blomus Headquarters and Showroom, Sundern | Germany

With the new headquarters of blomus in Sundern, Otte Nöcker Planung Architekten + Ingenieure have transformed a former industrial building into a contemporary working and brand environment. The family company blomus develops and sells furniture, lamps and home accessories. The products are characterised by clear forms and conscious handling of materials. With its new company headquarters, this creative approach also receives a new architectural framework. Visible concrete structures now meet wood, glass, textiles and a subtle colour palette. JUNG switches and operating elements of the LS range in matt graphite black set precise accents.

The starting point was a vacant industrial building from the 1960s. Instead of replacing the existing building with a new one, the architects refined the existing structure and extended it with a new building section. A showroom, office spaces as well as areas for communication and focused work were created over several floors. Large-scale glazing and a newly created atrium bring daylight deep into the building and open up the former industrial-style structure. The history of the existing building thus remains recognisable. Exposed concrete meets large-scale glazing, light wooden floors, textiles and acoustically effective surfaces. The robust materiality of the former factory building forms the basis for a comfortable work environment.

A spacious showroom on the ground floor takes on a central role. The products from blomus are not presented here in a classic exhibition setting but staged in a spatial context. The transitions between product presentation, meeting spaces and recreation areas are fluid. This principle is continued on the office floors above: open work areas alternate with meeting spaces and break rooms. The flexibly defined structure is designed to be able to react to changes and further growth of the company. The architecture, interior and light planning have been closely coordinated. Different lighting systems react to the respective uses and actively showcase materials and products.

The electrical installation is also integrated in the reduced interior design. In addition to classic switch functions, the KNX building technology enables the convenient control of different room functions. JUNG LS 990, LS 1912 and the KNX room controller LS TOUCH are used in matt graphite black. The dark operating elements emphasise specific features on the different wall surfaces and pick up the understated design of the interior. While LS 990 is characterised by its clear square geometry, the toggle switch LS 1912 makes the mechanics of the switch into a visible and tangible detail. The lighting and room temperature can be controlled centrally via LS TOUCH.

The new headquarters thus also shows the creative requirement of blomus in detail: the industrial past of the building remains present but is refined into a contemporary working and presentation environment with a precise, understated interior design.