Furniture brand KARE opened a very impressive Flagship Store in an old thermal power station from the 60s in its hometown in Munich. The 800 invited guests reflected pretty good the brands image: colorful freaks and a broad mix of, some call them celebrities, others would call them, “stylish” or strange appearances… Main act on stage was Bonny Tyler who performed her golden oldies like “Total Eclipse of the Heart“ and „It‘ s a Heartache“… hmmm yea. Definitely more my taste was Tape-Artist Felix Rodewaldt! Check him out here: www.rodewaldt.de
To be honest, the KARE style is not really one of my favorites but the idea to turn an old thermal power station with almost 10.000m2 into a retail palace sounded interesting. The project was planned by Munich based architects stenger2 (they did a couple shops for Loewe but nothing as big as this – as long as I know). Annette and Markus Stenger together with their colleagues managed to keep the industrial look and flair of the building. Presenting their furniture around thick old cables and menacing measurement devices creates an awesome experience. Strolling down the aisles you find nicely styled scenery sets in endless corridors and rustic niches. I was impressed by the good assembled collection of accessories from Lomography, DOIY, Happy Socks, crumpled cit maps, L:A Bruket and many more. Proper respect to the buying team!
“This building is a nightmare for every normal furniture retailer, but not for us.” Jürgen Reiter (founder and managing director) said at the Opening Party on October 9th. Peter Schönhofen (also co-founder and managing director) completed “Our company stands for design, joy of life, tolerance, fashion – and a bit of craziness. This place is just right for us”. “The KARE power plant is a house of fantasy, not to be compared with conventional furniture stores. It hosts not only interior design ideas but also culture and art events.”
KARE was founded in 1981 and offers an incomparable and inexhaustible variety of furniture, accessories and lighting. The colorful collection is not everybody’s taste but it is for sure one thing: outstanding. Kare is present worldwide with some 55 brand shops in 40 countries.
You can find more pictures on Pinterest.
KARE Kraftwerk
Drygalski-Allee 25
81477 München
Pictures: Magnus Busch
By Magnus Busch
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