The Retro Café in Gdańsk is located on Piwna Street, in the historic fabric of the city. It is a place frequented by locals and tourists alike, with a full spectrum of generations to be found among the regulars. Students drop in for a quick espresso, and long-standing residents of the area have long regarded Retro as a natural start to the day – back in the days when cafés were not part of the urban ritual, but a local refuge. Recently, the café has been given a new look. The interior design was created by the PB / STUDIO studio.
When Michalina, the café’s owner, invited the designers to work with her, she set them a task that required not only intuition, but also courage. The aim was to refresh the interior in such a way that it did not lose its character: warmth, hospitality and a slight nostalgia, which has been its strength for years. At the same time, a new visual language was needed – one that was fresh, contemporary but unobtrusive. One that would allow loyal visitors to find familiar emotions, while also opening up space for the next chapter in the history of this popular café.
Time proved to be the biggest challenge. The entire work had to close in two months, which required an intense, almost artisanal decision-making process. Every detail mattered and the pace of the work enforced absolute attentiveness and consistency. Before the first sketches were made, however, the designers carefully analysed the space they found, trying to capture what was most distinctive about Retro. The aim was not to reconstruct the past, but to interpret it in a contemporary way.
The new material language was based on a palette of warm, enveloping colours. These include wine maroon, soft heather and golden mustard yellow – a combination that creates a feeling of cosiness and subtle elegance. The dark wood is juxtaposed with the natural marble floor, while the patterned wallpaper adds to the intimacy of the interior, evoking associations with a home library or a living room where time passes more slowly.
An important gesture was to preserve almost all the existing furniture. Subjected to renovation, they have regained their freshness without losing their original character. Elements that have built up Retro’s identity over the years have also returned: family photographs, old typewriters, old cameras. These small traces of private history have once again become part of the place’s narrative, reminding us that the café is not only a utilitarian space, but also a vehicle for memory.
The focal point of the new interior is a bar finished with a stone top in deep coffee brown. During the day, the sunlight is particularly effective here, casting soft, long shadows and bringing out the intensity of the colours used. It is in this part of the premises that one can best see how the design combines aesthetics with functionality – the bar is both the heart of the service and the visual anchor of the entire space. In the background, the smell of freshly ground coffee fills the interior and sets the rhythm from the early hours of the morning.
This is how the premises looked BEFORE the refurbishment:
Retro’s new look is a conscious combination of the venue’s history and the need for contemporary comfort. The space has not lost its character; in fact, it has gained new depth. The designers have managed to bring out the potential that has been present for years, although not always fully exposed. Retro remains what it was from the beginning – a place for meetings, daily rituals and small pleasures – but today it tells this story in a language that allows it to resonate.
design: PB / STUDIO
photography: Oni Studio
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