Netherlands trip 2008 - part 2 - Zussen in Utrecht

Zussen is now ranked amongst my favourite places to have a drink in Utrecht. An eclectic mix of various styles and materials, it is a bar-restaurant with a youthful clientèle, tasteful food and interesting music.


Located at Korte Jansstraat 23, Utrecht, in the centre of the city, it was a welcome haven on a humid and cold Monday evening. Although it was the start of the week, there were enough people there to make it lively and vibrant, aided by the eccentric decoration.

Wood is the main note in this neo-baroque concert of materials, either in rough, raw looking planks on the floor and walls...


...or dark looking wenghe with an 80's revival feel in the bar area:


The lighting is another interesting parameter of this establishment. Colour changing lights are used in the wall opposite the bar (it changed constantly from fuchsia to red, yellow, orange, green, blue)...

...to the use of tree branches, big and small, to light the seating areas...

...and a couple of huge lamp shades to finish off the look:


Swirling patterns on the fabric of the chairs (also used as wallpaper in the wooden grid framing the colour-changing wall) and huge painting reproductions on the walls, along with the use of polished stone on the floor, complete the picture. I will definitely go again on my next visit to Utrecht!

The new face of Flocafe unveiled in Glyfada, Athens!

Tetragon Ltd., the company I work for, is responsible for the new image of the Flocafe chain of cafés. The concept for it was finalized after many sessions with Vivartia officials and the design team, ending up in a number of distinct themes.



Flocafe is the biggest chain of cafés in Greece. It belongs to the Vivartia group, the largest food group of companies in the Balkans. Until now, the design of their franchise shops was not following specific guidelines regarding their image. Since the competition s getting stronger though, and with the expansion of Starbucks in Greece, they decided it is time for a change.


The main feature of all the themes of the concept is the repeated use of the spiral incorporated into their logo. That is achieved with a variety of materials and solutions, from lighting to print to constructions etc.






The new Flocafe in Glyfada is the pilot shop. Incorporating the "ecological" theme of the general concept, it features big semi-transparent eco-resin walls (from 3form) with enclosed plant parts in them. With light placed behind, they become an impressive eye-catcher both in the bar and in other areas of the establishment:






The main colour used in this version of the concept is red. It dominates a big partition running throughout the ground floor area, unifying all parts of the shop.


The shop was extended on the ground floor with a semi-permanent glass and metal construction, to allow for the maximum number of seats needed. As it serves food apart from coffee and snacks, various types of furniture were used to delineate these areas.


In the following picture of the upper level you can see the special device for helping people with disabilities use the stairs.


Lemon trees are used at the upper level to convey a sense of nature.


I hope to be able to post professional pictures when I have more material available.

All photos courtesy of Valentino Marengo/Tetragon Ltd.

Dirk Winkel: a star in the making?

Dirk Winkel is a young designer who just graduated from the University of the Arts, Berlin. His homage to the great icons of 20th century design as stackable, cheap, plastic objects, makes them even more desirable. Somebody snap up the rights for manufacturing!



From Design Milk.