At their world headquarter in Wolfenbuttel, Germany, the liquor company Jägermeister runs a corporate guesthouse. In spring and autumn hundreds of employees from all over the world are called to Wolfenbuttel. They enlist in seminars and join information classes and brand building events. Also the company runs their own club of selected bartenders, the Hubertusrat. It is a group of professionals who participate in workshops, create new recipes, signature drinks and explore the opportunities of the products and the brand of Jägermeister.
Of course this guesthouse also features a bar, facing the garden and terrace of the premises. Between 2018 and 2019 a new design for this bar has been developed and realised by Hidden Fortress.
One main challenge during the project was to integrate an interdisciplinary adjustability towards various very different functions. The desire to use the space during the day and for above mentioned workshops and seminars, as well as for summer parties and social gatherings needed to be integrated into a cosy and comfortable interior. Also a balancing act between a premium bar and a not too posh normality was required by the client, in order to meet the needs of very diverse visitors.
The bar features a classic lounge area with a little twist at the window facing the terrace: during a summer party the window, integrated into the seating, can be opened fully. The seating area then extents to the outside.
It also has a bar counter which is more centered in the room than usual. This furniture works as a bar counter for guests as well as a workstation for multiple barkeepers. In seminars these can gather around a central island and create drinks together. Two tables in two different heights are located adjacent to the island. They can be moved around quite easily to offer alternative configurations of the space, e.g. as grill station half way to the terrace in the event of a summer party.
Hidden in the back bar is a fully functional bar trolley, which can be used for moving around in the entire space and offer drinks to guests in the lounge, the Karaoke lounge or the terrace.
The Karaoke lounge features a visual installation which creates the impression of a large planet floating in the room. Due to the size of the planet being bigger as the room it is housed in, it rather gives the impression of a window into another dimension. The installation can alternatively also be used for screen-supported presentations. The 10 monitors are then used like a big screen showing the video or powerpoint instead of the „planet surface“. In order to concentrate on the content in the event of presentations, curtains can be closed to minimize the mirrored surface.
A large sofa landscape in the Karaoke area was designed for the guests to share the space on two seating levels: while moving up to take place on the backrest, more people can sit in the Karaoke lounge. A section of the seating is thus built in wood for better protection. Although the atmosphere of the Karaoke area and the bar room are very different by default, the neighbourhood of these two areas rather elevates both hemispheres. Even the soccer table of the old ‚Kneipe‘ could be saved and re-integrated into the new venue.
Year: 2019
Client:
Jägermeister SE
Team:
Holzmanufaktur Richter (Carpenter)
Unique Factory (Upholstery)
Photos:
Waldemar Salesski
