From the “Interactive Table”, “Digital MarketPlace” and
the “Sound Shower” to the “Social Wall” – the
“Schaufenster Karlsruhe” is one of the most modern
tourist information centres in Europe. During the virtual
experience, based on a joint collaboration between
public utility companies and Tourismus-GmbH, visitors
can compile the information they require at the various
stations according to their personal interests. With the aid
of stored content, an individual web page is then created
allowing visitors to think about what they would like
to discover next in the Baden “fan city” from the comfort
of their homes. The showroom floor is just as tailormade
as the digital offering: A room inlay made of noraplan® uni rubber flooring with fan-shaped stripes in
blue, yellow and green visualises the city motif in
colour and also enhances the avant-garde atmosphere.
Karlsruhe is nicknamed the “fan city” due to how the almost
30 streets radiate like creases of a fan towards the city
centre from the castle. The unique architecture of the city
also inspired the architectural concept of the touristinformation
centre. “The floor covering played a central
role in the interior design,” says project manager Timo
Eberspächer from Stuttgart-based design and architecture
firm DITTEL ARCHITEKTEN. The possibility of integrating
the fan design into the rubber floor using inlays really
appealed to the architects and offered them a tremendous
amount of creative freedom. The interior inlay,
which covers the entire surface of the showroom, was
cut to millimetre accuracy in Weinheim on a state-of-theart
ultrasonic cutting machine.
Wear-resistant and ergonomic
The architects also see the wear resistance and durability
of the floor coverings as a great advantage: “In buildings
with a high volume of foot traffic, robust floors are a
must,” Eberspächer emphasises. “When these also give
us the opportunity to integrate the flooring into the overall
design as a strong design element through individualisation
and creative options in laying technology, this is an
absolute advantage.” In addition, the rubber floor coverings
offer a high level of standing comfort due to their
permanent elasticity – staff at the tourist information centre
particularly appreciate this ergonomic advantage.
Attractive eye-catcher and expression of the urban corporate
design: nora® rubber floors in the “Schaufenster
Karlsruhe” stage the ideal flooring for virtual adventure
tours.
United Kingdom | English
