German Gem - Munich jewelry store - Brief Article

Architectural Review, The, Dec, 1999

Ingenious and economical use of space and construction makes the most of a small jewellery shop in Munich.

The little jewellery shop in Munich is deceptively simple. The architects allowed the tall existing space to speak for itself and introduced stainless steel and glass showcases in the place of the wall which separated the workshop space at the back from the shop proper.

Transparency and greyness is modified by a maple-veneered box of drawers which can be rotated on its stainless steel pole to modify the space. Similarly, the counter moves: it can be drawn out from under the display units when needed to serve a customer.

The jury agreed that here was minimalism at its best: a clear and simple celebration of good materials and the nature of space. It is reticent, but not at all powerless. It allows the jewellery to speak for itself, but it has its own powerful presence.

Architects

Gerhard Landau and Ludwig Kindelbacher