HI-MACS®, widely used for architectural and interior applications, has been exhaustively used to provide exceptional fittings in the L'Or'eal headquarter building, Dusseldordf, Germany. The spectacular building, designed by HPP Architects, is 60 meters high and has 24,400 sqm of gross floor area. Innovative elements, such as a brilliant white reception counter made of the HI-MACS® solid surface material in Alpine White finish, give an exclusive touch to the space and provide an elegant and low-key structure for the 36 international brands of the world-leading cosmetics company.
The customised reception counter and round coffee point, made of the thermoformable HI-MACS® solid surface material in Alpine White, make both visitors and employees feel as if they are entering a modern, exclusive lounge, promoting communication and exchange. At the coffee point in the restaurant, instead of using bright, radiant colours in line with the rest of the interior, the architects decided to use HI-MACS® Black for a clear distinction.
PROJECT INFORMATION
- Project name: L'Oréal Headquarters Düsseldorf
- Location: Düsseldorf, Germany
- Architecture & Interior Design: HPP Architekten GmbH, Düsseldorf, www.hpp.com
- Fabrication: Schumann Möbelwerkstätte GmbH, Altenkirchen, www.schumann-ak.de
- Material: HI-MACS® Alpine White S028, HI-MACS® Black S022
- HI-MACS® elements: Reception counter, coffee point (entrance hall and restaurant), seating benches, tables, buffet counter, soup station, cashiers
The HI-MACS® solid surface material, from the house of LG Hausys, has also been used as a connecting element in the restaurant: the white and black structure for the seating benches in the restaurant and also for suspended counters and table tops for the seating islands. These elements were made from the brilliant white but durable and low-maintenance HI-MACS® in Alpine White. Providing limitless possibilities for surfacing solutions, HI-MACS® with its seamless finish was also used for the screens and surfaces of the free-standing soup station as well as the buffet counter running across the room.
Schumann Möbelwerkstätte GmbH, the fabricator involved in this project, choose HI-MACS®, in Alpine White and Black, as they were very impressed with the exceptional qualities of the solid surface. "Although HI-MACS® is almost as robust as stone, it can be processed just as easily as wood. The solid surface material can be sawn, milled or drilled without any problems using standard woodworking tools," explained Gert Schumann, the managing director of the fabrication firm.