Soaked green

Building design

Matcha, matcha, matcha. This is the concept behind both the menu at Matchasome and the interior. The café in Berlin Mitte specializes exclusively in the trendy green drink and sells it in a variety of forms. The matching store was designed by Jäll & Tofta, who clearly opted for the obvious color green. Counter, walls, floor, ceiling – everything is kept in the same shade of green, which also matches the design of the store’s corporate identity, such as the coffee cups. The explosion of color is broken up by the other half of the room, which is kept very simple in white. Large black lettering emblazoned on the wall rounds off the overall result. Incidentally, the area of the café in the next room is also worth a look, as another color dominates from top to bottom: dark blue.

Take a look at this post on Instagram

A post shared by JÄLL & TOFTA (@jaellundtofta)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Art Nouveau perdu

Building design

The Kaiser Friedrich restaurant in Essen is to be demolished.

The Kaiser Friedrich restaurant in Essen is to be demolished.

The city of Essen does not seem to have a good hand for architectural history: in 2008, it crowned its “Day of Architecture” by blowing up Wilhelm Kreis’ Art Nouveau department store Althoff.

A similar action is now planned again: The traditional Art Nouveau inn “Kaiser Friedrich”, built in 1907 according to plans by local architect Alfred Heyn, is not worth the effort for the head of the municipal monument authority, Dr. Petra Beckers. She is of the opinion that the preservation of this building is “an issue of cityscape preservation, not monument preservation.” And furthermore: “We can’t save everything.”

In misjudging her genuine task of monument protection, it seems to her “increasingly important that buildings that are not monuments must be preserved by interested people by joining forces, acquiring these buildings, repairing them, etc. – completely without state direction. The responsibility for dealing with these buildings lies with the owners.”

Until recently, the inn was run as a good Italian restaurant. So there is no sign of neglect. Unfortunately, the building is currently empty. An application for demolition has already been submitted, but no application for entry in the list of monuments. Dr. Beckers is therefore unfortunately inclined to decide on the basis of the files.

FAB Architectural Bureau – exclusive showroom for porcelain stoneware tiles in Berlin

Building design

The showroom of the FAB Architectural Bureau is located in a listed building of the former Sarotti chocolate factory. The modern, redesigned industrial complex is the ideal place to present the fine stone products of the manufacturers Graniti Fiandre, Porcelaingres and Ariostea.

The showroom of the FAB Architectural Bureau is located in a listed building of the former Sarotti chocolate factory. The modern, redesigned industrial complex is the ideal place to present the fine stone products of the manufacturers Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, Porcelaingres and Ariostea.

All three brands are part of the Iris Ceramica Group and specialize in high-quality porcelain stoneware tiles. What their products have in common is subtle aesthetics, low weight, maximum durability, frost resistance, lasting color fastness and high abrasion and break resistance. The tiles are easy to lay and the look of their surfaces ranges from marble and stone to concrete and cement to wood grain and monochrome solutions. Tiles up to 4.5 square meters in size enable the uniform design of large areas. The wide range of technical porcelain stoneware can be used to create indoor and outdoor areas, raised floors and a wide variety of furnishing elements.

Ariostea and Graniti Fiandre are based in Castellarano, 20 kilometers southwest of Modena. Ariostea specializes in ceramic tiles with a wood and natural stone look, among other things. Graniti Fiandre has an extensive range of tile solutions for floor and wall coverings, ranging from wellness and hotel areas to the medical sector. The Porcelaingres brand, which has been based in Vetschau, Brandenburg, since 2003, combines Italian style with German quality in its high-quality porcelain stoneware tiles.

All images: © Felix Löchner Architectural Photography

In the showroom of the FAB Architectural Bureau, the tiles are also shown in use, as the premises are also used to stage brand, design, architecture and art experiences. They have already served as a backdrop for award ceremonies, fashion shows, show cooking events, presentations and as a community and networking space.

Florian Sommer Heyblend