‘Shopping without clear shop boundaries’ – that’s the motto of the concept at the EDEKA Center in Berlin Niederschönweide, which opened in June 2017. The highlight and centrepiece of the shopping centre is an ‘island of delights’ that expands the offering of foodstuffs by adding a restaurant area around which all the other areas of the store are arranged in a circle.

Developed by the Valentina Kinzel architecture firm of Schermbeck in North Rhine-Westphalia, the design concept relies on broad corridors, low shelving and spacious service counters to ensure a clear layout throughout the 3700-m² sales floor. Materials such as wood and bricks characterise the design, creating the atmosphere of an old-fashioned marketplace, accented with black elements and interpreted in a contemporary manner.

Nearly the entire floor area was designed using the thick COSMO VISION porcelain stoneware range by Villeroy & Boch Tiles. With a thickness of 14 mm, the 30 x 60 cm tiles are particularly robust and durable, making them perfectly suited for use in high-traffic areas. The richly detailed look of COSMO VISION is inspired by coarsely textured concrete formwork, giving the tiles in shades of light grey and medium grey a very modern and at the same time authentic charm all their own.