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Gabriele Siedle, what do you associate with the term "threshold"?
Gabriele Siedle:
A threshold is something that divides and connects at the same time – this is what makes it so exciting. Whether it receives a caller with open arms or refuses entry depends on who makes himself known. A fitting image for the service Siedle performs at the entrance.
You are a company with a long tradition. What is on the other side of the threshold for Siedle?
Gabriele Siedle:
At the moment we are redefining the threshold itself. Nowadays, the threshold can be accessed wherever and whenever we want it, for instance when we are on the road on our mobiles or on the office PC. Siedle will go on being as innovative as it has always been. And not just in terms of its product world: You are talking to the first woman in the company executive for 259 years, and for the first time ever, the next generation will not go by the name of Siedle. So there are exciting times waiting on the other side of the threshold.
To what extent have you changed the demands made on building communication? Do buildings talk a different language than they used to?
Eberhard Meurer:
Well at least technology has created the framework to make that possible. Just consider the ability to view the entrance area directly, which today is provided by video surveillance. Biometric and electronic access systems are able to identify visitors and grant entry. Letterboxes are capable of accepting delivery of packages when the owners are away. The entrance area is gaining in intelligence and architects are being granted ever greater freedom for creative entrance design.
Gabriele Siedle:
It's just a shame that they don't always really make use of this new freedom. The entrance frequently tends to be neglected by contemporary architecture.
Eberhard Meurer:
The essential role of representing the house and its occupants, and of providing a fitting reception for visitors appears to have been forgotten. There was a time when owners and master builders understood the significance of the entrance and poured a lot of care into its design. Today, it has been reduced in many cases to simply an opening in a building envelope.
They say first impressions count. Siedle products are often the first point of contact a visitor has with his destination. Isn't that an enormous responsibility?
Gabriele Siedle:
It certainly is. The first impression is made all the more vivid if perceived with all the senses. The visitor talks to the house, hears its reply and is observed by it, he touches it to make that first contact - and all using Siedle systems.
Eberhard Meurer:
Which is why we don't just talk about intercom systems, but about the whole of the entrance area. Our systems draw all these functions together under a uniform design concept. Materials, shapes, colours – everything blends ideally together and speaks the same uniform language.
Your current new developments focus largely on a light and colour theme. Is building communication becoming a lifestyle expression?
Eberhard Meurer:
Siedle design has never been subject to the dictates of fashion. But still of course we can't totally ignore unmistakable trends. The real art is to distinguish one from the other.
Gabriele Siedle:
We measure product life cycles in decades. You don't change Siedle systems like you would a pair of shoes. But at the same time, we aim to encourage users to take a conscious decision instead of purchasing just any item of home technology. Emotions do have a role to play, as do personal preference and needs. But this is not something I would class as lifestyle, but rather the development of individuality and personality.
Your aim is to provide the perfect system for every kind of architecture. Let's turn the tables a moment: What would you envisage as the perfect architecture for Siedle systems?
Gabriele Siedle:
Any style of architecture which makes a conscious effort create an entrance area is the ideal backdrop for Siedle. We have a problem with entrance areas which are simply chosen as a way of keeping down the price.
Eberhard Meurer:
Siedle design is conceived with a view to minimal styling based on fundamental geometric shapes. This is what makes our products largely neutral and capable of blending with wide-ranging styles. By not stipulating definitive style directions, we create the basis for versatility. Siedle provides the user with a number of systems designed to permit unlimited variation. In contrast to bespoke one-off solutions, this system approach provides the assurance of an aesthetically flawless and perfectly crafted product every time.
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