OMA has been selected to renovate the historic Berlin department store Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe). The department is the largest in continental Europe, first opened in 1907, the building has undergone several renovations over the years, the most recent being an arched glass ceiling that was added in the 1990s.
OMA has revealed its renovation plans, addressing KaDeWe’s desire to redefine its current model, and relationship with its patrons and with its physical and urban environments. Taking into account the accelerating shifts in consumer behavior and the challenges brought by online retail that have affected the traditional department store model.
The project will introduce four quadrants rather than treating the existing building as a singular mass. The new components fragment the original mass into smaller, easily accessible and navigable components – similar to distinct urban sectors embedded into a unified city fabric.
