PORTRAIT
Forget off the peg

“We have a very broad approach and love the fact that our work is so diverse,” says Sven Petzold, who established Holzrausch together with Tobias Petri a good 20 years ago. All their projects share a holistic approach that starts with a close analysis of the existing situation. “We take our cue from the architectural idea and adapt it to the situation, everything is individually designed, planned and produced,” says Petzold. However, the name “Holzrausch” is to be seen more as a label since Tobias Petri and Sven Petzold might both be qualified master carpenters but the range of material, they work with is not restricted to wood by any means. Glass, stone and metals are just as much part of the portfolio also with regard to their own identity and the respective effect on the atmosphere of the room. How does the surface alter over time? Does it develop a patina? Can the interior fittings be made completely of one material or might a highly varied combination be feasible? Are specific accents conducive to producing a consistent overall appearance or is a clear design statement needed? The Holzrausch team consults with clients to answer these questions, considers what materials are necessary on account of the architecture, selects large-format patterns that the clients can peruse at their leisure. “We like to actively involve the clients in the process, explain our choice of materials and their properties, let their wishes and ideas flow into the process. It is up to us, after all, to ensure that they feel happy with the final result,” says Petzold. Based on the principle of “a single source” they sometimes design the complete interior of a building from the flooring and rendering through to the door handles.

Alongside their expertise, intuition also plays a decisive role for Holzrausch: “Everything that we have done so far has been the result of a gut decision,” says Sven Petzold. And their development alone testifies to the fact that they can certainly rely on their instinct: Founded in 1998 in Munich in order to be able to produce their own designs rather than just realizing other people’s ideas the “architecture furniture” and individual interior fittings were soon a success. Word quickly got around about their special eye for detail, the harmonious proportions and the overall effect in the room – today Holzrausch works with almost 80 employees on projects all over the place, be it those in Germany to others as far afield as Russia or Japan. The portfolio ranges from the refurbishment of existing buildings through to new builds – they have fitted out many private buildings since first starting out but also restaurants, bars, exhibition booths and showrooms.

For example, the new Leica Store that they designed in collaboration with Office Heinzelmann Ayadi (OHA) opened in Munich at the end of 2020 and has a pleasant atmosphere thanks to its natural surfaces, a place you feel good to be in. The bases of the display units and the fitted elements of sustainable wood create a pleasant touch and leave the stage to the products. Its counterpart is currently being developed in Tokyo, designed by Holzrausch and produced by local craftsmen wholly in the spirit of sustainability. In addition, together with Grünecker Reichelt Architekten they conceived the “Turmhaus Tirol” that is inspired by regional architecture and draws on characteristic features of the surrounding farms only in order to reinterpret them. And Holzrausch is also teaming up with designer friends to develop its own products “projects within a project, as it were, from lighting to furniture,” explains Petzold. “A task becomes interesting for us once it has a holistic approach,” he concludes.

The Holzrausch design language is always clear, never overly elaborate, and is consistent. “Even when a house is completely fitted out it must not look fitted out but rather the additions must harmonize perfectly with the architecture. The overall effect should be unobtrusive with just a few highlights here and there,” says Petzold. Similarly, Holzrausch has redefined the fitting out of the kitchen: In 2018, together with OHA and Relvão Kellermann they presented the revolutionary “J. Gast” kitchen system, a modular system as the basic framework for high-quality kitchens that unlike industrially manufactured models do not consist of standardized elements but offers a structure that manages with a single separating wall. To this end, they developed a technical solution essentially comprising a frame and elements in-between, one that retains the character of furniture. They were keen to avoid panels and covers, the construction was to remain comprehensible and visible. “Since the various basic models consist of a frame principle the design remains flexible and adaptable, can be scaled to the required size and uses material efficiently,” comments Sven Petzold. Depending on the construction, material and positioning in the room the focus can be on the function or the kitchen can be conceived as an eyecatcher within the architectural setting of the room. Meanwhile, the new fitted kitchen system has been patented and will be hitting stores soon. A progressive concept, perfectly put into practice. And typical Holzrausch.