bulthaup Germany

The story begins in a field in the middle of nowhere...

bulthaup was founded in 1949 by Martin Bulthaup. Right from the word go, bulthaup has understood design to be a comprehensive process involving form, material and processing. Unnecessary decoration of any kind is eschewed. bulthaup laid the foundations for its present-day innovative leadership back at the start of the 1970s, with the launch of the C12 kitchen program. With this use of shape, which was unusually modern for its time, coupled with its smart installation concept, bulthaup became the pioneer for the entire industry with its C12 range. Gerd Bulthaup took over as head of the company in 1978, following his father's death. His vision of expanding bulthaup to become the market leader in design-oriented kitchens, brought him into contact with the designer Otl Aicher. He was co-founder of the Ulm school, which reflects the tradition of the Weimar Bauhaus movement. In his book entitled "The kitchen for cooking", published in 1982, Otl Aicher described a new kitchen philosophy. This book was based on a survey carried out for bulthaup. Ergonomic working was the most important factor. The design aimed to achieve authenticity in terms of function and material and regarded reduction to the essentials as its goal.

 

Next came the practical "butcher block", a sturdy worktable made from solid wood that was placed in the center of the room. It became a characteristic bulthaup trademark. The company brought a milestone in kitchen history onto the market in 1988: the kitchen workbench, which the media spoke of as the first true innovation since the Frankfurt kitchen. bulthaup set new standards in 1992 with the launch of system 25. Thanks to its modernity, functionality and variability, bulthaup became synonymous with the most advanced idea of architecture in the kitchen living space. A living space in which people eat, drink and talk together. That's why bulthaup calls its furniture range 'communication'. Two systems of seating, korpus and duktus, were unveiled in 1994. The Lifetime Achievement Award and the European Design Prize for 1997 from the European Commission honored bulthaup's services to the industry. As a result, bulthaup's role as a pacesetter in the kitchen industry was confirmed in a truly impressive manner. A further innovative highlight is the bulthaup system 20. Its mobile functional elements mean that design decisions can be made spontaneously. It was unveiled to the trade press for the first time in 1997.

 

In 2000, with the "architecture of the kitchen", bulthaup established a product range on the market that built on the foundations of system 25. It offered customers the ability to create unmistakable living spaces using sculpturally and functionally designed kitchen furniture that were pared down to the essentials and yet radiated an appealing warmth.  In 2004, the company expanded its role as market leader further with the introduction of its new product generation, bulthaup b3. With bulthaup b3, it was now possible not just to plan a kitchen based on the floor plan, but more importantly to bring the walls to life. A multi-functional wall, which is new in many different ways, is the fulcrum of bulthaup b3. The multi-functional wall is the static base element, the stable skeleton supporting the entire kitchen system. Units, worktops, cooking and water points, electrical appliances and accessories hang from it. The kitchen's spacious effect is given a sculpted quality as a result. The floating appearance is enhanced by the lightness and clarity of the construction. The material thicknesses are as thin as possible and as strong as necessary. bulthaup b3 is a design concept for the entire house.