OVER 10.000 SQM VENEER

Carmen Wuerth Forum by star architect David Chipperfield

The Wuerth Group is one of the largest companies in Germany, a family-owned company with over 400 companies in 80 countries. The son of the founder, Prof. Dr. Reinhold Wuerth, is an outstanding lover and patron of art and culture. In 2017 he opened the "Carmen Wuerth Forum" on the premises of the company headquarters in Künzelsau-Gaisbach. It is a unique congress and cultural centre designed by the British star architect David Chipperfield.

The Carmen Wuerth forum offers space for diverse cultural events, from violin concerts to classical ballet and cabaret. And it is an inspiring venue for management events, congresses and trade fairs. A place of encounter and a light sign in the middle of the Hohenlohe landscape.

The clients also opted for top-class and individual accents for the interior fittings: For the chamber music hall with 580 seats, the Karlsruhe veneer specialist Schorn & Groh supplied around 9,000 sq m of high-quality French walnut veneers. The special thing about this is not only the large quantity of veneer, but also its processing: while many do not use the sapwood part of the walnut tree, the architectural office attached great importance to strong contrasts in the planning. The clients selected a walnut veneer with particularly high sapwood content from the Schorn & Groh veneer warehouse. The veneer was processed in a book matched look for the wall cladding – the same way as specified by David Chipperfield Architects. The ceiling cladding of the room is joined in a solid character.

The acoustics in the hall are also outstanding. No ventilation rushes, yet the temperature in summer as well as in winter is extremely pleasant. This is of course no coincidence. Great attention was paid to acoustics and room climate during the planning phase. An acoustician had simulated everything in advance. Afterwards, the room was realized exactly as it was specified by him: Length, width and height. And every little piece of veneer covering is in the right place. The result can be heard: Electronic amplification at concerts is possible - but of course not necessary. A pure, beautiful sound without annoying background noise pleases the visitors. The chamber music hall is a real masterpiece with a lot of real wood in its most beautiful form: as veneer with a lively, strong image.

Veneer also plays an important role in the large hall and foyer of the forum. The walls are covered with approx. 4,000 sq m of Hearted Ash veneer. For this purpose, Schorn & Groh supplied spliced veneers in book matched form. The decorative and also high-contrast veneer image of the Hearted Ash, also called Olive Ash, blends wonderfully into the overall concept and picks up the effective contrasts of the Chamber Music Hall with its core and sapwood areas. The large hall offers space for up to 2,500 visitors.

The Carmen Wuerth forum has a total area of 11,100 sq m of enclosed space. It has 160 rooms, the large hall measures 6,200 sq m and the chamber concert hall 1,750 sq m. The sculpture garden with works from the Wuerth Collection is also open to the public. The cost of the building alone amounts to around 60 million euros - an exemplary commitment of an entrepreneur in the field of art and culture. Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Wuerth (82) dedicated the event house to his wife Carmen (80). Together with her, he founded the Wuerth Foundation in 1987. It currently comprises around 16,000 works of art and carries out a diverse and committed cultural work in the most diverse areas.

The audience of the region Hohenlohe-Franken will enjoy the musical performances, the good acoustics and the outstanding architecture in the Carmen Wuerth forum for decades. It almost goes without saying that the finest veneer has a great appearance in this setting.

Veneer supplier Schorn & Groh from Karlsruhe is - like the Wuerth Group - a German family business, managed by the second generation. Schorn & Groh was founded in Southern Germany in 1961. Today it is successful worldwide with veneers and lumber. Schorn & Groh has already supplied high-quality veneers for concert halls several times, for example for the Bénazetsaal, which is the center and jewel of the world-famous Kurhaus Casino in Baden-Baden.

Architects or builders planning a larger project can find inspiration in the veneer warehouse and the comfortable showrooms and enjoy well-founded and personal advice and project support. More than 6 million square meters of veneer are permanently in stock: common species in large quantities, rarities and valuable burl veneers, the most diverse FSC® and PEFC certified veneers as well as high-quality lumber from Europe, America and Africa. If required by the project, the consultants are also happy to visit their customers directly, throughout Europe.