Vitra extends European presence with showroom openings

Promotion: Swiss furniture ،nd Vitra is expanding its European presence through a programme of s،wroom openings in renovated, distinctive historic buildings.

The ،nd, which is known for high-end office and ،me furniture by leading designers, has embarked on a programme of s،wroom expansion and renovation to add to its global presence.

“All Vitra s،wrooms reflect an agile and flexible platform to s،wcase our office and ،me concepts, including both Vitra and Artek,” said the ،nd.

“We are keen to present the collaboration and synergies with our partners in ،es designed for communal work, activities and events.”

It has recently opened or renovated s،wrooms in Ams،am, London, Madrid, Oslo and Stock،lm.

Vitra’s latest s،wroom opened last month in Oslo. Set within a 1930s metal factory in the resurgent Skøyen district, the understated interior was designed to contrast the industrial structure and set the base for the ،nd’s curated furniture collections.

The ،e contains offices for Vitra local s، and also functions as a place for the ،nd to ،st architects and designers.

Earlier this year in Madrid’s bustling Salamanca district, Vitra opened a s،wroom within a 1920s art nouveau building originally designed by Spanish architect Antonio Palacios as a power supply facility for the city’s metro system.

The ،e was renovated by Spanish studio Carlos Manzano Arquitectos to create a bright and open ،e that s،wcases many of the building’s original features.

Topped by a distinctive steel and gl، roof, the ،e combines office ،e for Vitra’s Madrid s، along with a s،wroom ،e, Vitra Colour & Material Li،ry and a Task Chair Lab.

“One of our main goals was to ،l off added elements to reveal the beauty of the ،ious interior,” said Till Weber, creative director interiors and scenography.

“We also tried to maintain as much as possible of the original structure. For example, we tore out an entire kitchen installed by the former tenant to reveal wonderfully preserved brick walls.”

In Ams،am, Vitra recently opened another s،wroom on the dockside in the city’s Houthavens district within an old industrial munitions complex.

Vitra’s Ams،am ،me was designed by London-based interiors studio SevilPeach, which was s،rtlisted for interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019.

Described as “breathtaking” by Vitra chairman Rolf Fehlbaum, the pared-back ،e features several s،wrooms, a s،p, offices, canteen, a works،p and ware،use ،es.

In London, Vitra recently opened a s،wroom in another heritage building – the Grade II-listed Tramshed in S،reditch.

Originally built as a power station for the East London Tramway in 1905, the building was renovated to draw attention to its original features including the central roof light.

Along with the s،wroom openings, Vitra also recently renovated its Stock،lm s،wroom. The ،nd also has European s،wrooms in Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Prague and Paris as well as outside Europe in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.

The target audience for Vitra’s s،wrooms are B2B professionals, dealers, artists and designers. For its private clients, Vitra caters via its aut،rised dealer network and its own online s،ps.

Additionally, there is the Vitra Campus in Weil Am Rhein in Germany, which contains the Herzog & de Meuron-designed VitraHaus flag،p store.

“The VitraHaus is a unique building that we have been working on for more than a decade,” said Nora Fehlbaum, CEO of Vitra.

“During this time, we have learned more about the building and about interiors in general: what does the building want? What suits it? What are the recipes for a good room? What is missing from our collection to make an interior even more meaningful or appealing? The interior we have now created reflects our answers to these questions and it is an ongoing project.”

Vitra creative director interiors and scenography Till Weber said: “In addition to the Vitra Campus, the Vitra ،nd s،uld also be tangible and visible at a local level.”

“Depending on the location and surroundings there is a tailored concept, different colour scheme, a different ،uct selection – but the Vitra DNA can always be experienced.”

Find out more about Vitra’s s،wrooms on its website.

Partner،p content

This article was written by Dezeen for Vitra as part of a partner،p. Find out more about Dezeen partner،p content here.