THREE QUESTIONS TO… Dr. Andreas Maurer, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, 17.APRIL 2021
BCG und Kö-Bogen are a good match — why?
The The Kö-Bogen is a symbol of positive change and new beginnings in the city, just as it is a symbol of modern and innovative construction. As a management consultancy, BCG is also an initiator of change and innovation, which is why we decided to move into this new landmark building..
What do you personally like best about the Kö-Bogen?
The impressive architecture coupled with the extremely attractive location in the middle of the city never fails to inspire us. My personal highlight is the roof terrace with a fantastic view of the city where we hopefully can hold events in the future again.
How do you enjoy your lunch break?
By having lunch on the terrace of Poccino, followed by a short walk through Hofgarten or window shopping on the way back to the office.
Longing to travel
Let’s just get away, right?
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, 8.APRIL 2021
You need two things: reasonable suitcases and an unreasonable car. No sooner said than done. The new lifestyle liason of the season is TUMI (brilliant luggage brand) and McLaren (one of the coolest car brands in the world). When those two team up, it can only be good.
McLaren’s designers, engineers and racers travel thousands of miles around the world with the goal of achieving perfection in every way. A racer must be able to rely on his car to get him to his destination. Just as reliable must be the luggage as well as the travel utensils to bring the team to the destination. This idea not only forms the cornerstone of the collection, but also serves as inspiration for all other products.
Embodying TUMI’s and McLaren’s shared ethos of performance luxury, the capsule collection includes nine pieces. Each incorporates elements of McLaren’s sleek and bold supercars and race cars. All are set off by McLaren’s signature Papaya color scheme, as well as featuring CX6® carbon fiber. The travel collection does not only look good, but also sounds good: Velocity Backpack, the Torque Sling and the Lumin Utility Pouch are complementary, contemporary styles for lightweight luggage and hands-free days.
The Orbit Small Packing Cube, Trace Expandable Organizer and compartmentalized Teron Travel Kit are ultra-portable accessories that keep possessions protected, organized and always available.
You can see the must haves at the TUMI store at Kö-Bogen.
Before Tesla…now Joop!
Kö-Bogen shows new retail concept
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, 18. MARCH 2020
In the new JOOP! store, the newly developed international JOOP! shopfitting concept is also being implemented for the first time, thus restaging the brand world in a modern and contemporary way. According to the motto “The Product is the Hero”, the focus is on the individual product, which is put in the limelight in an eye-catching way by a modern lighting design.
“With our new JOOP! brand store in Düsseldorf’s prime shopping location, we are taking the next strategic step as a premium brand, setting an example in challenging times and offering customers a shopping experience that is both exciting and relaxed. Düsseldorf, as an important fashion location in Germany, was particularly close to our hearts as part of our retail expansion,” explains JOOP! Managing Brand Director, Thorsten Stiebing.
The impressive store concept emphasizes the presentation of the goods and plays with contrasting design and architectural elements. Materials such as white lacquered wood materials, leather and metal are used in combination with CI colors and compositions.
Conclusion: A lot to experience and many beautiful outfit ideas for shopping and fashion fans.
Poccino
Espresso culture the italian way
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, 11. March 2021
When Bruno Albrecht returned from Rome, back in 1976, it upset him that coffee in Germany differed widely from the Italian espresso culture, he had so dearly learned to love and appreciate, during his semester abroad. In order to introduce Germans to coffee, made the Italian way, he presented espresso beans and Italian coffee machines to market-leading coffee-companies such as Jacobs and Melitta – unfortunately without any success. The only person who believed in Albrecht’s idea was Emilio Lavazza, the owner of the largest Italian roasting company. Albrecht traveled to Italy to roast more than 20 different coffees with Lavazza, the godfather of espresso himself. Finally, in 1977, he developed the first electric portafilter espresso machine. One year later, he presented the first Poccino espresso machine, including matching tableware and the finest coffee beans, at Berlin’s KaDeWe department store. Only nine months later, he had already sold 36,000 units in Germany.
One cannot enjoy authentic Italian espresso, without a portafilter espresso machine. No other device can brew an espresso in such “artigianale” (handcrafted) perfection. The word “espresso” refers to the Italian word “caffè espresso,” which is used to describe a coffee that has been prepared specifically on the guest’s request. In Italy, espresso has long been considered a cultural treasure and its preparation is a form of art. Due to the emerging coffee capsule industry, however, there is hardly any truly authentic Italian espresso culture left – even in Italy.
Poccino’s espresso machines today only differ slightly from the pioneering device from 1977; they are only slightly optimized to fulfill modern requirements. Poccino machines are extremely durable and
bring home the pleasures of Italy, with its several flavorful espresso variations. Düsseldorf is considered, next to Hamburg and Munich, as true espresso hotspot in terms of sales figures. It is therefore not surprising that Café Poccino is located in the heart of Düsseldorf, at the famous Kö-Bogen.
Düsseldorf’s smallest art exhibition
Kö-Bogen Kö-Bogen supports academy graduates
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, 1. FEBRUAR 2021
“The store in the passage between Breuninger and Porsche Design is one of the busiest promenades in the heart of Düsseldorf. Implementing an art exhibition in the midst of this glittering world of fashion and business with its enticing displays is a challenge, because the visual stimuli of the goods and consumer offerings are overwhelming,” says board member and curator Dr. Astrid Legge of 701 e.V., who helped bringing Paul Schwaderer to the Kö-Bogen.
