive research, employing thesupport of design and technical specialists,and on-going development.

Furthermore, by using building resources inaccordance with the pertinent economicand ecological needs of a space or envi-ronment, BEHF corporate architects arechanging the parameters of functional, yetresponsible corporate architecture.




Rollout of Deutsche Bank AG branchesBuilding on their experience and collabo-rations with large corporations and brandslike A1 Telekom Austria, REWE AG andRaiffeisen, among others, BEHF is currentlyworking on one of the largest projects inthe firm’s history.They were commissionedto conceptualize, plan and build severalnew branches for Deutsche Bank AGthroughout Europe and the world.

This means that from 2010-2014, BEHFwillcomplete the rollout for numerous retail

locations for Deutsche Bank AG in India,Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugaland Spain. The sleek, modern and func-tional spaces represent their client’s trust-worthy and international nature.The plan-ning process included the design of across-functional, open-plan office that sup-ports teaming and collaboration.

Most valuable brand

A list of awards, recognitions and publica-tions shows BEHF corporate architects’suc-cess and their dedication to good design

and delivery. Their careful and contempo-rary renovations and revitalizations ofbuildings have been honored with manyprizes in Austria and Europe.

This year, the European Real Estate BrandInstitute named BEHF corporate architectsthe most valuable brand in Austrian archi-tecture. This recognition – the Real EstateBrand Award Austria 2013 – is another

Above: Merkur

Below: Fabios




milestone in the firm’s continuous growthand success.

The study, conducted by critics each year,evaluates performance dimensions such asservices offered, price, and expertise andthen honors the best brand.The predicate iswell respected.Accordingly, the high brandvalue of BEHF corporate architects reflectstheir architectural innovation level, theirservice, quality and their trustworthiness.

International recognition and currentprojects

This excellency has not gone unnoticed in-ternationally. For instance, the office build-ing Green Worx in Vienna was the firstbuilding in Austria awarded Platinum sta-tus, the highest standard for environmen-

tal design of the world leading Americansustainability certificate LEED. Building ontheir strong brand and international team,BEHF Corporate Architects have been ac-tive in various corners of the world, espe-cially in their core segments: Office, Refur-bishment, Retail and Interior.

In addition to the Deutsche Bank AG roll-out, current BEHF projects include the busi-ness centre A01 in cooperation with JSWD,located at the newVienna Central Station,as well as a high-rise complex in Bucharest,called The Orhideea Towers. They are alsoin charge of the extensive modernisationand conversion of the famous departmentstore‘Stafa’in the centre ofVienna, and areworking on finalising the planning of a se-ries of shopping centers in Belarus.

Expertise-driven design for the futureBuilding on these rewarding projects, theBEHF team is passionate about their workand believes that the best designs and newexperiences arise from a collaborative effortwith clients that will spur innovation.

Looking to the future, the firm wants to“continue to offer the best solutions forspaces and environments, and be a reliablepartner for global brands and individualclients.”

www.behf.at

Above: Retail Center Neukauf

Below: Deutsche Bank AG



We learn from the circumstances of a place,its qualities are intensified and we carrythem with us. Construction is inextricablylinked with the location itself; even a so-called new building is just a modification ofan already existing place. It changesthe place, reinterprets it and continuesthe place’s history.At the same time itis rooted there without any chance toescape. Conversely, the building has tobe shaped by its place; otherwise itcould never be authentic or compre-hensible.

The Umbrückler Alm, a tourist desti-nation characterised by gastronomy inInnsbruck,Austria, is a striking exam-ple of a building’s involvement with its

place. Among high towering spruces andsteep slopes, hikers and skiers are warmlywelcomed by the forest glades. This placeinvites visitors to linger, providing a beau-tiful place for the sunset. Alongside the

building it is possible to find a place, shel-tered from the wind, from where you canenjoy a unique view over the landscape ofthe Inntal. The terrace of the restaurantopens its gates and a larch-shingled roofprovides protection from the rain and thesun.The chimney, an distinct characteristicof the restaurant is visible from a distance.The project is integrated within the land-scape smoothly; the sculptural roofstretches out over the organic floor planwith varying roof pitches. As the years go

by, it will turn grey. This is part ofthe plan to integrate the buildinginto the silhouettes of the spruces.

