New Heights

The chances are good that Waldkirchen will not be the first place that springs to mind when Germany is mentioned. Yet this relatively small Bavarian town, population a little over 10,000, is home to a retailer that punches considerably above its weight. The Garhammer “fashion house” was already a large concern, trading from 6500 square meters (69,965 square feet), but following a three-phase extension, undertaken in the latter half of 2013, it now measures 9000 square meters (96,874 square feet), uplifting its selling area by nearly a third.

Stuttgart-based design and architectural consultancy Blocher Blocher Partners worked with Garhammer on the project, and the outcome is a store that reaches four stories in places and is now a landmark for Waldkirchen.

Making this a reality was not straightforward, according to Andrea Kreutz, partner at Blocher Blocher: “A major difficulty was the steep topography, but we used this as an advantage. In keeping with the principle of split-level construction, several floors are set off from one another with each level having its own identity. The store is like a counterpart of the city center with its many squares and alleyways.”

Practically, this meant working around the historic city walls and incorporating them into the store’s sales floors. Kreutz notes that while this was difficult, it now provides an additional link between town and retailer.

But there is more to the Garhammer extension than a simple fusion of old and new. To understand what has been done, the best place to start is on the roof, where the existing structure and new build stretch out “like the wings of a butterfly,” according to Kreutz. This means Garhammer is now a store with ceiling heights at multiple levels, giving shoppers a store with internal variety, rather than being a standard multi-level box.

All of which involved extensive merchandise and departmental relocations. The baby and children’s departments have moved into the new space, allowing the whole of the ground floor in the old building to be devoted to menswear. It has also meant that the first floor is now the domain of womenswear, while the ground floor of the new building plays host to women’s accessories.

The danger, of course, in moves and extensions of this magnitude is that it’s easy for shoppers to get lost. To deal with this, a staircase located at the center of the divide between new and old became a connecting element with a mix of skywalks and simple landings that make going from one part of the store to another straightforward, as well as permitting strong sightlines.

There are also features that add charm and a degree of eccentricity to the enterprise, including a multi-story curtain of anthracite-colored slats that defines the airspace in the main building and is given further emphasis by large-format graphics.

Mention should also be made of the sheets of Indonesian metal used as a backdrop for undergarments, floral prints on tabletops and the gold-colored wallpaper. The underlying idea is that the store should feel luxurious, but not exclusive – call it democratic luxury retail.

What’s been done at Garhammer in Waldkirchen is nothing less than the addition of an additional layer of contemporaneity to a space that was already part of the town’s commercial fabric. And for those lucky enough to visit, should the shopping impulse flag, there is always Johanns, the remodeled restaurant with a roof terrace and lounge. Garhammer may be a fashion house, but for Waldkirchen it is also at the heart of the town.

PROJECT SUPPLIERS

Retailer
Modehaus Garhammer GmbH, Waldkirchen, Germany

Design and Props/Decs
Blocher Blocher Partners, Stuttgart, Germany

Mannequins/Forms
Hans Boodt, Zwijndrecht, The Netherlands

Fixtures
Schlegel GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany
Lauinger Ladenbau GmbH, Ellwangen, Germany
Ganter Interior GmbH, Tauberbischofsheim, Germany
Hoffmann Ladenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Rosendahl-Holtwick, Germany
Visplay Intl. GmbH, Weil am Rhein, Germany

Flooring
Fliesen + Natursteine Suss GmbH, Alkofen, Germany
Parkett Wolf, Waldkirchen, Germany
Obrycki Designerboden GmbH, Saulheim, Germany
IWH GmbH Industriebeschichtunger W. Hallerbach GmbH, Bingen, Germany

Furniture
Kampe 54, Stuttgart, Germany
Schlegel GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany

Lighting
élan  Beleuchtungs- und Elektroanlagen GmbH, Koln, Germany

Wallcoverings/Materials
Atelier Arti Decorative GmbH, Munchen, Germany
Schubert wand design, Emmendingen, Germany
Draxinger Malerbetrieb, Waldkirchen, Germany
Innocoating Europe BV, Landgraaf, Germany

Photography: Fabian Aurel Hild, Stuttgart, Germany