Opposites attract
Stylistic elements from the 1920s, a touch of Art Deco paired with motif wallpaper, materials and furniture in intense shades of amber, gold, brown, powder and petrol complement each other in the Amber Bar to create an ambience that seems to erase the boundaries between fantasy and reality. A gastronomy concept like this needs no-frills counterparts - like the simplicity of a 19th-century barracks and a ceramic tile that grounds it: CRAFT by Agrob Buchtal.
By opening up a 150-year-old barracks to the city and the banks of the Rhine, Basel-based architecture firm Focketyn del Rio Studio has allowed a lively cultural and creative quarter to emerge. From the freely accessible, Spanish-inspired plaza to the top floor, the so-called kHaus is characterized by plurality and versatility - studios, studios and co-working spaces can be flexibly designed on 5 floors.
The Amber Bar in the south tower of the barracks building is literally a highlight for the whole city with its spectacular view over the old town and the river. The little sister of Basel's popular Grenzwert Bar quickly became a magnet. With the new rooftop bar, the experienced restaurateurs created a true one-of-a-kind and set a counterpoint to the functional objectivity of the Kaserne with a cocktail of materials, images, colors and styles.
Even the most unusual bar design benefits from a pedestal zone that is hard-wearing and defines the room in terms of its heights and functions. The trick here is to choose a decor that can ground a strong design and equally become part of it. CRAFT by Agrob Buchtal takes precisely this tension into account: the collection quotes the familiar and yet has a surprisingly modern effect.
Unique one-offs
As a natural building material, the ceramic tile series matches the historical building claim and the careful renovation concept of the Swiss architects. The impressive depth and transparency of the high-gloss glaze gives CRAFT an unagitated, archaic character. Compositions of alkaline earths, fluxes and metal oxides in interaction with the clay body allow particularly intense colorations and the pristine-looking surface structures to emerge with open flaming. Like the design of the Amber Bar, this ceramic is unique: CRAFT is produced standing in the classic tunnel kiln, where the natural play of the fire makes each tile unique.
Eleven contemporary colors, from white to shades of gray, olive and golden yellow to amber and blue-green, create creative design freedom and exceptional aesthetics. The strap formats with a 3D effect are particularly appealing. In many designs, CRAFT itself becomes the protagonist. In the Amber Bar, the ceramics provide the simple stage for the opulent staging. Here, straps and wave profile in dark gray, medium gray, benit blue and blue-green enter into a perfect symbiosis with the independent gastronomy concept.
Even if amber, better known as amber, is not strictly speaking a gemstone, the Amber Bar certainly is! CRAFT is the setting that wears it.