The people

A building characterises the humanbeings who choose to live and workin an unobtrusive but sustainableway. It forms an identity and turnsinto a meeting point. The best casescenario would be the creation of aplace that people love to visit. Overtime, certain buildings form the ba-

Appropriate architecture hits the right tone with its gesture. Architecturally ex-pressive buildings participate in resonance with their surroundings. Through theircommunicative character, they act as a catalyst for daily life and have the abilityto strengthen the power of a place.

TEXT: MERYEM HAUER | PHOTOS: LUDESCHER & LUTZ

Manufacturing a place

Elmar Ludescher and Philip Lutz




sis for spellbinding memories. The con-struction has to be‘typical’– with one word:striking. It should last for years, uniting asmany stories and memories as possible.

The vineyard Schmidt, located next to theBodensee, lies on a hill overlooking thelake and the Swiss mountains. In equalamounts, it is there for wine production, thefruit harvest and gastronomy. On the frontside of the house, a vinothek opens up to-wards the Bodensee.A beautiful wine-tast-ing room with floor-to-ceiling windowsand wooden slats can be reached by twostairways. This accuracy, which has beenevident in viticulture for centuries, findscontinuance within the high quality craftexecution of the house; it is all about au-thentic work and experience, the culture ofproduction and pleasure. This place’s pro-duction has been made possible by a newbuilding culture developed from tradition.

Sustainability

‘If we wish to lend something continuance,we care for beauty not efficiency.’ (Nicolàs

Gòmez Dàvilla, a Colombian writer). For aslong as a building is appreciated, it will bemaintained. We care about acceptancethrough implicitness and a high qualitycraft execution. It has to be valued and con-stantly looked after.We are ever aware thatour buildings should be kept unbiased fortheir future use.

Handcrafted

Our origin isVorarlberg, which is Austria’smost western state. A region that is de-fined by small structures as well as a veryvital manufacturing industry. The appreci-ation of the local skilled craftsmanshipmarks a strong link between architectureand the place itself. The constructionsshould illustrate the resources of the place,challenging them without overburdeningthem.We are proud when good craftsman-ship adorns our buildings. It is importanthow things are made and that they possessa self-evident presence.We adopt the well-proven things from the regional construc-tion culture and re-interpret them as new,if necessary. Using natural materials, whichinspire us to touch them and let them agewith dignity – we build confidence.

Our way of working

We care about the tension between the in-side and outside, the atmosphere and light-ning design on the inside, transitions,thresholds, surprises … but also the envi-ronment and the way a building integratesitself into the landscape. We develop pic-tures and are always searching for the rightatmosphere. We consider ourselves a de-sign manufactory. For us, creating meanscommanding space and time, for some-thing that will be formed beyond our imag-ination. We are found by clients who havea request. The aim is to touch people in aspecial, unique way.

www.elmar-ludescher.atwww.philiplutz.at

Above:Mountain restaurant Umbruc̈kler Alm, City of Innsbruck

Right, from top to bottom:

Schmidt winery, lake Constance: Elmar Ludescher;Ludescher + Lutz: Jakob Kasimir

Stadion with ASP, Stuttgart

House am Felsrücken, Bregenz. Photo: Robert Fessler

Private residence, Bregenz. Photo: Oliver Heissner

Seestadt Bregenz, urban development, competition,1st prize, with Aicher, Zechner, completion 2018



The innovative website and its associatedapp allow fashion-conscious locals and vis-itors to plan their next shopping trip ac-cording to their individual wishes and itcomes complete with shopping, restaurant

and sightseeing tips. The site currently fo-cuses on the vibrant fashion destination ofBerlin, with more European and worldwidefashion hotspots to follow soon.“On ourwebsite mystylespothunter.com we pres-

ent selected fashion shops in a particularcity and let the consumer sort those ac-cording to categories like style, price, prod-uct group or district,” explains stylist andpersonal shopper Johara Raukamp, one ofthe website’s two founders.“So that amongthe endless possibilities the modern cityshopping jungle offers, people can easilyfind the shops that match their individualbudget and style.”

