Last summer, we visited the owners of Közért Bar and Csemege Presszó, that is, the Káli Cool, Zsófi Faur and his partner, Pál Szilágyi, who are well-known from the Budapest art scene. Not long after the first anniversary of their opening, they are full of new ideas, energy and plans. Here we go!
Káli Cool is a multifunctional meeting point on the slopes of Balaton Uplands, in Káptalantóti: an apartment, an eclectic art boutique with contemporary art and vintage furniture gallery, a bar, a café and a specialty shop. The uniquely renovated complex is essentially the further-thought and expanded summer version of Zsófi Faur’s contemporary art gallery on Bartók Béla Street. “In mid-June, as the schools close, so does the gallery. This way, however, we don’t have to cease being a cultural medium because anyone can meet us and visit the gallery’s collection here.” Pál told us. Of course, this all is done in an informal and free-spirited surrounding. Originally, they were aiming at the art-loving public in Budapest, who, based on experience, prefer to spend their summers at Lake Balaton. However, to their pleasant surprise, they receive guests from all over the country, so they can reach people they would probably not have been able to reach through the Budapest gallery.
This year, two new apartments and a summer kitchen have been added to the complex, with the apartments built in a separate wing of the former Rosenfeld chandler’s shop. The butcher’s shop itself has been transformed into a Harlequin-named residence, with a canopy bed, brick wall, polished beams and colored inlaid glass windows creating a special atmosphere. A former toilet room in the chandler’s shop has been converted into a rustic living area with an exposed brick vault ceiling. In addition to the accommodation, there is a new community unit waiting for the guests: the garden gas bottle exchange site has been demolished and replaced by a covered summer kitchen, where you can comfortably cut melons, cook, drink wine and socialize even in the rainy season. This lounge unit is made really intimate by the mood lighting, with a wrought-iron chandelier and colorful grazing lights to play with.
The next question to be decided is the fate of a 1942 Czech railway carriage parked in the garden. It is a real relic, as there are three of them in the whole country. Its full restoration has already begun, but it is not yet clear whether it will be used as a sauna house or an electric bike station. It will, of course, continue to be used until its final function, currently as a garden terrace. Another new feature is that, from last weekend, you can now enjoy cooked food in addition to the brunch offer: a food truck has moved into the garden.
Surfin’ the Baltic | Baltic Surf Scapes by Krysztof Jędrzejak
A Cubist building hides the repertoire of BOMMA: the BOMMA Atelier opened
