大众汽车公司餐厅设计丨德国柏林丨Ester Bruzkus Architekten

In a bold move set to redefine corporate dining, Berlin-based Ester Bruzkus Architekten has unveiled a radical redesign of a popular restaurant on the Volkswagen corporate campus. The Beef Club offers a fresh take on the traditional company cafeteria, elevating it to a dining destination with style and substance.

The design cleverly divides the restaurant into two distinct areas, each catering to different dining experiences. At the front is a vibrant social area that opens onto an outdoor terrace. At the back sits an elegant private space perfect for intimate gatherings and celebrations.

At the heart of the restaurant is the true star of the show—an open kitchen where chefs perform a culinary theatre, grilling both meats and vegetables in full view of diners. The centrepiece of this spectacle is an open brick fireplace, evoking a primal connection to food preparation and communal dining.

The Beef Club’s menu revolves around the theme of ‘Fire & Salt’, a concept that Ester Bruzkus Architekten has translated into the very fabric of the space. The design team has selected materials that echo this culinary philosophy. Brick is used extensively in the open kitchen and fireplace, with baked earth material seen in both glazed and unglazed varieties, creating a textural interplay. In a surprising twist, salt becomes the second building material. A solid salt block serves as a display table, while dining tables are crafted from salt-treated wood, imparting a unique colour and texture.

The outdoor space hasn’t been neglected either. The brick flooring extends to the terrace and built-in benches, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor flow. A lightweight metal pergola frames the outdoor area, defining spaces without imposing boundaries.

The overall design is a cheerful and colourful composition of discrete spaces within spaces. This approach allows for a variety of dining experiences within a single restaurant, catering to different moods and occasions.

[Images courtesy of Ester Bruzkus. Photography by Pion Studio.]