Secret shopping sprees

“Everything started with berlinSHOPPER,one of Berlin’s first personal shopping serv-ices that we founded in 2008,”remembersJohara Raukamp.“Through this work, I gotto know the Berlin shopping scene inside-out. Unfortunately, I also witnessed the dis-appearance of countless truly unique shops.They either had to close or the big, inter-national fashion retailers pushed them

With mystylespothunter.com and the citySHOPPERapp, Berlin stylist JoharaRaukamp has found the perfect solution to create exciting and individually tailoredshopping tours in just a few clicks.

TEXT: SONJA IRANI | PHOTOS: MYSTYLESPOTHUNTER.COM

Simplify your style hunt

Johara Raukamp

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BoostYourCareer



Discover Germany | Special Theme | Boost Your Career

aside to the little side streets. As a conse-quence, the high street of every cities nowlooks so alike that it’s becoming really bor-ing. At the same time, I was regularly askedby tourists and people that had just movedto Berlin to share my tips regarding thetrendy Berlin designer scene for free. Thefact that they weren’t prepared to pay anymoney for this service was something Icould totally understand. Why would youwant to pay someone just to show youaround a few shops when for the sameamount of money you could get yourself agreat new pair of shiny shoes?”In the questfor supporting the increasingly more hid-den boutique shops and provide sought-af-ter shopping tips for free, Johara solved thetwo problems perfectly in the form of herwebsite and app.The fact that the site nowputs a special focus on small boutiqueshops is something she particularly appre-ciates:“Even if this meansmore work for us,it is those little shops that really shape thespecial character of a city!”

The curious traveller

Every now and then, the Berlin-bred per-sonal shopper delights in a shopping tourof her own: “In Berlin I enjoy strollingaround the little side streets around theHackescheMarkt area or the Savignyplatz,”reveals Johara.“But I particularly love shop-ping in other countries. I always take homesome unique pieces, which serve as greatmemories of my trips and have an emo-tional aspect, too.”Whether you’re travel-ling or not, time for shopping trips is oftenlimited and especially if you are a visitor toa particular city you would want to see a bitmore than just the shops. That’s why

mystylespothunter.com also recommends avariety of the hottest restaurants and sight-seeing destinations in town.You can evenembark on specifically themed shoppingtours, such as discovering designers fromBerlin, strolling through different districts orfollowing current trend themes like prettypastels or green fashion.“Our app offers theadditional function to put together an en-tirely individual shopping tour accordingto the consumer’s taste,” adds JoharaRaukamp, who frequently shares her tipsregarding particular shops, tours and fash-ion news on her blog.

Berlin, London, Paris

“At the moment, we’re expanding theBerlin website so that we will soon cover allits relevant shopping districts,”Johara saysabout the short-term plans.“After that, wewill launch other exciting shopping desti-

nations. The first one to follow will proba-bly be London, then NewYork, Paris,Milanand so on until we have set up all the im-portant fashion capitals.” Starting out onthe section covering the British capital issomething the fashion fan can’t wait to gether hands on:“I have just been to Londonfor some initial research – a really excitingcity with great potential for secret shop-ping tips!”As their website grows, therewill also bemore career opportunities as Jo-hara reveals: “We’re currently expandingour sales team and are looking for enthusi-astic sales people with a background infashion.”So whether you are just searchingfor some new shopping inspiration, a fullytailored tour or a career in fashion sales,mystylespothunter.com is the best place tobe.

www.mystylespothunter.com



BetterHeads founders Markus Krampe andPhilippMommsen went live last Novemberand the pair already represent over 700renowned recruitment agencies and head-hunters. It is a win-win service for bothheadhunters as well as companies in searchof the perfect candidate. BetterHeads col-lect specific search criteria from employ-ers. These search terms are then analysedand matched against all the headhunterprofiles in the pool and 15 contacts are beselected. Employers pick a maximum ofthree favourites and, thanks to the ruthlessfiltering process conducted by BetterHeads,the perfect job candidate will be deliveredalmost instantly, saving both parties valu-able time and resources.While recruitmentagencies pay a small fee for successfulplacements, BetterHeads’ services are freeof charge for talent searching companies.