With Paul Schwaderer, the 701 e.V. association is realizing its new ‘PopUp Gallery’ format for the second time. After a first impact in 2019 in the Renzo Piano designed office building FLOAT in the Media Harbour, the association has been showing at the Kö-Bogen a recent graduate of the Art Academy, who graduated last summer in the class of Martin Gostner. As in 2019, Düsseldorfers will also get an “art treat to go” this time, because corona-related, the exhibition is designed as a pure ‘window show’ and can only be viewed from the outside. 701 e.V. is a non-profit initiative of Düsseldorf personalities from the fields of art and culture, business and politics. It sees itself as a link between business and art and pursues the goal of establishing creative networks and thus sustainably strengthening and promoting the city’s creative image.
Everything revolves around “Extended Break
Prominently positioned in the shop window and yet inconspicuous, the work ‘an extended pause’ can be seen, a rotating glass tube filled with a white powder on a black cuboid. The slow rotation causes the rock powder to pile up until the material can no longer defy gravity. It breaks down, creating crevasses and fractures reminiscent of natural processes such as glacial movement or geological rock reshaping. And although the reel rotates exceedingly slowly, it shows, as if in fast-forward, a process that in reality spans centuries. Fast-forward and slow-motion are very close together here.
LITERARY EXCHANGE AT KÖ-BOGEN
TWELVEVEY OPEN BOOKCHARGE
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, November 10, 2020
Art-Invest Real Estate creates a meeting place for literary exchange and discussion at Kö-Bogen: Together with the Literaturbüro NRW, an open bookcase was set up between the Italian restaurant Poccino and Eduard’s Bar.
Literature lovers can explore the constantly changing range of books, take books with them or exchange them with new ones in to give other reading enthusiasts a literary treat.
MOOSE KNUCKLES
POP UP AT KÖ-BOGEN
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, 9. AUGUST 2020
Since 1921 the family of Moose Knuckles has been protecting Canadians from the cold — a relentless task from which the Moose Knuckles Canada brand was born in 2009. Today, Moose Knuckles honors its heritage and drives the “Spirit of the Moose” into innovative coats and jackets of unparalleled style and warmth.
Born from the cold, made for the city! Moose Knuckles is a family, a tribe, a pack, and we wear it on our sleeves. Whether it’s a wild night or the wild country, we have it all! Welcome to Canada… Welcome to Moose Knuckles. Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 11.00 — 20.00
Shopping Düsseldorf Style
Catwalk Kö-Bogen
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, AUGUST 9, 2020
I am standing on the forecourt of the Kö-Bogen in the most beautiful sunny weather. I look towards the horizon and lose myself in the reflections of the impressive Daniel Libeskind building. Before I completely get carried away by my thoughts, a loud laughter awakens me from my architectural dreams.
Three illustrious ladies have met under the imposing parasols for a glass of French sparkling wine. The trio is perfectly styled. Even though their handbags have been placed on the table, I can tell which creation belongs to which lady. Everything is just right in terms of color, shape and style. This is probably their aperitif for the day –“shopping Düsseldorf style”. I also treat myself with a glass of champagne, enjoy the colorful hustle and bustle at the bar and stroll on towards the Hofgarten. Especially from here the building of the star architect looks iconic.
As soon as the weather permits, tourists and locals alike enjoy culinary delights and an Aperol Spritz at the top Italian restaurant and bar Poccino. Today I’m in the mood to pamper myself and celebrate the sunshine with an ice cream from Manzoni Gelato – with fresh and sweet strawberries as topping. I take a seat on the steps with a perfect view on the Hofgarten. The Steigenberger Park-Hotel, vis-à-vis to the Kö-Bogen, appears in graceful grandeur. It is exceptional here, that much is certain.
In addition to the culinary delights, countless shopping opportunities, ranging from high-end fashion at Breuninger and Co., to luxury chronometers at Rüschenbeck or the latest technology gadgets at Apple, invite you to let your credit card glow. No matter whether you travel by train, on foot, by bicycle or carefree by car to the premium underground car park, many roads lead to the Kö-Bogen and give you the feeling of having spent a few hours on vacation
LIFE ON THE ROOF
KESTREL- HOTEL PLUS BUZZ BUZZ
POSTED BY ALEX IWAN, AUGUST 9, 2020
The Kö-Bogen provides spaces that are completely remote and almost inaccessible — just not for insects and birds! I love being on the roof of the Kö-Bogen with a fantastic view on Düsseldorf. But the best thing is: There is a lot going on here, because a small nature reserve has been created up there too. A real green building!
Five custom-made insect hotels have been built especially for the Kö-Bogen, equipped with appropriate nesting materials. The small stainless steel houses offer a new home to wild bees and other insects above the courtyard garden. Species protection in the city center! In addition, 24 nesting boxes for bird species such as the great tit, the house sparrow, the tree sparrow, and above all swifts belong to Kö-Bogen’s nature conservation project, which by the way was awarded the title of Green Building.
However, nesting places were not only created for songbirds and insects. In consultation with the NABU experts separate boxes for bats were installed; they serve as daytime quarters for the protected animals in the middle of the city. Nesting boxes, at a height of 26 meters should invite majestic kestrels to settle over Düsseldorf’s rooftops. The extensive greening of the roof area is an important contribution of the real estate industry for sustainable building in the 21st century.
“Sustainability and environmental protection are major global issues to which every individual can make a contribution with small measures. Due to its green location, we as responsible operators absolutely want Kö-Bogen to play an active role in nature conservation”, Marco Koch, Manager Technology Kö-Bogen. This pioneering initiative for green, natural roofs was developed in close cooperation with NABU Düsseldorf.