When the Bremen-based “Cup Vitalis”-Hotel- und Betriebsgesellschaft acquired the German Pension Insurance rehabilitation clinic in Bad Kissingen in 2012, they completely converted the old clinic building into a four-star hotel. This was followed by further construction work, which involved expanding the room capacity as well as adding restaurant, spa and sports facilities – planned by local architects Richter Architektur. Most recently, they invested in the expansion of the swimming pool and the construction of a brine pool on the roofs of which a spacious terrace was installed. A total of 700 square metres were covered with the barefoot-friendly NATURELINE WPC decking boards from NATURinFORM in the colour chestnut.
Parkhotel “Cup Vitalis” in Bad Kissingen, Germany
Patio decks
NATURELINE in chestnut
Type of construction
Outdoor terrace above the new brine pool
Building owner
CUP VITALIS Hotel- und Betriebsgesellschaft, Bad Kissingen
Planning office
Richter Architektur, Bad Brückenau
Processor
Parkett Hofmann, Nüdlingen
Bad Kissingen, situated on the Franconian Saale river, has been attracting spa guests since the 16th century. Alongside the traditional spa facilities, the picturesque landscape at the foothills of the Rhön Mountains has always played a part in this. 2021 wurden elf weltberühmte Kurstädte in sieben europäischen Ländern zur Welterbestätte „Great Spa Towns of Europe“ aufgenommen, darunter Bad Kissingen. Mit historischen Einrichtungen zur Siedsolegewinnung und -nutzung überzeugte das beliebte Kurbad als einziges unter den anderen Kurbädern. Auch die Betreiber des Parkhotels „Cup Vitalis“ erkannten den Wert der Solenutzung als Heilmittel und errichteten 2022 ein 34-Grad-warmes Solebad, das hervorragend zu den beiden Schwimmbädern und anderen Wellnessangeboten passt. Ganz in der Tradition Bad Kissingens setzt das Hotel auf ein hoteleigenes Gradierwerk – das größte dieser Art in Deutschland –, eine Salzmühle, eine Trockensalzoase, eine Salzsauna und ein Solebad.
Sun terrace with a view of the green Rhön forests
The approximately 300 square metre flat roof was already used as an outdoor terrace when the swimming pool was extended a few years ago. When they planned the new brine pool in 2021, they more than doubled the terrace area by combining the two roof areas. Since completion of the construction work, guests of the “Cup Vitalis” can now sunbathe and relax from morning till night on a total of around 700 square metres. Numerous deckchairs, beach chairs, outdoor beds and parasols, as well as first-class on-site catering, have since ensured the greatest possible feel-good atmosphere.
Existing and new decking laid sophisticatedly
They not only merged the terrace areas wisely here but also made a smart decision in terms of laying old and new decking boards. It was clear that the NATURinFORM WPC decking board NATURELINE in chestnut should continue to be used as flooring since the owner was completely satisfied with its usage and maintenance properties. However, the decking boards that had been installed before were already weathered due to the natural optical maturing process of the wood content and were, therefore, somewhat more matt and lighter in colour than the newly supplied decking boards. However, to ensure that no colour differences would disturb the sweeping terrace area, the Parkett Hofmann installation team solved this by laying the boards in strips. The decking boards from the different batches were alternated to create an interesting, seemingly intentional striped pattern.
Special lengths create an almost infinite surface
With his company “Parkett Hofmann”, Klaus Hofmann specialises in laying parquet flooring. However, he has also been taking on decking projects since 2011. He worked with NATURinFORM WPC decking boards when installing the terrace area for the Cup Vitalis hotel. With seven employees and numerous notable references, he has acquired an excellent reputation – even far beyond Bad Kissingen. In terms of the “Cup Vitalis” terrace, this time, the challenge for the installation professional and his employees was not the length of the journey but access to the construction site: “The desired special lengths of 13 metres could only be delivered with great effort, as the access road to the Parkhotel is very narrow,” explains Klaus Hofmann. “That is why it took three people to carry each individual decking board to the site.” Certainly not an everyday sight for residents and hotel guests. However, it was these special lengths of 13 metres that made it possible to minimise the number of longitudinal joints. Laying the extra-long decking boards without visible joints, end-to-end and in a staggered pattern, achieves a terrace area that seems almost infinite. It was all worth it; the result is a great eye-catcher!
Barefoot-friendly and easy to maintain
NATURinFORM WPC decking boards have also been used in other areas of the Parkhotel in the past. Contractor Klaus Hofmann knows the advantages of these products. “We cannot guarantee long-term durability for rooftop terraces made of wood because of the strong solar exposure. Due to large temperature differences, the wood starts to crack at some point, and splinters can form.” On a surface that people often walk on barefoot, this harbours the risk of injury, which can only be avoided through constant maintenance and, if necessary, replacement. NATURELINE WPC decking boards were installed on the sun deck of the 4-star Parkhotel. Depending on the product line, customers can choose from up to 31 colours. For the new installation of the outdoor terrace of the “Cup Vitalis”, they again opted for chestnut to match the previously installed decking boards above the existing swimming pool. Inspired by nature, this solid decking board with a natural look and feel showcases the full beauty of wood. It offers an individual and natural-looking, multi-coloured wood grain and a pleasant surface texture. Each decking board is unique and of absolute premium quality. Another advantage of the fully dyed decking boards made of wood composite is that they retain their colour after the so-called colour maturing process – a process that WPC products undergo due to their wood content. Natural wood, on the other hand, continues to fade in colour, which means more maintenance by oiling and painting. WPC decking from NATURinFORM, however, requires no maintenance; cleaning is sufficient. As here in large-scale commercial use as a hotel terrace, they can be cleaned quickly with a high-pressure cleaner every day. No microplastics are washed out.
Hotel operator focusses on sustainability and local sourcing
When selecting products and craftsmen involved in projects, the hotel operator attaches great importance to local sourcing. NATURinFORM decking boards are produced in Redwitz a. d. Rodach in northern Bavaria, not far from Bad Kissingen. The company only uses PEFC-certified wood fibres from sustainable domestic forestry that are sourced from the wood processing industry. Adding an environmentally friendly polymer makes the WPC products robust and durable, and this combination also gives them the ability to be recycled up to 25 times and reprocessed into new products. This corresponds to a product cycle of over 600 years. In order to be able to recycle the products after dismantling or as offcuts from construction sites and return them to the production process, the company provides its own free return system for specialist retailers and tradespeople. Fungicides and pesticides are also not used in the production process.
NATURinFORM offers products for DGNB-certified construction. All decks and facade profiles are covered by the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) drawn up in accordance with international standards. All products are subjected to continuous quality controls and load tests to ensure consistent immaculate and first-class wood-based material quality.
Download: Press release
Product information: NATURELINE