What do you do after the cinema? Preferably, talk about the film you just saw. The citizens of Mühlacker have been given a circular seating platform in front of the municipal cinema for this relaxing end to a successful evening. And not only that: You can now sit down on wooden platforms throughout the city center. The most comfortable spot on balmy summer nights is the 30-square-meter sundeck in the central town hall square.

The square around the historic wine press at Rathausmarkt, the Kelterplatz, is particularly steeped in history. "It was all the more frustrating that an old flowerbed was languishing in this very spot," says Inga Gallob, a graduate engineer with the city's Environmental and Civil Engineering Department. The bed was far too shady under three trees and refused to thrive. "Then a music festival came along, and with it the decision to transform our city," says Gallob. With a few deck chairs, the organizer transformed the raised bed into a relaxation area. Gallob: "It was so cozy up there! That's when we came up with the idea: Let's turn the bed into a platform."

Islands of tranquility for the heart of the city

To match the old half-timbered structure, the city planners immediately thought of wood. It should be cozy, inviting, and warm in the first spring sunshine. Other parts of the market square and the pedestrian zone were also to be equipped with quiet areas. But the local public works department initially objected: Sanding down several dozen square meters and re-oiling them once a year seemed too much for the already overworked employees there. The city administration discussed the matter. At a construction trade fair, Inga Gallob finally became aware of NaturinForm's wood composite materials. "They look like wood and can be processed in the same way," she says. And laughs: "Even if she didn't want to deal with more wood, the men at the public works department are still dedicated woodworkers. I shouldn't have come to them with something that didn't look like wood."

Weatherproof because water-repellent

At NaturinForm, wood fibers are fused with an environmentally friendly plastic and shaped into a solid wood plank. This additional component effectively prevents moisture from penetrating the planks and causing them to weather. NaturinForm planks are therefore weatherproof even without varnishing or oiling. There are no issues with dimensional stability or weather-related cracking, which can occur with wood over time. Because the wood content in the finished material remains at 70 percent, it appears deceptively similar to its natural counterpart to the human senses. Just like wood, the composite material heats up in the sun and, over time, develops a sophisticated silver patina.

Passed the saw test with flying colors

After the master carpenter at the construction yard ran the NaturinForm products through his saw, he was convinced they were easy to work with. And the more he experimented with them, the more fun he had. "He spent the entire winter preparing them," says Gallob. Take the chat platform in front of the cinema, for example: Because it was supposed to be circular, some sharp angles were created during sawing, potential spots for things to get stuck. Thanks to the homogeneous structure of the processed wood flour and the strengthening properties of the polymers it contains, the NaturinForm wood pulp can be sawn very smoothly and precisely and glued very firmly. The master carpenter therefore modeled precisely fitting pieces to permanently close the gaps next to the points. In addition to the platforms, benches for the pedestrian zone were also to be built. For this purpose, 2.4-centimeter-high aluminum profiles were attached to concrete platforms as a well-ventilated support layer for the cut-to-size planks. To conceal the metal rails from the front, the carpenter cut matching trim strips from the wood composite, further increasing the seating comfort of the benches. Another ingenious design: He drilled fine holes on the underside of the strips to drain rainwater.

Impressive even on rainy days

The platform at Rathausmarkt is a truly eye-catching feature, thanks to the three trees that have been allowed to grow through custom-made openings. Their crowns provide welcome shade on the particularly hot summer days in this wine-growing region. The rustling of their leaves, combined with the babbling of the fountain, is apparently irresistible to passersby: Since its completion in the spring, the wooden deck has rarely been unoccupied. "Even after a downpour, people sit down again immediately," reports Gallob. She has the impression that the wood composite dries much faster than conventional wood impregnated with glaze or oil.

Particularly natural and flexible to process

All NaturinForm floorboards are also available in extra-long lengths of up to 13 meters. This option was cleverly exploited in the almost 13-meter-wide and 80-400-centimeter-deep seating and lounging area at Rathausmarkt. Two different products from the NaturinForm range were used in Mühlacker. Firstly, Natureline – a type of floorboard with a special surface. It resembles pure wood more than any other NaturinForm product. Just like wood, each board has its own individual grain, and when you run your hand over the surface, you can feel slight unevenness caused by the imprinting of the material. The oak-brown floorboard perfectly matches the newly renovated half-timbering of the town hall and also provides a great accent against the modern brick building with its yellow tiles. The circular seating platform in front of the cinema, two additional seating platforms under trees, and three corner benches in the central market square, as well as two freestanding seating platforms in the pedestrian zone, were constructed from the solid Popular massive profiles. This floorboard impresses with its particularly flexible application possibilities. A neutral gray was chosen as the color. Thus, the various benches form an architectural unit while simultaneously blending in with the diverse architectural styles in the various downtown areas.

Environmentally friendly construction

NaturinForm manufactures its decking according to strict ecological principles: Only PEFC-certified wood from ecologically managed forests is used. The organic components of the composite material are environmentally friendly. Unlike conventional wood, NaturinForm decking does not require the use of environmentally harmful chemicals for maintenance; plain water is sufficient for cleaning. Furthermore, the decking boards are 100% recyclable and can be returned to the factory in Redwitz, Upper Franconia, for recycling. The company offers a five-year warranty on its products.