It is an original concept combining a café and a plant studio. Helen Cafe in Wrocław is sometimes used as a space for workshops and group meetings. The interior was designed by architects from the CUDO studio:.
Helen Cafe is located in a new building on Januszowicka Street in Borek in Wrocław. This is a residential part of the city that combines German pre-war construction with Polish post-war modernism. Like the neighbourhood, Helen is an okncept that connects, it is a meeting place for both Wroclawians and office workers.
Serving as a café, the space has been organised opposite the long bar, which acts as a display and coffee preparation area. Seating can be taken both at the bar and at tables arranged between plants on platforms. The latter at one time function as a lodge, at another time as a place of display.
When we designed Helen’s interior, we focused on creating a space that dynamically adapts to guests’ needs. The minimalist form of the place allows for a quick change of function – at one time it works as a café among the plants, at another time as a workshop space or a place for evening relaxation with wine, say the authors of the project.
The interior of the premises is very malleable and can easily change. At any time, Helen Café can turn into a workspace. Depending on the needs, its large central bar turns into a workshop space. It can be occupied in part or in its entirety, as all technological equipment is located on the common wall of the kitchen and can function independently as a ‘backbar’ open to the workshop space.
The interior of the premises was created using materials that correspond with the green façade of the building. The earth tones used in the design match the ubiquitous plants and the dark grey tiles allude to the old pre-war brick. The whole is tied together by a delicate white that alludes to the architecture of post-war modernism, which stitched together the fabric of the district in the 1950s and gave it new social functions.
Our aim was to create a space that seamlessly connects the interior and exterior, so we focused on the use of large windows through which the greenery is visible. The introduction of plants into the interior and the use of a mirrored wall behind the bar heightened the impression that the space was filled with nature, making guests feel as if they were in a garden, the project authors conclude.
design: CUDO:
design team: Tomasz Borowiak, Aleksander Czerwonka-Jabłoński, Marta Masełko, Margareta Sztejkowska
photography: Migdał Studio
Read also: Wrocław | Restaurant | Bar | Detail | Interiors | whiteMAD on Instagram
