The assignment was to turn a parking garage in concrete into a Polish restaurant that would also function as a late evening bar.
After a research trip to Poland, including visits to old factories, the concept took shape and the restaurant was named Nazdrowje (Polish for cheers).
The first thing was to tear down the wall between a flower shop and the old parking garage. The concrete floor from the upper level became the concrete top of the bar at the lower level. This binds these two levels together in a good way.
The natural raw atmosphere of the space was kept and used as a base for the concept. The concrete floors have a pleasant sheen and contrasts nicely with the paler casted concrete benches which are mounted directly onto the walls. The concrete tables in the lounge area has tops made in copper.
In contrast to the hard feeling from the concrete I wanted something to give the space warmth. Hence I chose copper since the color gives a good contrast to the concrete and ages beautifully. The large fire place, the unique lighting arrangement and also the radiators are custom made in copper. You will also find this material in the bathrooms and as tops of the concrete tables in the lounge.
The vintage pendant lamps from a factory in the Czech Republic together with the vintage Tolix chairs blends in good with the raw atmosphere.
The idea for the artwork came to me during the project. I got to know the workers and their history and felt it was both a bit of an honour and a fun detail to let them be a part of the future of the restaurant by displaying them on the walls. They really had a good time getting their photos taken by professional photographer Mattias Lindbäck!
Frequently used materials include concrete, copper, steel and white tiles.
