咖啡馆讲解丨Grau Architects

Architects:Grau Architects

Area:90m²

Year:2021

Photographs:Matej Hakár

Design Team:Andrej Olah, Filip Marčák, Jana Filípková, Matej Kurajda

City:Bratislava

Country:Slovakia

Text description provided by the architects. Café Výklad is located in Banská Bystrica, on the ground floor of a house that has been rebuilt several times in the past. The very last renovation filled the main volume with a plasterboard set piece, which significantly affected the overall space concept. Thus, the main intention was to bring the original proportions back and so the archetypal qualities of the house are highlighted and complemented by new details and elements.

As the name of the café itself suggests, the dominant features are the large, glazed openings- the showcases, which give the café a good supply of daylight. Each showcase attracts pedestrians from the street with a slightly different atmosphere. The first one has a dominant glass-concrete bar, where the main activity of the café takes place. The second one catches one’s attention with the central neon logo of the café. The last showcase stands out as a main gathering area surrounded by an "endless" green oasis.

The large, suspended lamps are made of an aluminum sheet of burgundy color. They form patterns that are then repeated in other objects throughout the design. These ‘chandeliers’ function as a reminder of the original historical space and so the overall symmetry of the layout of the objects was preserved. The interior was cleaned from unnecessary, however, various old deposits that reflect the time evolution were exposed. For instance, the walls and ceiling are salvaged in the form of many past layers that are painted only with a transparent coating. This very raw character represents the overall design strategy.

The softness in the interior is executed by a concrete floor screed finish which was then pink tinted. The contrast is created by the refurbished old furniture in a pleasant dialogue with the new pieces, made of bleached beech plywood. The existing design of the toilets was maintained and painted with a burgundy color. This formed a base for the new illustrations and spatial objects made by designer Emil Taschka which were applied to the original tiling.

Interior lighting is an integral part of the design. The variety of lamps offers several levels of intensities and principles of light, which are essential ingredients that wrap up the overall ambiance of the cafe. The space is complemented by paintings by artists David and Marta Javorsky.

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Project location

Address:Bratislava, Slovakia