Headhunters have to undergo closescrutiny before being admitted to Better-Heads’ pool. The collection of background

information and meticulous verification ofprevious placements are part of thisprocess.“Quality management is essential.Wemake sure our recruitment agencies arevetted as carefully as possible for plausibil-ity. We make sure their standard proce-dures – vital in the recruitment business –comply with our high demands,”Krampeexplains.

But how did Krampe andMommsen comeup with the idea of creating a comparisonportal?“Both of us have sat atboth ends of the table in thepast. We discovered a lot ofpotential for improvement, foremployers and recruiters alike.The idea seemed so simple,someone just had to do it,”Krampe says.And so they did.

Since June, BetterHeads’inde-pendent consultant searchfunction has been embedded

in the FAZ job market and DAX companiesare flocking to benefit from the innovativeservice. Thyssen Krupp is one of the satis-fied users, but due to the discreet nature ofthe business, Krampe remains tight-lippedabout his clientele.

Good service does not stop at the place-ment either.The compact process manage-ment package offered by BetterHeads al-lows employers to easily compareheadhunters’ performances over time andhelps in making the right choice for futuredecisions.

www.betterheads.de

Start-up company BetterHeads have re-invented the world of recruitment servicesby offering a globally unique B2B service, matching employers’ needs with the idealheadhunter to deliver the perfect placement in the most efficient manner possible.

TEXT: TINA AWTANI | PHOTOS: BETTERHEADS

Total market transparency for headhunters and employers- a match made in Heidelberg

Markus Krampe & Philipp Mommsen



Ralf Wolter switches off his computer andstarts chatting. It is often quite easy to feel in-timidated when someone analyses yourstrengths and weaknesses, but these initialfears are quelled asWolter's sincere approachto coaching immediately puts me at ease.Asone of Germany's most prolific businesscoaches with his High-Performance Con-sulting and Coaching Group (HPCG), histime is in high demand.A brief glance at histrack record and current clients (prestigious ITcompanies, bio-tech firms, and others) testi-fies to his aptitude.

Over the past three years Düsseldorf-basedWolter has fine-tuned his business to threeprime areas: career coaching, presentationand communication skills, and business con-sulting. Originally an engineer but nowsomething of a polymath, his years of con-sulting and project management work atCISCO led tomanaging people.A key figure

in developing their talent management pro-gramme for distinguished engineers inEMEA, he hasn't looked back since goingfreelance.

Whether it is an individual or a company,Wolter's formula: (Vision +Goals + Strategy)xAction = Success paves theway.Discussingthese aspects in detail with each client high-lights potential gaps, underlines strengthsand possible pathways are duly suggested.Tackling these head-on,Wolter's sole objec-tive is to empower clients to execute theirown career goals. ”Structure is not a prereq-uisite for success – it just helps significantly,”he adds.After a period ofmonthly or weeklysessions, the client ”runs on their own”.

When asked about his own career satisfac-tion, Wolter doesn't hesitate before replyingwith a resounding yes. ”Just last month,”heexplains with a broad smile, ”a former client

rangme to share the news that he'd achievedthe level of a distinguished engineer.Hewasabsolutely delighted, but for me it was onlyever a question of time - never of ability.”

With his engaging and encouragingmanner,Wolter‘s approach is transformational. Theideal trainer for public speaking and present-ing skills, he is also an accomplished providerof business consulting.Three areas of expert-ise could be verging on a jack-of-trades, butthis is far from the case.A prime example ofunlocking his own potential, Wolter's busi-ness acumen, coaching and experience willhelp you realize your future career goals,making it a question of when rather than if.

www.hpcg.eu

With the job market ever more competitive, is a high level of education enough tomake the cut? How many of us can say with certainty that we have unlocked ourfull potential?

