From idea to “Butterfly”
Markus Rump and the mobile wintergarden
Simone Brake
When we announced the fully mobile wintergarden as an April Fool's joke in April, it provoked many surprised reactions. For Markus Rump from the mechanical processing department, however, the article was more than just a joke – as he read it, dozens of ideas immediately sprang to mind. “Mobile, yes – but it should be foldable, that's what sets Solarlux apart,” says Markus.
Creativity meets engineering
Markus developed the concept for a transportable, foldable wintergarden. “I took the wintergarden apart piece by piece to develop a folding mechanism that would actually make it foldable,” he explains. In his mind, he broke the wintergarden down into individual functional areas – from the roof to the side elements to the supports. Piece by piece, he considered which components could be folded, slid or telescoped without losing stability. His approach: a modular basic construction whose profiles slide into each other and whose glass elements can be folded together like bi-fold doors. The result is a wintergarden that can be reduced to a compact size and reassembled just as quickly.
Unlimited possible applications
The vision behind Butterfly – as Markus calls his idea – is multifaceted: “At events, trade fairs or in private homes – when people move, the wintergarden simply moves with them.” A wintergarden that not only saves space but can also be used flexibly anywhere.
Inspiration from design and passion
Markus draws his inspiration from visionary designers such as Luigi Colani: “He designed shapes differently and expressed his creative skills. That motivates me to think in new ways as well.” What began as an April Fool's joke has become a real thought-provoking stimulus for innovation. Buttefly shows that creativity, technical expertise and passion can turn even a small joke into a grand vision.
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