The bulthaup name is synonymous with premium kitchens. Renowned for its uncompromising quality standards, the number-one high-end brand and independent family business is now in its third generation. True to its heritage, the company is still located in Aich and remains committed to quality products “made in Germany”. But it is also open to innovation and to a wider world, serving a global customer base from its Bavarian headquarters.

Boasting over 60 years’ experience, bulthaup employs approximately 1,000 highly skilled staff and works with exclusive dealers in around 50 countries worldwide. Driven by passion, the company remains committed to its mission: to reimagine kitchen architecture time and again to meet the needs of each unique customer – past, present and future.

Ever since Martin Bulthaup founded his furniture firm at its present-day location in 1949, bulthaup has continued to set milestones in kitchen history. Based on the company’s first kitchen sideboards, which met the highest standards in terms of material and build quality, kitchens such as Style 75, Type 1 and Concept 12 were launched in the 1970s – heralding the dawn of the kitchen systems era. At the time, bulthaup was already regarded as an innovation leader, thanks to intelligent installation methods and pioneering design language. From the outset, quality was the number-one priority. Rejecting short-lived trends, bulthaup focused on function and durability. When Martin Bulthaup’s son Gerd took the reins in 1978, his understanding of architecture and design set the stage for a new chapter in the history of kitchens. Gerd Bulthaup collaborated closely with Otl Aicher, whose 1982 publication “The Kitchen is for Cooking” was written on the basis of research conducted for bulthaup. Today, it still encapsulates the company philosophy. The kitchen’s journey from a purely functional area to a true living space had begun – and this shift in perspective positioned bulthaup as the market leader in premium, design-led kitchens. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, bulthaup launched a host of innovations on the basis of its defined philosophy, including the kitchen workbench (1988), the flexible, modular system 25 (1992) and the mobile system 20 (1997). The new millennium welcomed a new trio: the bulthaup b3 kitchen system (2004), which has become a true classic, the minimalist bulthaup b1 kitchen system (2008) and the bulthaup b2 kitchen workshop (2008). Each one of these systems and innovations were instrumental in transforming the kitchen into a living space within a living space. Marc O. Eckert, the grandson of bulthaup’s founder, has been at the helm since 2010. Today, the company continues to develop and evolve its kitchen philosophy with characteristic passion and commitment –and is set to convey it into the future, against the background of an ever-changing society.

Over 60 years of tradition creates experience and experience creates trust. Bulthaup’s total commitment to Germany as a base for the business contributes to that trust, while ensuring consistently high quality.

Today, bulthaup is synonymous with premium kitchens, as evidenced by countless awards and prizes. This is partly due to the company’s insistence on superior materials and craftsmanship; partly to a stream of innovations and exceptional design standards. But there is another reason: bulthaup products are never conceived in isolation. Every kitchen is seamlessly integrated into the building interior, into the living space. And bulthaup goes one step further–looking at kitchens as part of the bigger picture; within the context of the space around them, the architecture, and the project as a whole. This approach allows the company to fully understand its customers and partners, and to create a solution perfectly tailored to the needs of each one.

Right from the beginning, research and development have played a pivotal role at bulthaup. Research not only focused on materials and technology; it also looks at products and their function, with the aim of improving durability and creating a lasting value. Product development incorporates insights gained from extensive project experience, together with analysis of social change. Shunning short-lived trends, bulthaup is dedicated to the concept of sustainability as a whole. The objective is to create timeless products. Being a premium brand means accepting responsibility towards people and the environment. While focusing on the needs and preferences of the individual, bulthaup never loses sight of its duty to the planet. Superior quality and timeless design translate into durability, lasting value and end-to-end sustainability.