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTO: RALF WOLTER


With HPCG it’s when, not ifAbove: To see the mindmap in more detail, head to:

tinyurl.com/HPCG-Method

Ralf Wolter, business coach



Imagine you are a manager, presentingyour results to the executive board at theannual general meeting - but it is late in theday, and the audience is already tired.Should you rush through your points or

rather present with confidence, clarity, andeloquence?

The objective of HPS is as simple as it is ef-fective: become a better business presenter.The company´s presentation trainingequips employees and executives with pro-fessionalism, confidence and conviction.Participants will achieve tangible resultsthrough quality methods, extensive trainingsessions, and personalised feedback.

With over 40,000 graduates,HPS is Europe’smarket leader for presentation trainings.Theireffective specialist services are well knownand respected. The German subsidiary ofHPS is based in Frankfurt and led by FrankVogt,who jokingly says that hewants to“freethe world of bad presentations.”

Presentations with a lasting effect“HPS is a specialist. For more than 25 years,we have been doing what we do best. Weprioritize quality over short-term profit.This is how we guarantee success. All theHPS trainings are branded products,”statesthe company. Prof. Dr. Emil Hierhold, anAustrian marketing professional, was theinitial founder of HPS (Hierhold Presenta-tion Services).

While many global corporations and pro-fessionals are aware that an assertive rhet-oric style – modelled on U.S. presentationtechniques – is an investment in the com-pany’s success, German-speaking busi-nesses often lag behind. For this reason,HPS specifically targets companies all overGermany, Austria and Switzerland to helpleverage employees’performances.

“We help our customers to acquire morepower of persuasion in their business pre-sentations, in front of crowds or in smallgroups of decision makers, with the help ofFrank Vogt, CEO of HPS Deutschland GmbH

Becoming a better business presenterAs experts, HPS presentation services know how to do it

Today, it’s not just what you know that counts but how you present your knowledgeto the world. The skill and style of how concepts are delivered are now equally im-portant as the originality of ideas.

TEXT: ELISABETH DOEHNE | PHOTOS: HPS


From top to bottom:Seven presentation steps to success

Trainer + Co-Trainer ConceptHPS mobile app for tablets and smartphones

HPS Publication 2014


media and other tools or even with emptyhands,” says Frank Vogt, CEO of HPSDeutschland GmbH.

100 per cent practical relevance

Time spent in HPS seminar saves workingtime, since participants always work ontheir own practical cases.They develop theirideas and make progress solving their in-dividual cases under the direction of expe-rienced trainers.

The training sessions can be either bookedindividually (public workshops take placeonce a month), or company – and projectspecific. More than 90 per cent of HPSpresentation workshops are internal busi-

ness sessions for corporate employees andexecutives. HPS coaches host these work-shops on-site. In addition, interested com-panies may test HPS’s services during afree three-hour test session.

Experienced specialist trainers

HPS’s specialist trainers know what theyare talking about. In Germany alone, morethan 40 specialists offer training sessions infour languages, including six native Englishspeakers. In addition to their academic ac-complishments, all the trainers have at leastten years management experience in large,global businesses, and they are all certifiedHPS coaches.

Benefitting from this expertise and know-how, trainers help workshop participantsdiscover their affinity for public speakingand their ability to“sell”their ideas, projectsand products.

Systematic methods and quality

The methodology follows an effective‘Story-Slides-Stage’ chronology. All HPSseminars (with a maximum of ten partici-pants) are run by a trainer tandem: onetrainer plus a co-trainer ensure that eachparticipant gets a chance to be assessed viavideo up to five times a day.

Through this high-intensity training andpractice, participants truly improve theirperformance.“It works. Participants see adrastic change in how confident andequipped they feel to speak in meetings –taking them all the way to the board room,”says FrankVogt.

Structured feedback and video analysis

During the seminar, participants can eval-uate their performance in a separate room.This personal video-feedback with theircoach is more convincing and easily ac-cepted. And what participants like best isreceiving the feedback without the pressureof the group being present.

