Company
Permanent BORA site in Herford
05.2023
05.2023
BORA is committed to innovative kitchen solutions. The company is currently constructing an iconic building in Herford, the eastern Westphalian heart of the German kitchen furniture industry. The new complex will make the brand and product experience world as well as the ‘BORA principle’ accessible to visitors in a plethora of ways. For BORA, a presence in the metropolitan region for kitchen furniture is the next logical step in its growth strategy. The creation of the new site aims to offer added value to not only customers and retail partners but also the city of Herford and its residents.
The new-build on Ahmser Straße, on the site that long housed a former sports hotel, is sustainably changing Herford’s skyline. The unconventional building right next to the B 239 bypass is visible from afar and easily accessible for all Küchenmeile visitors via the A2. “We want to be close to our retail partners and enable as many prospective end customers as possible to enjoy the BORA Experience in person. We are therefore fully behind the investment in Herford as a new site” states BORA founder and CEO Willi Bruckbauer in support of the decision. The locals regard the project as a positive sign for the business location and thoroughly welcome it.
The building has a total area of about 2,000 m2. As a permanent showroom for BORA and other partners from the furnishing sector, the new BORA site will be forever accessible to visitors. Space for the BORA flagship store and exhibition areas is currently being created over two floors. Expansive green spaces and experience areas within the 10,000 m2 grounds, the open-plan design with huge windows and the carefully selected interior materials, which Willi Bruckbauer always pays particular attention to as a qualified joiner, together promise to provide the ideal setting for permanently offering high-end gastronomy. The leasing of exhibition space to interested parties from various trades offers prospective customers in the fields of construction, home living and furnishing a comprehensive product and brand experience combined with culinary highlights.
Extraordinary architectural design for BORA
This is no everyday building, neither with regard to how it was planned and created nor with regard to the speed at which the team worked or the way in which they collaborated. The underlying idea behind the design of the impressive new-build in Herford was to create a building such as had never been seen before. Right from the outset, it was clear that such a project would involve greater risks than a conventional structure with two floors classically positioned one above the other. However, innovation and revolution are integral parts of BORA’s DNA – and this can now be clearly seen from afar in Herford. Even from a distance, an extraordinary sight awaits anyone who approaches the town, in keeping with BORA’s corporate vision of ‘The End of Normal.’. As such, the innovative architecture and unique appearance also express what the company stands for.
Implementing pioneering architecture not only takes entrepreneurial courage but also specific support. As with its Raubling and Niederndorf (Austria) sites, BORA is once again working with the architectural firm LORENZATELIERS from Vienna and Innsbruck to plan and manage the construction of the site in Herford. The team of planners and architects supporting the client has a lean structure, enabling rapid decisions and making it possible to adhere to the tight schedule. The building will open in September 2023, a mere year-and-a-half after the groundbreaking ceremony, just in time for the Küchenmeile.
Whereas the discussions and agreements with local authorities all ran smoothly thanks to impressive cooperation, it has been impossible to completely avoid the impact of global events on the project and the biggest challenge for the contractors was ensuring the availability of materials – especially the 700 or so tonnes of steel – in line with the project schedule.
The outer shell and overhanging façade are clad in galvanised, perforated sheet metal with a range of hole sizes, creating a starry-sky-like impression from the inside. With its metallic robe, the impressive building is reminiscent of a plane hovering a few metres above the ground as it takes off. This is partly due to the sleek steel structure that the building rests on. Below this is room for 80 parking spaces, all shielded from the elements. As at other BORA sites, multiple electric charging stations have been provided.
Committed to sustainability
The iconic building is being created in the midst of green spaces. Large parts of the overall 10,000 m2 plot will be created as green and natural areas in spring. Bruckbauer is committed to keeping the ecological footprint of his new-build to a minimum. “Our new site is primarily being constructed by companies and trades from the Herford and eastern Westphalia areas.” Thanks to complying with the KfW 55 standard, the building requires very little energy, which is generated by numerous photovoltaic modules on the roof. Any excess energy is stored in the water in a 200 m³ sprinkler tank installed on the site. Clever heat recovery enables the low-temperature heating of the entire building.
BORA Herford building fact sheet
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