To begin with, the bulthaup monoblock, with its perfect steel finish, is crowned by a majestic moveable olive wood bar top that can act both as a bar and as a leisure area. Next, the new b3 pocket door units, with walnut and oak interior fittings and the new bulthaup textured matte lacquer finish, make everything you need to offer drinks and snacks (including appliances) vanish into thin air. Again, the purity of bulthaup’s lines and its unique treatment of wood imbue the space with utterly elegant warmth. Right across, a small workshop showcases the different samples of the wide range of colors and finishes that can create different atmospheres in a kitchen and turn it into the most important room in the home, true to the bulthaup philosophy. As you venture further into the showroom, the living/dining area extends into a flawless b3 system that houses the new, recently launched steel interior fittings. Meanwhile, the greenery in the courtyard draws you on towards the pleasures of a small outdoor haven.

As you continue your visit, you find that the stairs to the ground level have recovered their natural maple wood character, leading you to a succession of three more system b1 and b3 options that unfold in the domestic splendor of a discriminating design and art lover. And this floor happens to be the place where bulthaup Barcelona/Bori i Fontestà is now offering its visitors an entirely new experience: a selection of national and international artists who will be featured in a series of exhibitions aimed at conveying a sense of how to integrate works with highly diverse styles and languages into a bulthaup home. To begin with, this Thursday, January 23rd, we will be holding an opening for Swedish artist Charlotte von Poehl, her first in Barcelona. She will be showing a sample of the colorful studies of space and architecture she produces in different formats and disciplines: installation, painting, and photography. It is the perfect occasion to admire the showroom’s renovation and let yourself be drawn into the bulthaup world.

Photos of Elisenda Fontarnau

It all began in 1949 in Aich, in Lower Bavaria. By the 1950s, bulthaup was furnishing kitchens all over Germany, quickly acquiring an excellent reputation.

In 1966, bulthaup launched Program N, the company’s first fitted kitchen. Its design was inspired by the Frankfurt kitchen, which made kitchen work easier thanks to the carefully planned arrangement of cabinets and appliances. As most of the kitchens in new buildings at the time were quite small, it was essential to take full advantage of the available space. 

Son Gerd Bulthaup and daughter Ingeborg Eckert assumed management of the company after their father’s death in 1978. Gerd Bulthaup, an enthusiast of architecture, Bauhaus follower, and aficionado of timeless design, turned the company into the leader in its field. As part of this effort, he joined forces with Otl Aicher, co-founder of the Ulm Design School, the pioneer of corporate identity, and one of the most significant designers of the 20th century. This cooperation was the beginning of a major influence in the future design of bulthaup kitchens. In a book published in1982, The Kitchen for Cooking, Aicher describes a new kitchen philosophy that places the focus on ergonomics.

Otl Aicher: “The design of kitchen elements needs to focus on the essentials, since enjoyment, cooking, and communication are what matters in a kitchen.”

In 1982, Aicher implemented this philosophy with bulthaup. The outcome was system b, complemented with a preparation island: an outstandingly functional workspace that turned the kitchen into the center for communication within the home. The further development of the kitchen island materialized in 1988 in the form of the kitchen workbench, a design classic that the press described as “the first true innovation since the Frankfurt kitchen.”

bulthaup sets a new standard: the kitchen becomes a living space

Shortly thereafter, in 1992, bulthaup marked another milestone in international kitchen design with its system 25. In 1992 bulthaup was honored with the Corporate Design Award and in 1997 with the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1997, system 20 brought the paradigm of the fitted kitchen to an end. Individual, freestanding elements provided design solutions that could be changed at any time to reflect its user’s increased flexibility.

In 2004, bulthaup delivered yet another kitchen revolution: The bulthaup b3 system said farewell to the floor plan-oriented method of kitchen planning. Instead, the wall surfaces were activated and brought into play. Thanks to the multifunctional wall, for the first time ever, furniture could be freely suspended. The b3 concept had a new outcome in 2007 with the unique monoblock, which developed the former kitchen island into a monolithic stainless steel sculpture, where the worktop and the side walls form a seamless unit. 2007 was also the year that bulthaup b1 was launched, featuring a timeless design reduced to the essentials and offering an entrance into the world of bulthaup. This focus on the essentials was also the underlying premise on which the EOOS design group based bulthaup b2, a mobile and flexible kitchen workshop that brings a whole new interpretation to the kitchen living space.