Meanwhile, the main room hosts the nextpresentation.This parallel room system in-creases the practice time for all participantsand reduces the overall duration of groupexercises.

On the road to future successThe quality of HPS’s trainings is consis-tent. By working with highly accomplishedand experienced practitioners and usingcertified and result-oriented coachingmethods, HPS remains a reliable, service-oriented partner that boosts presentationskills for businesses of all sizes.

www.hps-training.com


Left, main image: Business professionals will benefit greatlyfrom practicing important presentation skills

Top: HPS specialist training situation

Middle: Small training workshops guarantee quality and indi-vidual feedback

Below: HPS training method


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Coaching Methodology II 25./26.09.2015

Crisis Situations in Coaching 23./24.10.2015

Typical Areas of Business Coaching 20./21.11.2015

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"Whoever smiles instead of rioting is al-ways the stronger one," is how Iris Cler-mont sums up her mission. After graduat-ing in mathematics in 1990, Clermont spentthe early days of her career as a projectmanager and business consultant withinthe telecommunications industry.Workingin many different countries such as Spain,Finland, Sweden and the UK, the difficul-ties she encountered were always the same.“I met busy, stressed, even ‘burned out’managers and teams whowere moaning allday instead of communicating with eachother,”remembers the mum-of-three, whofounded her own business in 2008.“Therewere meetings where everybody wasspeaking and nobody listened. It’s crazythat so many teams are failing to deliver thegoods, when with just a few small changes,

they could work together so much betterand enjoy it too.”

Determined to change this situation, Cler-mont published her book “Team Magic –Eleven Magical Ways for Winning Teams”.Simple tips such as ‘Step into the shoes ofothers’ can work magic in your workinglife, which, in turn, will have a positive ef-fect on your private life too. Additionally,Clermont offers several programmes in-volving her unique consulting plus coach-ing approach. “The combination of con-sulting and coaching leads to proactive,open-minded, focused and solution-ori-ented teamwork,”she explains.“The goldenkey is observation and active listening dur-ing the daily job routine, meetings andworkshops, which inspire my clients to set

up clear and concrete ideas on how to im-prove their business.”

Iris Clermont knows what she is talkingabout. Besides her career as a business con-sultant which takes her all around theworld, the music lover also finds time toperform with her bands, play the flute,bring up three boys as a single mum andtrain for a triathlon.“Everything is possible,”she says.“Time management is somethingthat starts in your head. Just think aboutwhat you can do, what’s fun, what’s im-portant and ultimately what you want toachieve.”

www.aiccoaching.com

Internationally acclaimed author, business coach and mumpreneur Iris Clermontshares valuable tips on how to increase team efficiency and achieve more atwork.

TEXT: SONJA IRANI | PHOTO & SKETCHES: IRIS CLERMONT

Trust your winning smile

Iris Clermont, business coach and mumpreneur



Founded in 1985 by the pioneering Eberhardvon Rundstedt, the 300-strong team is nowheaded by his results-driven daughterSophia.Alongside boosting the career of in-dividuals, vonRundstedt are also specialists incorporate management training and mana-gerial development.

ThroughClausVerfuerth’s proficient top-levelmanagement coaching and his role asDirec-tor Senior Executive Solutions in the CareerConsultation andDevelopment department,he believes that it’s the“one-to-one neutraldialoguewith vonRundstedt’s career expertsabout your experiences”and the“batting backand forth of ideas”that render the companysuch a esteemed recruiter, outplacer and ca-reer consultant.Having astutely observed the

various emotions of senior position holders,he explains that very few friends or relativescan hold a useful conversation about yoursituation when it’s that of a top-level man-ager.“For me, this is one of my key tasks andI understand entirelywhat a tough decision itcan be,”he says.

“At the firstmeetingwe’ll discuss your currentcareer situation and your expectations,” heexplains.“From then on,we’ll be able to offeryou relevant solutions, potential networkingoptions and we’ll begin an analysis of yourstrengths and motivations.” Often over-looked by those who’ve been in active em-ployment for a while, such earmarking ofstrengths is vital and will perhaps promptthat career move, an ambitious change to an

international role or even self-employment.Often,Verfuerth admits, even those in man-agerial positions need a little push in the rightdirection.

