Germany’s KaDeWe to transform department stores

By

Lisa Sievers

Published
Jan 20, 2016

After the acquisition of a 50.1% stake on the premium department store chain KaDeWe last year, La Rinascente is planning to invest 300-400 million euros, or $435 million, in a renovation scheme that will see all of the group’s stores revamped.

According to WWD, Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, winner of the Pritzker Prize, has been appointed to the task in Berlin. The renovation of the 60,000 sq metre building will centre on creating four areas, connected by a central atrium and featuring different designs and materials. The plan also includes the creation of a rooftop area, which will be open beyond retail times, while the façade will remain largely unchanged except for the windows.

KaDeWe’s Alsterhaus in Hamburg will be redesigned by Kleihues + Kleiheus, while the renovation of the store Oberpollinger in Munich will be led by John Pawson. The buildings will remain open during the renovations, which will begin later this year. A luxury boulevard will be built within Alsterhaus, KaDeWe will boast a brand new shoe department and Oberpollinger will have a new department for young fashion and home.

Vittorio Radice, la Rinascente’s Vice Chairman, explained the transformation of the department store, which has been renovated several times along the years, in an interview with Die Welt earlier this month. “We are not here to offer luxury, but time-out”. As brick-and-mortar retail faces the challenge of the digital era, the department store looks to provide a better customer experience. The first results of the renovation will be seen in October when the first phase ends.