We will soon be offering articles with specific information about b1, b2, and b3 systems in this section.

The bulthaup showroom in Sant Cugat, Criteri, was recently featured in the “Retrato” section of the July issue of CASA VIVA magazine.
In an in-depth, detailed interview, its managers explain how honesty in their work implies a commitment to finding the best solution that will fulfill their customers’ needs while also exceeding their expectations. Creating pleasant environments that improve their users’ quality of life is the aim of Criteri’s residential projects.
We share the published interview with you.

The Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, which recently closed its 2013 edition, is one of the leading furniture industry and accessories fairs in Europe, featuring the latest innovations in design and manufacturing.

As soon as you walked into the bulthaup showroom on via Durini, you found yourself standing in a kitchen, but everything seemed to have changed. The water point was set so high that you had to stretch to reach the faucet. You looked down and saw a cooktop at your feet. And the countertop across the way invited you to take a seat.

This vibrant collage had been assembled from a selection of bulthaup b3 units in different colors and materials placed at varying heights on steps and platforms made of concrete, stone, hand-painted lava tiles, and wood flooring. As the visitors moved around the room, they discovered striking juxtapositions and new points of view: the perspectives kept on changing.

The installation encouraged visitors to relax and strike up conversations, but also to consider and discuss what living spaces mean to us in the 21st century.

bulthaup addresses each particular space so we can experience it with our five senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. For the kitchen of the 21st century, this implies flexibility and adapting to specific individual needs. It means a landscape created with bulthaup b3 that changes our perspectives and opens our minds up to a broader conception of the kitchen, as bulthaup CEO Marc O. Eckert explains in the following video:

No two bulthaup kitchens are the same. Each one is designed and manufactured in line with the unique requirements, lifestyles and traditions of families, couples or individuals. And people leave their own personal stamp on the kitchen space, as they use it, live their lives in it and make it their own by adding items over time. With this in mind, the Milan exhibition included a selection of utensils and accessories grouped by type and purpose: preparing, cooking, serving, storing, and washing.

Artist and photographer Florian Böhm and art director Annahita Kamali, who jointly orchestrated the bulthaup mise-en-scène in Milan, gathered these items from all over the world. They also set up a library of 200 cookbooks at the back of the exhibition area, in a particularly cozy atmosphere that enticed visitors to settle down and read for a while.

We develop special relationships with the objects around us. We collect and introduce cherished pieces from different places and styles that we have picked up along the way throughout our lives. Acknowledgment of these relationships has influenced some of the latest trends in kitchens and living spaces, stimulating industrial and interior designers to adapt the way they think, develop, and propose new solutions–such as the extraordinary wall panel introduced by bulthaup, which unleashes its functionality both inward and outward.

bulthaup offered a fresh twist on the multifunctional wall: personal objects–from valuable heirlooms to contemporary objets d’art–can be stored and displayed in the space behind the panel. Cherished items can be showcased in an open-fronted brass cube, which you can position freely on the horizontal plane. In another section, the panels slid open vertically with a gentle touch. An exceptionally wide pull-out on the bottom revealed functional prisms lined with leather, where a selection of fine wines, spirits and drinking glasses were displayed.

bulthaup showcased the full potential of the b3 system to open up an architectural landscape and have it speak to our five senses. By experimenting with materials, surface finishes, colors, and shapes, it demonstrated how a kitchen’s aura evolves: through the interaction of predefined elements with the individual imprints of people’s lives. Just like the traditional Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy, the resulting contrast celebrates the beauty of imperfection. The true context emerges at the moment when the specific individual comes into play.

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