Club restaurant of the BMW World

The spectacular BMW World in Munich, realized according to a design by Prof. Wolf D. Prix from the Vienna office Coop Himmelb (l) au, impresses with its extraordinary high-tech architecture. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the BMW Group headquarters, the main fabric and the over 30 year old BMW Museum, which has been extensively renovated in recent years. The silver-colored Metallocryl Exterior effect coating gave the museum an unmistakable shine.

The highest level of design expertise was also required in the interior of the BMW Welt. The exclusive club restaurant with 50 seats is not only a culinary delight, but also a visual experience thanks to the use of high-quality wall and ceiling claddings made of natural stone. The design was based on plans by the interior designers Colin Finnegan and Gerhard Glintmeijer from the Amsterdam architecture firm FG stijl, which has already won several awards, including a. with the "Best Interior Design in Europe".

The walls, soffits and furniture areas of the restaurant opened at the end of 2007 were clad with the innovative natural stone lightweight boards from Caparol. The Lithoboard system is an exclusive wall covering for interiors made of real natural stone, which is reinforced on the back with a special fabric. The excellent properties of the panels - they are particularly thin and, above all, very light - 60 percent lighter than conventional natural stone slabs, enable interior designers to create completely new, high-quality and individual designs. Due to its light weight, numerous static problems can be solved - a stud wall or drywall wall is sufficient as a base. “Lithoboard is a real natural product with a noticeable surface. Thanks to its structure, it offers a wide range of creative freedom and possibilities for interior use, such as three-dimensional and cubic building, "enthuses Reinhard Franz from the planning and property service of the Caparol group of companies.

A partition wall in the restaurant was completely clad with the lithoboard system, so that it looks cubic and optically like a unit - as if it consisted of a single block of stone. There is a passageway in this wall and a wine rack that works like a paternoster has been installed. The five meter high wine cabinet is an eye catcher and at the same time the largest cooling wine rack in Munich.

In order to set an attractive contrast to the industrial and cool character of the BMW world, the VIP restaurant should radiate a familiar, natural atmosphere. Therefore, the warm-toned, optically striking lime sandstone "Indian autumn leaves" was selected. The lime sandstone industrially mined in Rajasthan and supplied by Grein Italia is characterized by its organic character and its textile structures, which look like a root system or a fine branch. At the request of Architects installed large-format panels. The joints between the wall panels are only 3 mm and were closed with fine black backing tapes to prevent light transmission. The Business Club, which is intended for meetings and discussions, was also designed with Caparol products.

Almost any stone can be attached to the lithoboard system, which is built on lightweight concrete slabs. “There are 10,000 stone types to choose from, which offer a variety of individual options. As with classic natural stones, the patterning is carried out by cutting stone blocks. "Every stone is unique," reports Gottfried Runge, Plant Manager at Lithodecor, a Caparol Group company that produces innovative facade systems. The system was originally developed for exterior facades: Capatect natural stone facades have been used successfully outdoors for several years. In the restaurant The lithoboard system was installed in the BMW Welt by Lithodecor in cooperation with the company Kraus / Frankfurt am Main.

Lithoboard enables new dimensions for interior construction that would not be possible in conventional natural stone and fulfills the DIN standards for interior use. The simple attachment to various substrates is also advantageous. The natural stone lightweight panels are available in formats of up to 2450 x 600 millimeters and thicknesses of 4 to 10 millimeters depending on the type of stone. The weight is 10 to 24 kg per square meter. The lithoboard system is suitable for the high-end interior design of exclusive bathrooms, kitchens, hotels, banks, foyers, high-quality furniture and room dividers. The noble interior design is well received. The restaurant with its open cooking platform is fully booked months in advance. The menu says: Every plate is a work of art. The term "work of art" also applies to this uniquely designed room.