With a Dash of Idealism: Architect Peter B?uml on the Aesthetics of Wood Design

Wood is a beautiful material, evoking emotional responses like warmth, comfort, and tranquillity. But safety measures acoustics, budget or other reasons can prevent architects from using it in their designs.?

What if we could give architects access to the emotional response of the wood aesthetic, while addressing practical challenges with the fast and easy installation of other Knauf Ceiling Solutions products?

For the architect of the beautiful TauberPhilharmonie Peter B?uml, this has been made possible by a Knauf Design creation, and the latest addition to the collaborative line of Wood Design products by Knauf Ceiling Solutions.

With offices in Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Shanghai and Beijing, HENN is an international firm specialised in creating tailored, individual solutions that answer building owners’ needs, and take the location’s surrounding into account, as well. Some of the firm’s many lighthouse projects include the Zalando headquarters in Berlin, and an Innovation Centre for Merck.

A partner and shareholder at HENN, Peter B?uml had a vast background in industrial construction and building office facilities when a very different project landed on his desk: the TauberPhilharmonie in Weikersheim.

Wood just works.?It radiates warmth, liveliness, and a haptic experience. — Peter B?uml / Partner, HENN

A Question of Adequacy: Wood Aesthetics to Elevate the Concert Experience

The first demand came from the location.

“Weikersheim is located very beautifully” B?uml explains, “I would even describe it as contemplative. The small town evolves from the historic city centre around the market square, and even has a little castle.”

So, for B?uml, the tranquil location brought up a mix of conflicting interests.

“We were asked to build a concert hall that had to integrate with that rural landscape, but to also create something that could live up to the expectations of a concert hall. We had to prevent going overboard — the result couldn’t look like an urban temple of the arts — but we also needed to create the right atmosphere for a concert hall.”

A subtle balance, that B?uml and the HENN team had to get right.?It was this quest for balance, or 'adequacy' as B?uml describes it, that informed the decision for the aesthetics of wood.

“We didn’t want the building to create a feeling of distance to the citizens. Wood had a high acceptance level” and, even more importantly, “felt adequate.”

At the same time, the look of wood would elevate the experience inside:

“We wanted it to be as fine and significant as the resonating body of a violin — refined.”

We can never stop asking the right questions, to make the places we create better. It needs a dash of idealism. — Peter B?uml / Partner, HENN

Read the full interview now:

To read the long form of this interview with Peter B?uml and discover the benefits of working with our WOOD Design range on the Tauberphilharmonie, visit our blog at www.knaufceilingsolutions.com.