Milestones at KaDeWe in 2021

January 18, 2022

The KaDeWe department store has been undergoing renovation for several years while remaining continuously in operation. In continental Europe, it is the largest department store and over time it had to address new trends, customer needs and developments. The latest design concept comes from Dutch architecture firm OMA. It divides the building into four quadrants, each with its own architectural and lifestyle-specific features.

New beauty department

In summer 2021, the new beauty department located in the redesigned atrium was opened to customers of the KaDeWe. The new escalator system directly connects from here.

The atrium extends over the first two floors. From four balconies located at level 01, the entire area of the Beauty Department can be overlooked. A resin cladding that features a pink color gradient was designed by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis. It starts at a height of 3,80m and extents all the way to the ceiling. It is complemented by flying canopies with brand logos as well as the lighting of the stores below. As local architects AUKETT + HEESE oversaw the reconstruction of the atrium, the planning permit process as well as making sure that the design intent was delivered on site.

Opening of the new escalator

The new escalators connect six floors of the luxury department store via new circular slab openings that grow larger from the bottom to the top, like an upside-down cone. The escalators are arranged in a spiral fashion. As a result, customers exit at different points on each floor and new perspectives open up at each level. AUKETT + HEESE was responsible for producing construction drawings as well as overseeing construction on site.