Idea & history

The history, or rather pre-history, of the company

Often, and also in this case, it is not so much the still short company history itself that is interesting, but the prehistory, i.e. the time up to the founding of the company. And in the case of Replicata, this began in the 1980s.

Since 1988, the company Florian Langenbeck, Historische Türen, Schlösser und Beschläge has been trading in these and other historical building elements from the last three centuries. The company was increasingly confronted with requests for materials that could not be procured as historical originals at all, in the desired quantities or only at astronomical prices.

This problem was compounded by the no less daunting task of completing originals. For example, matching rosettes and plates for door handles or glass for flat entrance doors had to be procured. An endeavour that, in these times of seemingly unlimited availability of all resources, should not present a real challenge at first glance, or so one would think.

In fact, there were and are competent specialist suppliers for some materials. Other materials were simply not available as new goods. So Florian Langenbeck began to establish contacts with smaller and larger metalworking companies and craftsmen still familiar with old craftsmanship. The commissioned replica editions supplemented the range of historical originals. The starting point for these editions was always the originals in the company's own collection.

In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for the Florian Langenbeck company to run originals and replicas in parallel. This is because Florian Langenbeck's core business, the trade in historical originals, continued to dominate. However, the production and delivery of high-quality replicas as a necessary complementary business increasingly tied up capacity. There was also too great a risk that the authenticity of the historical originals would be jeopardised by the simultaneous presentation.

With the founding of Replicata by Florian Langenbeck and his long-time employee Verena Kohlbrenner in autumn 2000, a clear organisational cut was created. Both companies now have a clear, unmistakable profile. But there is more behind this seemingly fashionable and industrial-strategic approach: an idea that has been driving the founders for years.

The idea

The growing need alone would probably not have led to the founding of this company. Even the fact that the founders have always enjoyed bringing historical architectural details "back to the people" was ultimately not the deciding factor.

The decisive impetus for the founding of Replicata was the fact that more and more clients felt the need to find beautifully designed solutions for details in renovations and new builds: A market had developed that was no longer covered by the "traditional" suppliers. For many clients, the need to utilise beautifully designed and traditional building details could only be satisfied by the proverbial search for a needle in a haystack.

The time available for this search is very limited in the typical renovation or new-build stress. This is where the idea of the company founders comes in: Regardless of whether builders are looking for components that have already been lost in a renovation or want to create design counterpoints to the current austerity in a new build, they should find what they are looking for at Replicata.

Of course, the selection of building elements is subjective and limited in number compared to the variety of originals. However, the founders' 20 years of familiarising themselves with the historical originals have trained their eye: For proportions that have become permanently engraved in the memory; for manufacturing processes that have traditionally stood the test of time; for surfaces that are pleasing to the hand and eyes. Before all these "soft" criteria, however, there is the "hard" selection criterion: the functionality of the building element.

All building elements will be looked at, walked on or handled by the client several times a day for the rest of their lives. It is therefore all the more important that function, form and material form a coherent unit. You should be able to touch a component with satisfaction even after the ten thousandth time.

Replicata's product range cannot satisfy all needs. There will always be room at Replicata, both online and offline, for further offers and enquiries. Regardless of whether you are a customer looking for a producer or a producer looking for a customer: Replicata will make the contact. With each new edition of reproduced building details, the founders have achieved the goal they are pursuing with their idea: another architectural building detail is available.