Black Forest Embassy
The famous “Tannenzäpfle” beer from Baden State Brewery Rothaus is most definitely one of the best-loved ambassadors of Black Forest hospitality. It enjoys cult status – and not just in the countryside near the Rhine and around Freiburg in Germany’s deep southwest, but in Berlin and other big German cities, too. Thus is it was that when the Rothaus brewery started planning its first branch outside of the company headquarters, the idea was for the new restaurant to embody precisely that special mix of the strong roots in the home region and a cosmopolitan spirit. For the project at Gerber, a major department in Stuttgart, a partner was selected who likewise embodies those two virtues: The upholstered furniture specialist Rolf Benz, another company steeped in tradition from the Black Forest. “Working with Rolf Benz seemed very natural for Rothaus: Both firms combine regionality, craft and quality. And both find ways in which tradition and innovation can complement each other,” says Eric Becker, the project manager of the “Rothaus im Gerber” restaurant enterprise and deputy sales manager at Rothaus.
The architectural concept was purpose-created by the specialists at blocher partners in Stuttgart. The architects divided the interior space (which spans a total of 760 square meters) into different zones. The most striking feature of these is the sub-division into a light and a dark area. The “light” area is dominated by conifer wood furniture, floors and wall paneling. The impression conveyed here is one of a tavern in a modern yet homely rustic style which nevertheless is firmly contemporary. Stylized pine cones adorn the walls in a reference to the Black Forest and the famous “Tannenzäpfle” beer emblem. An eye-catching oversize cuckoo clock hangs on the wall in the adjacent lounge area. Here, guests can relax in the comfortable Rolf Benz 383 and Rolf Benz 562 armchairs. These are upholstered in Kvadrat fabrics in copper, green and anthracite. The armchairs are complemented by freistil 158, Rolf Benz 947 and Rolf Benz 973 tables.
The ceiling paneling in the “dark” section of Rothaus im Gerber is made up of smoked black shingles that were caringly manufactured by craftsmen, while the area also boasts a dark-green tiled stove, all of which lends it a very intimate atmosphere. The pine-cone theme features as a decorative ornament on the oven tiles. Behind the copper-clad bar, the products of the brewery are presented in an impressive way on a tall, illuminated shelf. A further, lounge-like seating area that has been dubbed the “Whisky Corner” has been set up in front of the oven. Here, the look-and-feel is that of a “Black Forest living room”, interpreted in a way that is very much steeped in the present. The Rolf Benz 562 and Rolf Benz 383 armchairs come into their own here alongside the freistil 173 armchair. Tables from the Rolf Benz 8480 series with a stylized slice of a tree trunk as the table-top complement the character of the Whisky Corner just perfectly.
Everyone involved is delighted with the result of the “Black Forest Embassy” project. And Rothaus is happy that the choice of Rolf Benz as a project partner has proven so very fortuitous.