Key to any career leap is a reliance on yournetwork of contacts.Thanks to von Rundst-edt’s Senior Network Lounge, a platform ofsatisfied businessmen andwomenwhohavethe acumen and the contacts to potentiallyaid a careermove, the company strive to nur-ture these useful interactions.

Re-orientating yourself as a result of an im-promptu redundancy or after leaving a com-pany amicably requires not only confidenceand self-belief, but also a strong will to suc-ceed, a concrete and concise sense of direc-tion and, perhaps most importantly, a widereaching network.Testament toVon Rundst-edt’s ability to provide these factors is the ap-proximately 2,000 individuals who are suc-cessfully assisted by them annually.

www.rundstedt.de

For three decades, the Dusseldorf-based von Rundstedt have been the driving forcebehind some of the business world’s most significant career moves. Boosting yourprospects, the team’s experience, network and coaching skills aim to propel your ca-reer onto a new and better path.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: PRESS IMAGES


Propelling your career forward Above: Claus Verfuerth, Director Senior Executive Solutionsin the Career Consultation and Development department



IFA, Berlin (5-10 September 2014)

Presenting the latest products and innovations,the global trade show for consumer electronicsand home appliances attracts a quarter of amillion trade visitors each year from more than100 countries.b2c.ifa-berlin.de

Gabalier – Die Volks-Rock’n’Roll-Show(6 September 2014)

Our cover star rocks the stage with internationalsuperstars like James Blunt, the Scorpions andmany others at 8:15pm (Das Erste, SRF 1 andORF 2).www.gabalier-show.tv

Festival of Performing Arts, Düsseldorf(10-28 September)

The dusseldorf festival features international co-productions and German premières alongsidefringe events and rarities that invite visitors todiscover, dream and marvel.www.duesseldorf-festival.de

Culture CalendarSave the date as there are plenty of great events scheduled for the weeks to come. From music festivals and exciting ex-hibitions to great sporting events, Discover Germany’s Culture Calendar is your perfect guide to this autumn’s highlights.

Above: International Street Music Festival, Wur̈zburg.Evelyn Kryger live performance. Photo: Alfred Junker



International Street Music Festival, Würzburg(12-14 September 2014)

More than 400 artists from all over the globeenchant downtown Würzburg this month. As thelargest stage-free festival in Europe, this uniquecultural happening sees performances takeplace on 22 public squares.www.stramu-wuerzburg.de

Oktoberfest, Munich(20 September – 5 October 2014)

The 181st Munich Beer Festival takes place onthe famous Wies’n. The ladies wear Dirndl, theguys wear lederhosen. Steins filled with beer,giant pretzels and lots of Oompa attract millionsof visitors from all over the world.www.muenchen.de/int/en/events/oktoberfest.html

Cannstatter Volksfest, Stuttgart(26 September – 12 October 2014)

One of Europe’s largest and most popularfunfairs has been held at the Wasen for almost200 years. Enjoy a special atmosphere in andaround the great festival tents, a fantastic fleamarket and many spectacular attractions.www.cannstatter-volksfest.de

Berlin Marathon, Berlin (28 September 2014)

Superstars like Kenyan Dennis Kimetto andEthopian Tsegaye Kebede will compete at the41st BMW BERLIN MARATHON, the world´sfastest marathon course.www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com

Discover Germany | Culture | Calendar

Right: Oktoberfest.Photo: Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus/Pierre Adenis.

