Cover story: Weishäupl

Oskar Friedrich Weishäupl is a pioneer of outdoor living. Long before entire living rooms moved onto terraces in Germany, before open-air dinners were moved under tree canopies and sofas were being found besides swimming pools, Weishäupl was already dreaming of life outside. ‘Forty years ago, I was already propagating the idea of life outside’ he recounts. ‘My philosophy was always: go outside, live there and don't bring just your coffee cups out there’. At this time, in the early seventies, garden furniture was cleared into garages, cellars and storerooms when not in use. The Monobloc had just been invented – an injection-moulded plastic chair that flooded outdoor spaces as a revolutionarily cheap and weatherproof piece of furniture. But cosy and stylish? Not exactly. Weishäupl was firmly convinced that there was another way.

A few years earlier, in 1969, he founded the Weishäupl company with a student friend Bob Arnold and developed a modular shelving system. Next, he became interested in the idea of producing comfortable and well-designed furniture for the open air and perhaps the reason why a particular scene caught his eye while on a motorbike tour through Italy. On Verona's Piazza d'Erbe market square, he came across large sunshades that provided shade not only for individuals but for entire situations.

Back in Germany, meanwhile, users lying on sun loungers under smaller German parasols had to choose between feet or face being provided with shade. If the sun moved, so did the shade, while the rickety plastic construction could barely withstand much more than a gentle gust. Weishäupl was convinced that the shady and robust qualities of the Dolce Vita that he saw in Verona could also gain a foothold back at home and produced the first prototype in his home town of Stephanskirchen in 1974. The base was made of solid, high-quality wood and the umbrella cover of wind-resistant canvas, similar to the models he had seen in Italy. His training as a precision mechanic and toolmaker helped with the design and construction. In the summer, he took his interpretation of the market umbrella to the Spoga sports and garden fair, where he was met, initially, with head-shaking from many visitors. He also experienced positive reactions, however, with other fair-goers understanding the benefits offered by more generously shaded outdoor spaces and soon the first orders start rolling in.

The creation of this first umbrella also raised the question for Weishäupl of what could be placed under it. Furniture made for long-term use in the garden and on balconies and able to withstand the weather was largely unknown. ‘They only existed in covered areas,’ explains Weishäupl. ‘No one would have dared to do that outdoors.’ Here, too, the visionary outdoor lover was not deterred and launched an outdoor furniture programme for which courage and expertise were needed. Because a summer season outdoors – with hot days, storms, garden parties, pool breaks, outdoor dinners, drizzle and downpours – is an extreme existence for a piece of furniture.

Textiles and materials are exposed to wind, rain and dew, they have to survive dramatic changes in temperature and, above all, withstand the sun, which fades colours and causes many things to quickly feel weathered. Weishäupl had a simple answer to these requirements, however: the best possible quality – in terms of both the production process as well as materials. In 1977, the company launched its first Classic outdoor series made of durable teak and galvanised steel. It is still in the range today highlighting Weishäupl's focus on wood as a material. Over time, further furniture series were added – from modern aluminium furniture to full outdoor lounges and cosy dining chairs with backrests made of comfortable cord weaves.

Today, the company is run by the second generation of the family in the shape of Stefanie Weishäupl-Ehrl and Philipp Weishäupl. Umbrellas remain Weishäupl's constant core product. They are made of wood or aluminium, equipped with central or side arms, come in different formats and offer an extensive choice of fabrics. The company has built up an umbrella portfolio that offers a suitable model for every situation. What all designs have in common is that they are still produced at the family's factory in Upper Bavaria and that, in addition to modern production techniques, handcraft and the true idea of manufacture still play central roles.

Anyone who buys a Weishäupl umbrella has chosen a product that, in the best case, will last for generations. It not only offers repairs and cleaning, but also the replacement of the umbrella fabric. Users who find themselves moving house, buying new garden furniture or simply looking for a change of colour do not need to buy a new one, but rather simply replace the cover. Weishäupl sources its fabrics from specialist companies with decades of experience in the sailmaking tradition, offering the highest standards in terms of technical equipment and resistance to light.

Weishäupl umbrellas can be found in the private gardens and on the terraces of many high-end hotels and well-known companies, with their numerous design options allowing public as well as private customers to achieve an individualised appearance. Some well-known customers include Schloss Elmau, Meseberg, as well as the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, for whose extensive and colourful grounds Weishäupl has developed sunshades with two different segment colours. In this version, the dome-shaped pagoda parasols and the conical classic parasol are reminiscent of the typical two-colour design of circus tents, which announce their positive mood even afar. The cooperation with the renowned design specialist was so successful that the 2023 line was permanently adopted into Weishäupl's programme as a ‘mixed version’.

It is a timeless look that can be staged as a strong contrast, but also works discreetly with more-restrained tones, making the umbrella the aesthetic protagonist of any garden furniture ensemble. It is also an example of the small (colour) evolutions in the Weishäupl portfolio, because in the beginning, the parasols were white only. Colour was then added to the range and then in 2003, its now legendary Multicolor striped pattern was introduced. With its iconic character, the new mixed version also has the potential to be a future evergreen of the company's catalogue – as well as the most beautiful umbrella at the garden parties of the next generation.

The series also recently showed off its design qualities in Milan, where it provided colourful accents and shady spots on the terrace of the DAAily Bar as part of Design Week 2023.

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