How can you make a cafe located on 230 square meters in an industrial building feel like home? The owners of CO KAFE cafe chain operating in the city of Ostrava, the Czech Republic did not leave the renovation to chance – owing to the architects of local company Studio Q, the end result is exciting and cozy at the same time.
The team of Studio Q, Gabriela Knýblová and Petr Kundrát designed two units for CO KAFE cafe chain in two quite distant spots of the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. CO KAFE Dolní Vítkovice is situated in the industrial quarter, while CO KAFE Poruba awaits caffeine addicts and brunch fans next to a busy main road. (There is, by the way, also a third unit, CO KAFE Centrum operating in the center of the city – the Ed.).
While Gabriela is primarily responsible for the interiors, Petr is in charge of architectural design: they have already designed several family homes and offices across the Czech Republic, besides various reconstruction projects. In addition to the interior design of the cafes, they also gave an industrial makeover to ETÁŽ, a catering unit operating in a red brick building, functioning as a bar and a cinema at the same time.
In the case of CO KAFE lying on 230 square meters in an industrial milieu, the designers had to design the space while keeping several functions in mind: in addition to the cafe, the clients also wanted to have a roastery and a bakery established in the space. The designer duo of Studio Q had to create these three units while also creating a cozy and comfortable ambience for the guests.
And they managed to do just that: the snow-white counter and grey brick wall lying under the steel supporting elements painted all black could result in a depressing vibe, but the warm-toned and upholstered furniture, the salmon-colored wall surfaces popping up here and there and the spherical lamps radiating ease and lightness contribute a lot to warming up this rigid, industrial atmosphere.
In addition to the upholstered armchairs and sofas, some pieces of wooden furniture are also used in CO KAFE – a part of these were purchased from TON, a furniture factory established in 1861 by Michael Thonet. They also collaborated with local craftsman Kamil Lokaj in creating the various woodwork elements. The space is complemented by a giant glass surface behind the counter glaring in cold light, allowing guests to take a peek into the processes of coffee roasting and breadmaking.
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