The ice cream parlour with the flirtatious name Fiu Fiu is located in an old tenement in Gorlice. The intimate interior was designed by architects from the Ładny Kwadrat studio – Karolina Augustyn and Monika Cieplak.
The interior is honest and simple, but its arrangement was not at all easy. The elongated shape of the premises and the wall dividing the space required the creation of a rather unusual functional layout. The first part, which is entered directly from the outside, has tables and seating areas, while the heart of the premises, i.e. the part where ice cream is served, has been designed in the depth of the premises.
Feel welcome, come in. Feel at ease, take a comfortable seat – that’s how we wanted to welcome visitors to the ice cream parlour. Families with children of all ages were our main target group, and it was for them that the multi-level, streamlined seating was created. We knew that a well-thought-out space, even a small one, would make them feel at ease. The seat does not enforce a single position. We wanted children to be able to even lie down if they wanted to. The buckwheat-filled cushions, which can be arranged as desired, add to the sense of comfort. Above the seat, there is a blue neon sign with the ice cream parlour’s logo, which has unexpectedly become the most photographed design element by customers,” describe the architects.
There are more places to sit. The wall on the other side is classically designed, with an elongated high-back sofa upholstered in the same fabric as the cushions on the wavy seat. Above the sofa hangs Aldex ball lamps.
When designing the interior, the architects were inspired by ice cream. The wafer and its angular structure appeared in the form of… a decorative development in the shop window and on the wall above the sofa. The two-coloured epoxy resin floor, on the other hand, appears to spill out like an ice cream topping.
The name Fiu Fiu connotes sky and lightness. The installation of curtains on the ceiling was the starting point here, playing a dual role: it creates a mood by alluding to the name of the establishment and increases acoustic comfort. Sound does not bounce off the walls, which is an important aspect in a small venue full of children. The form of the fabric is reminiscent of the undulating shapes of the seat and floor,” the designers add.
An irregular line on the resin floor leads to the interior of the premises, which divides the space into two parts. The first is on the right and is distinguished by a distressed blue, while on the left the space is kept in a grey colour scheme. This combination of colours is intended to give the interior a light and pleasantly cool feel. The contrasting element is copper, which appears in the form of details in many places.
The heart of the ice cream parlour has been carefully designed. The place where ice cream and coffee are served. The surface of the counter and the entire wall behind it are lined with white Neve Creative Paradyż tiles. The shape of the tiles is accentuated with terracotta-coloured grouting. The space above the counter is decorated with a huge chandelier made of glass feathers, and even higher up, the original brick vault, which reminds us of the history of the place.
The effect that has been achieved would not have been possible without the openness of the investor, who placed his trust in us by entrusting us with the project and was open to all the solutions we came up with during the design work, concludes the Ładny Kwadrat team.
interior design: Ładny Kwadrat (Karolina Augustyn, Monika Cieplak)
photos: Hanna Połczyńska Chronicles
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