Oberpollinger, Munich

Spanning seven floors and 355,220 square feet, the revamped Oberpollinger department store in Munich represents the premium end of the city’s shopping spectrum. And while Oberpollinger has always been the place to buy luxury, ever since it was founded in 1905, the store’s transformation to a hyper-luxury emporium began just four-and-a-half years ago. That was when parent company Karstadt decided that the time was right to admit Oberpollinger to its highly select “Premium Group.”

Karstadt's Warenhaus and Premium Group divisions collaborated with the Michelgroup (Zurich) on the project, which was about more than just making things bigger (almost double the size). While the new space was to be realized by creating a seven-floor extension on the site adjacent to the existing store, the goal was to create a powerful luxury experience with a dominant assortment of key brands from around the world.

In December 2008, with the extension and revamp complete, shoppers got their first glimpse of the achievement. A neutral color scheme of white and silver unifies the space, while diverse room dividers serve as interior walls and transparent screens to organize the store into a series of specialty shops. A new entrance to the main door leads to remodeled walkways called the “Boulevard” and the “Promenade.” These internal avenues take shoppers past a range of branded offers – including Prada, Dior, Burberry and a massive Louis Vuitton section – plus a new beauty hall. 

Design: Karstadt Premium Group- Patrice Wagner, first managing director; Christine Wurm, managing director finance and operations; Kevin Roche, executive director store planning and design, Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH; Gerd Pätzold, director strategic store planning and design, Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH; Heiner Filthaut, vp, construction services and project management, Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH