The Figlmüller Group and BWM Designers & Architects transformed the former Café Weinwurm at Stephansplatz (St. Stephen’s Square) into “Zwischengang”, a food pop-up that is a combination of a classic Viennese coffeehouse and an Italian cocktail bar.
Although the pop-up’s design may make a rough impression at first glance, the more you zone in on the details, the more its actual intricacy reveals itself. The goal was to create a roomy atmosphere inside the eatery despite its pop-up nature. As the name “Zwischengang” (meaning an in-between course in a menu, or entremets) suggests, it is an interim undertaking, which is why the client wanted to avoid a full remodel.
BWM not only brought the best out of the original design, but also partially uncovered some old, concealed sections. When they removed the ceiling, for example, they discovered a vault clad with glass tiles. They also removed the fabric that previously covered the columns in the space, creating a “lighter” look.
BWM’s interior design was inspired by the pop-up’s exclusive location right at Stephansplatz. The colours of the famous cathedral’s roof can be found in the mural created by painter Paul Riedmüller in collaboration with Dvorak trifft Schwab graphic design agency, as can motifs such as the horse-drawn carriages associated with this location and the topography of the city’s first district.
Glass lamps created by the Viennese light designers at J.T. Kalmar pay homage to the traditional coffeehouse that was formerly located here. The furniture is largely secondhand; the tables are the very same ones that were in the coffeehouse before, and the Wiesner Hager chairs are restored vintage pieces dating back to the 1960s.
Task
Interior Design für PopUp-Lokal direkt am Stephansplatz
Status: Completion 06/2023
Client: WWSP11 GmbH
BWM Team: Erich Bernard, Pia Temt, Karin Ender, Daniela Dollack
Image credit: BWM Designers & Architects / Lukas Schaller
