Showroom hall with workshop

Written in large letters, the words “kitchens and ideas” are clearly visible on the shiny facade of the new building. They attract interested visitors, inviting them into the building where the company KüchenTreff presents and manufactures individual kitchen solutions. The beautifully designed showroom hall with its adjoining workshop has a total floor area of 625 m². The combination of steel and dry construction elements sets architectural accents, from which the building’s showroom area greatly benefits.

A building without compromises

KüchenTreff is based in Gotha, Germany. Since its foundation in 1994, the family-owned company has successfully specialized in planning and constructing fitted kitchens. The former premises were in a rented building where, however, an extension of the sales area was not possible due to a lack of space. In addition, constantly having to go to the external warehouse for every little thing was very annoying for the team. In 2017, it was finally time to invest in a building where compromises were no longer necessary.

"We preferred a steel solution from the very beginning because sandwich panels are particularly low-maintenance“, Benjamin Schwarzhaupt, the business director, remembers. In addition to that, the showroom could easily be realized without supporting columns. Another factor that was of great importance to Schwarzhaupt was working with local construction companies. For this reason he chose Hallen- und Gewerbebau Koch GmbH to be the executing partner on site.

An individual solution

In close collaboration with the customer, Astron Builder Koch planned the individual building solution. The spacious 500 m² showroom hall has an eave height of 4.5 m. It was realized with a free-span AZM1 frame, to which an AP module has been attached. The adjoining area houses a 125 m² workshop with plenty of storage space. Two skylights ensure natural lighting and fire protection at the same time: In case of fire, the covering melts so that the smoke can escape out of the building.

The roof uses the LPR1000 roofing system. Due to its extraordinary acoustic and thermal insulation, this product is very popular with industrial buildings. The walls are covered with sandwich panels. "Concrete walls would have been too expensive for a building of this size“, Horst Koch of Hallen- und Gewerbebau Koch GmbH explains. "We would have needed much greater wall thickness to ensure an appropriate insulation. Steel is much more efficient.“

Ahead of schedule

Foundation work began in August. After just two months, the frames were assembled. Two weeks later, the installation of the roof and all wall elements was finished. The interior construction began on time, right after the screed work had been done. It was organized by the customer himself. In order to exhibit his kitchens flexibly, he preferred to work with dry construction elements.

The whole construction period took no longer than nine months. Although the outdoor work had to be paused at the end of the year due to bad weather conditions, the timetable was met. Even better: The move into the new business premises actually took place a whole month earlier than expected.

A building of contrasts

An outside observer sees a modest yet elegant showroom hall. The light grey walls of the main building contrast with the darker panels of the workshop and storage part. Large windows allow curious pedestrians to take a quick look inside. The building is located at an industrial park, which is a strategically well-chosen location: It has a good motorway connection. Additionally, several shopping malls and furniture stores in the neighbourhood guarantee walk-in customers.

A canopy with bottom-view cladding was installed above the entrance area. Visitors enter the building and find themselves directly inside the showroom hall. This is where they can admire a wide variety of exhibits and collect ideas for their own kitchen projects. Thanks to the use of dry construction elements, all products can be presented individually. By painting and wallpapering the wall modules, a homely atmosphere can easily be created. The showroom hall is equipped with a show kitchen which can be used for various events and attracts a great of attention.

It is also worth looking upwards. The beautiful steel ceiling can be seen above the exposed elements of the main structure. The material contrast to the rest of the building’s interior is one of its architectural highlights. Acoustic ceiling sails ensure effective sound absorption and give the room special dynamics. Last but not least, under-floor heating creates a pleasant indoor climate.

The workshop and storage area is placed inside the adjoining building module. Similar to the ceiling, the wall panels are exposed. "This way, the workshop optically contrasts with the showroom“, Mr. Schwarzhaupt emphasizes. For loading and unloading purposes, a roll-up door was installed.

A flexible building system

The new company headquarters of KüchenTreff is a modern building which demonstrates the creative application of the Astron Building System. The aesthetics of the steel elements as well as their great combinability allow numerous configuration options. In close collaboration with the customer, a tailor-made building was realized, which is pleasing to the eye and perfectly meets the customer's needs.