Photos right above: Rainer Kiedrowski

Below: Festival of Performing Arts, Düsseldorf.Kader Attou, Compagnie Accrorap. © Joao Garcia

Right bottom: Berlin Marathon, last year's winner andworld record breaker Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) crossing the

finish line. © SCC Events, Photorun


Discover Germany | Culture | Calendar

Long Night of the Museums, Vienna(4 October 2014)

Stroll through Vienna’s museums and explorethe city’s cultural highlights under the stars. 130museums including the Haus der Musik areopen until 1am.www.langenacht.orf.at

Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt(8-12 October 2014)

The world’s largest book and media fair attractsover a quarter of a million bookworms each yearand features 7,300 exhibitors from over 100countries.www.buchmesse.de

Festival of Lights 2014, Leipzig(9 October 2014)

Celebrating 25 years of the Peaceful Revolution.Around 150,000 visitors from all over Germanyand abroad are expected to partake.www.lichtfest.leipziger-freiheit.de

Left: Cannstatter Volksfest. Photo: Thomas Niedermueller

Top right: Frankfurt Book Fair, duckling readers as souvenirs

Right bottom: Festival of lights, Leipzig.Photo: punctum/Schmidt



Discover Germany | Culture | Barbara Geier

Although possessing his own distinctivestyle, this Austrian represents what isknown as Volkstümliche Musik in German, afolksy and popular style of music, a modernversion of the traditional Volksmusik genrethat is so typical for German-speakingcountries in general and theAlpine regionsin particular.

Andreas Gabalier is probably the mostpopular and successful singer at the mo-ment of these mostly cheerful and feel-good Volksmusik compositions. He mixesthe traditional with Rock’n’Roll, both in hismusic as well as in person, combiningLederhosenwith t-shirts and leather jacketsand sporting a mighty quiff and cool sun-glasses on stage, all of which has led to themoniker Volks-Rock’n’Roller.Which, I think,needs no translation. People love him, hissongs are being remixed by DJs and if youassociate folk music with old people, thinkagain. Mr Gabalier was born in 1984 andhis audience by no means consists of 50+ladies and gentleman, quite the opposite infact.

His success has to be seen in the context ofthe huge popularity of popular folk musicin German-speaking countries. So, let mebriefly introduce you to another phenom-enon, the“Musikantenstadl”. This TV pro-gramme, which literally means“musicians’

barn”, has been on our screens for donkey’syears, is watched by millions and is, to bequite frank and from my point of view, ab-solutely hideous, but there we go. Tastesdiffer. It’s broadcast live (which doesn’t nec-essarily mean the singing is live, though),the audience sits in a kind of mock Alpinebarn on beer benches around tables, every-one is always in a goodmood and clappingalong to folk music, oompah bands andanother very special German genre, theSchlager. It’s all a bit cheesy and unbeliev-ably feel-good and that’s probably whypeople like it so much.Who doesn’t love agood dose of the fake world for a couple ofhours in the evening now and then? I’mgetting cynical now as you might have no-ticed, so I’d better stop.

After my initialYouTube clip introduction toAndreas Gabalier on that evening in Ger-many last year, and now after having seenthe odd interview with him on TV, I’ve gotto say, I get it. I get why he’s so popular. Heseems to be a nice and genuine guy, down-to-earth, no starry antics and he exudesthis certain “I’m one of you” charm. Hissongs.Well. As you might have noticed bynow I’m no fan of popular Volksmusik, andI probably never will be. What I can say isthat he’s got a knack for catchy tunes, nodoubt about it, and it’s the stuff that lendsitself to a good singsong. Oh, and unlike

some you can see and hear in programmessuch as“Musikantenstadl”, he’s actually amusician, playing instruments and writinghis songs. So,my advice would be,make upyour ownmind about this and have a listen.I wouldn’t recommend watching the“Stadl”, though, as it’s known for short.Only if you really, really must …

Barbara Geier is a London-basedfreelance writer, translator andcommunications consultant. She is also theface behind ww.germanyiswunderbar.com,a German travel and tourism guide andblog that was set up together with UKtravel writer Andrew Eames in 2010.

Ever heard aboutVolkstümliche Musik?Ever heard of Andreas Gabalier? No? Neither had I, until one evening last year thatI spent with friends while on a visit to Germany, and they started discussing the phe-nomenon that is Andreas Gabalier.

TEXT: BARBARA GEIER


Discover Germany | Issue 18 | September 2014

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Transcript of Discover Germany | Issue 18 | September 2014