Brilliant Twist
Ever since the Swiss pioneer Ernst Göhner invented Klötzli parquet in 1935 and subsequently founded his company in 1944, Bauwerk Parkett has made it its mission to combine sophisticated design and healthy living. The fusion of engineering and nature results in real wood floors whose quality and aesthetics ensure good living spaces in the long term. This is also the theme of the new "Spinpark" collection, which is the result of a collaboration with Atelier Oï. The architecture and design studio, founded by Aurel Aebi, Armand Louis and Patrick Reymond, also aims to awaken the senses and consciousness with its designs. With "Spinpark", they take up the conventional idea of parquet flooring – and surprise us with a new twist.
The starting point for the creative process was the material: "Wood is a natural and warm material that you only understand when you touch it. Working with wood means being able to transform something that has already had one life and is now being given another," says Armand Louis. The studio focussed on the structure of trees or the structure of the forest: "The forest is a place where you can lose yourself, and by losing yourself, you also discover yourself. You don't necessarily look for straight lines, you often find diagonals," adds Patrick Reymond. These observations gave rise to the idea of turning the wood grain of the planks by 45 degrees. In principle, a simple trick, the aesthetic result of which is reminiscent of the traditional herringbone pattern: "If you reinterpret the play of the wood grain and work it diagonally rather than lengthways, you can create the popular chevron pattern," says Patrick Reymond, explaining the basic principle behind the design.
To realise this idea, the engineers at Bauwerk Parkett have developed an innovative cutting technique. The 2.5 millimetre thick top layer of the two-layer parquet consists of several individual, precisely cut lamellas. These are applied diagonally to the underlay made of classic spruce-fir wood, which measures around 83 x 13 x 1 centimetre. Thanks to Bauwerk Parkett's expertise and an intensive development period, it was possible to achieve the same stability and durability requirements despite the complex structure. The production without bevels gives "Spinpark" a two-dimensional look, which means that the contours of the individual planks blend into the background. The oak wood is available in three natural oiled colours: Oak Nature, Oak Avorio and Oak Caramello.
When installing, it is highly tempting to follow the interplay of grain and geometry: As "Spinpark" is available in both left and right orientations and the planks can be laid both parallel and in a herringbone pattern, there are countless pattern variations. The artistic chevron look can already be achieved with a simple parallel installation due to the given orientation of the grain. If the planks are laid in a herringbone pattern, the grain can be joined to create an artificially straight pattern, which has a completely new appeal. "With its diverse colour palette and intricate patterns, the parquet creates a natural setting that enriches the surroundings. The unmistakable pattern makes the floor an active participant in the room, because the interplay of texture, light and colour gives it a tangible presence." That's how Atelier Oï describes the special spatial quality that can be created with "Spinpark" from Bauwerk Parkett.
