The Intro restaurant and bar, located in the Finnish town of Kuopio, was reopened in the autumn of 2014 after extensive reconstruction. The author of the new interior conception is the Joanna Laajisto Creative Studio, from Helsinki. The premises, with a total area of 450 m2, were divided into the restaurant - with 50 seats, and the night club – with the same area, on the other side.
The interior of the restaurant is designed with a nice palette of colours which is reflected in the choice of upholstery. The accessories, with their mostly stark and fine lines, stand in contrast in some places to dark graphical elements on the walls. The pattern of the floor - in a single-colour tone, gives the space a geometrical element; without burdening it too much. The overall impression of the restaurant is light and very airy.
11 metre concrete bar, located in front of a white brick wall, leads to the side with the club. The whole area is elevated, in contrast to the rest of the room, and provides a good view over the rest of the space. It is naturally divided by custom-made benches. The aim was to create a relaxed, informal atmosphere that is also induced by the soft armchairs placed on the concrete floor.
Apart from the colours and upholstery patterns, the key connection between both areas two models of the Merano family by the TON Company, that were recently awarded the iF Design Award. The chair and the barstool, by Alexander Gufler, links a lower construction made from massive wood with the harmonious shapes of bent plywood used in the seats and backrests. Due to the technology used, they are very light, and do not contain any screws or metal parts. In addition to the “iF Design Award”, the Merano Chair and Barstool have also been awarded the German Design Award 2015 Special Mention. The offer of an armchair variant helps complement the whole collection. First introduced by TON in 2010, it has gone on to gain several international awards; including the Red Dot Design or Good Design Awards.
