In the Munich district of Aubing, a former coal-fired power plant with a 23-meter-high boiler hall has been transformed into a new center for art and culture. Arnold / Werner was responsible for the design of the ground-floor reception, restaurant, and event spaces, as well as a live music club in the basement. The overarching goal was to enhance the unique impact of the listed 1940s industrial architecture while simultaneously creating timeless spaces on a human scale.
The interior design was based on the idea of translating the combustion processes that once took place here into a subtle material and color concept. The daytime bar „Anima“ is primarily ash gray and sulfur yellow, a reference to ash and sulfur. In the fine-dining restaurant „Zeitlang,“ deep black surfaces and flamed wood, evoking coal and combustion, combine with the untreated concrete and brick structure to create an atmosphere that is both elegant and inviting. Red, the color of fire and embers, defines the „Barbastelle“ live music venue and adds an expressive touch.
A key design feature of the venue, which can accommodate up to 200 people, is the exposed historical concrete walls and columns. Age-related salt efflorescence is visible on the raw-looking concrete, as are occasional graffiti pieces that appeared after the power plant‘s decommissioning. These remnants of the past stand in striking contrast to the precisely crafted new fixtures, such as fixed side platforms with benches. These flank a central area with graycoated parquet flooring, which is furnished with tables and chairs and can also serve as a dance floor when needed. Dimmable LED wall and pendant lights bathe the space in a pleasantly warm light and complement the ambient lighting provided by discreet ceiling spotlights.
The most striking element of the 220-square-meter space is the nine-meter-long bar counter with a countertop made of Brannenburg conglomerate and side panels of terracotta-colored, through-dyed clay plaster.
The latter is also found on the seating platforms and in the niches of the bar shelves, which are illuminated by narrow LED strips. The shelf niches can be closed off with delicate scissor-type screens, allowing the space to be rented even without a bar. Their dark red color harmonizes with the upholstery of the chairs, stools, and benches, as well as with the ventilation pipes precisely integrated into the ceiling structure and the fabric-covered acoustic panels made of red-stained beech.
The latter is also found on the seating platforms and in the niches of the bar shelves, which can be illuminated with narrow LED strips. Several design elements clearly reflect the acoustic concept developed in close collaboration with specialist planners: for example, the flush-mounted enclosure above the bar area, the thick curtains with high sound absorption, and the concavely curved stage backdrop made of closely spaced wooden slats. Hidden from view, however, are the cavities housing the bass traps in the stage platform and behind the acoustically effective clay plaster surfaces. Through the interplay of all these measures and the use of durable natural materials, a live music venue was created whose acoustics, like its design, hark back to the era of classic American jazz clubs.
