Julius Meinl on Vienna’s Graben
A visual and culinary treat
After several months of renovation work, the traditional Viennese gourmet food store Julius Meinl on the prestigious Graben in Vienna will present itself from 22nd October 2021 as an even more refined gourmet temple in the middle of Vienna's exclusive pedestrian zone. umdasch The Store Makers was responsible for the shopfitting in line with a concept developed by the architects Bernhard Hamann and Christian Politsch. The result: an elegant delicatessen shop that delights gourmets and interior enthusiasts alike.
Skilful mix of old and new
In the course of the reconstruction, the entire interior was updated and the presentation of the goods as well as the layout of the space were rethought. As a result, the exclusive and diverse range of goods can be staged even more atmospherically. Existing historical furnishing elements such as a former wooden pharmacy, wall panels, wood-veneered shelves and the ceiling grid were skilfully integrated into the new design. The combination of furniture with history and the new shopfitting elements by umdasch characterises the charm of the reopened Viennese gourmet institution. "It is both an honour and a pleasure for us, as an Austrian shopfitting company, to have been involved in the redesign of this Viennese institution of indulgence," says Silvio Kirchmair, CEO umdasch Store Makers.
Step by step to culinary heaven
A total area of 1,200 m² on two floors was redesigned. The umdasch Store Makers were responsible for the shopfitting of the object including the furniture. The focus of the shop is the connection of the ground floor and the first floor with the help of a new staircase position. The elliptically curved, gold-coloured shimmering staircase with brass handrail and a stair well is a central design element and a real eye-catcher in the store. The material brass is a recurring element in the new store concept. For example, it can also be found on the chandelier on the ground floor and adorns numerous pieces of furniture and handles. From the ground floor, where the fish, fruit and vegetable department as well as the café is located, the impressive staircase leads to the upper floor and thus to the bread and patisserie department as well as the meat, cheese and sausage counters.
High quality standards
In keeping with the exquisite products of the traditional company, high-quality materials were used for the entire renovation of Meinl am Graben. These include, for example, light and dark marble as wall and refrigerator cladding in the delicatessen departments, which was extended and adapted based on the existing stock. Old oak wood characterises the furniture in the bread and pastries department and gives them their feel-good factor. Fresh products in particular play a major role in the reopened shop, so the meat and fish departments have been given a lot of space. On the ground floor, a café-bar, which also includes around 60 seats in the outdoor area, invites you to linger amidst the elegant ambience. Furthermore, valuable solid wood veneer furniture is present in various places in the new shop – it functions as a symbol of consistency, which Julius Meinl has embodied for over 150 years.
