Virtually no other manufacturer throughout the world has been the driving force in the development of new furnishing and utilization concepts for communication and conference spaces as Wilkhahn has:

• The Confair range (1994) marked the first, coherent furnishing concept for conferences with a dynamic character.
• The "Interior and specifiers' handbook for communication areas" (1998), a standard reference manual for specifiers and facility managers, is still regarded as a guideline for conference planning.
• With "Roomware®" (2002), Wilkhahn presented the first conference furniture of its kind ready for serial production that integrated innovative, interactive media technology based on sound research findings.

It is therefore no surprise that Wilkhahn is once again presenting two milestones for conference furniture at Orgatec 2006.




Travis range 
Design: wiege

Bridge building as the window to the world.
The key functions of conference tables can be summarized quite easily as follows:

• They should bring people together, strengthen their common line and promote decision processes.
• They should convey the lasting values and approach of the company.
• And in view of globalization and networking, they should open up the window to the world.

As these tasks require highly individual solutions depending on the respective company and conference space, Wilkhahn has developed the new Travis table range in collaboration with the wiege design studio.

Travis range, design wiege: as a single table or linked configuration, with a span of up to three metres, Travis provides generous table top surfaces with maximum legroom.

A lot of table top surface, few legs.
The new table range has been coined Travis, a name that focuses on its core idea: the Italian word "trave" and also "traverse". Used as a technical term for a horizontal beam or a truss in bridge building, it characterizes the advantage of wide spans permitting spacious table top surfaces with as few legs as possible. With a span of up to 3 m between table legs, Travis conveys an atmosphere of calm and spaciousness in a conference interior, when used as single tables or table configurations.

Customization with the perfection of serial production.
Yet Travis is more than just a table programme with ample legroom and clear, aesthetic design: it a modularly constructed table system comprising individual elements designed with great attention to detail that provides perfectly coordinated frame geometry for any table configuration: open or closed centred, circular, oval, barrel or boat shaped, or angular.

The crossbeams in extruded aluminium profile with double mounting grooves on both sides are attached by means of swivel corner plates, each accepting one table leg. This allows extremely wide scope for linking tables to create different geometric configurations, angled to suit individual space and table top requirements. The same applies to technical features: for example, if a monitor is to be integrated into the table top, a corresponding supporting structure is screw-fitted between the two horizontal beams. This structure may be disassembled as needs change and replaced by a standard horizontal beam.



The table top bearers comprise brackets in die-cast aluminium that are freely positionable in the grooves of the horizontal beams. Ingenious table top fixtures, that can be rotated to shift and adjust, ensure easy assembly and precise alignment of the table top segments. Besides wooden table tops with a wide range of laminate, linoleum and veneer finishes from the Wilkhahn collection, the frame concept also supports other table top materials such as glass, Corian or stone.

Depending on the selected design concept and geometry of the tops and frames, versions with three different bases are available: a circular base with integral, adjustable glides, a T-shaped base and a disc base.

Fast and simple: integration of media technology
One notable function profile of the new table system is the professional integration of modern conference and media technology. For this purpose there are versions with a base integrating vertical cable management. Spacious, retractable cable channels, adapted to the respective length of the crossbeams, have been developed for horizontal cable management underneath table tops. They feature integral separate channels (power and data cables) and attachment mechanism for techni-stations that may be fitted with modules for power, network, VGA, USB and audio connections. In addition, the above-mentioned modules allow heavy equipment, such as retractable monitors or projection systems, to be integrated into table top surfaces.

 
Travis range, design wiege: the modular frame structure allows simple and perfect integration of even heavy equipment, such as retractable monitors.

Michael Englisch, head designer of the wiege design studio describes the essence of the new table range as follows: "Travis can be compared to an elegant bridge construction that spans vast distances with just a few supports. The result is highly aesthetic as the table configurations appear to have floating surfaces that are supported by only a few pedestals, whereby all static, technical and functional requirements are integrated into the system without being permanently visible."

Travis will be available from the second half of 2007.

4C-Box: Connect, Login, Ready to go
Concept: foreseeTM GmbH

At Orgatec 2006, Wilkhahn is presenting together with its subsidiary company foreseeTM the 4C-Box, an innovative techni-module that combines the economic advantages of conference spaces for variable and dynamic application with the advantages of cutting edge media and communication technology.



Until now, all technical connections required (power, network, VGA, audio, etc.) have been channelled and linked up by cable to individual workplaces in order to use the advantages of modern media technology in conference interiors. The result: depending on the workplace selected, many different cables are necessary that involve thick cable harnesses that are channelled underneath table tops from respective floor ports and installation requiring the expertise of media or IT specialists. Such installations may be useful for static conference table configurations that are never adapted, but are a costly obstacle in terms of time and investment if tables are frequently reconfigured for varying applications (variable conference table configurations) or self-organized and rearranged using mobile, folding tables, such as Confair models. Such situations require solutions that are extremely easy and can be carried out by any conference participant without any previous, specialized knowledge.

Reduce umpteen to three # very easily, safely and quickly to create up to 40 places
The techni-station from Wilkhahn/ foreseeTM GmbH puts an end to unwieldy lengths of cable and costly cable installation: only three plug-in connections are required to link up to 40 conference workplaces providing all options for modern media technology in no time at all. For example the mobile InterWall, a media wall or a digital projector can be linked up with the first table via a floor port. Further tables can then be connected in series as required.

Creative settings at the push of a button interactively
The 4C-Box has more to offer than extremely easy installation and cable management with just three plug-in connections: after logging in, a conference participant can activate a show-me button integrated into the box to make the contents of his or his screen available to all those present in the form of projection or large-format screen. This serves to promote interaction among participants and to avoid time-consuming delays when importing information and contributing creative potential. If a conference interior makes use of interactive techniques such as the InterWall, the 4C-Box will prove a perfect complement: every participant can access the contents of presentations quite spontaneously and, vice versa, can use a pen to process ideas and additional contents visibly and interactively from his or her workplace.

One for all
The 4C-Box has been designed to allow integration into all Wilkhahn table ranges for static, variable and dynamic applications. The slim module leaves generous legroom underneath the table and cable channels with integral modules are coordinated with the widths of tables and segments of single tables and table systems.

Advantages in a nutshell

• Up to 40 users, who are connected in series, can access an output device, such as a digital projector or an InterWall.
• Irrespective of the software used, the push of a button (located on the techni-module) will allow the desired presentation to be shown to other conference participants via the InterWall, a digital projector or a large-format screen.
• A video bandwidth of 500 MHz ensures excellent image quality.
• The pre-installed audio input allows reproduction of audio sequences.
• The amount of cable and the number of floor ports can be kept to a minimum due to cutting edge technology and connecting techni-modules in series # for USB signals too.
• No tools or qualified staff are required for flexible and dynamic application of table configurations.

The 4C-Box will be available from the first quarter of 2007.

Further information and high-resolution print data at - Service - Image Database - search word:  Presse_Orgatec_06

Wilkhahn
Wilkening + Hahne GmbH+Co.KG
Presse + Public Relations
Burkhard Remmers
Fritz-Hahne-Straße 8
31848 Bad Münder
Telefon: ++49 (5042) 999-169
Telefax: ++49 (5042) 999-450
burkhard.remmers@wilkhahn.de