NEUHĀUSL HUNAL

In 2019 we completed Kro Kitchen bistro at the square Jiřího z Poděbrad in Prague. The bistro quickly became successful and that then led to a creation of their new bakery in Vršovice. One year later the client contacted us again to design their new cafe in a vacant space right next to the existing Kro. The cafe would serve delicious coffee as well as custom Kro pastries.

For this project we chose a more conservative approach due to the character of the place and the cafe typology. This approach is mainly represented by a multifunctional monolith made of artificial stone in a contemporary style. It was also important to create a fundamental connection between the existing bistro and new cafe. The main aim was to find a balance between giving the cafe a unique character and its connection to the existing bistro in the neighbouring building. Iconic lighting now appears in both of the interiors but changes its form by straightening into recessed lighting in the cafe and ending with a round lamp (a dot). The radical material section of the bistro changed in the cafe into a fine line between stucco, textured wall and tiles in the hygienic part.  Both spaces are also connected by use of plywood, the same type of chairs as well as high seating at the entrance. We also collaborated with a graphic artist Marek Fanta and artist David Černý aka Honey on both projects.

The interior of the cafe is defined by two compact blocks and offers three types of seating. There is also enough space for shopping next to the counter. The layout is flexible which was also proven to be efective with the pandemic restrictions. Both of the blocks combine several functions and can be used by staff as well as customers. We also created an informal connection to the exterior by installing the retractable shop window to be used in the warmer months. During the reconstruction we exposed the existing stone floor, removed the suspicious ATM and large advertising space from the stone facade.

The material palette and layout is dominated by a uniform main counter made of artificial stone, which is  lined with beech plywood on the sides. The stone surface is used for work and warm timber is for the comfort of the customers. The material palette and textures create a lively basis for the cafe. White textured walls and classic stucco turns into an acoustic ceiling with recessed lighting. We also managed to come up with a bespoke and sophisticated textured wall with a motif of an exploded sketch of a rooster head by David Černý. This textured wall is a plastic, washable finish known from the hallways of buildings in the past that‘s now being commonly removed. In a way, a despised material that is very practical is here being used as an avantgarde decoration.

Kro Coffee

Realization: 2021

Address: Vinohradská 64, Prague

Total area: 52 m2

Photo: Radek Úlehla, Dita Havránková

Graphic design: Marek Fanta

Illustration: Honey

Construction: Borci

Team: David Neuhäusl, Matěj Hunal, Veronika Paľová, Jakub Zelenák