Restaurant Nooba in Zurich: art of living and ceramics

Ars Vivendi is the Latin term for the art of living and means enjoying life in style. For many people, this includes culinary delights or aesthetic works whose sight delights the viewer. Both forms of art, i.e. a feast for the eyes and the palate, are offered by the Nooba restaurant in Europaallee in Zurich. There, a special mural made of ceramic mosaics adorns central areas of the restaurant and thus makes a style-defining contribution to the special ambience.

The culinary delights
In gastronomic establishments, the primary focus is, of course, on the range and quality of the food and drinks. However, the atmosphere is also relevant for success, and the range of dishes and interior design styles covers a broad spectrum. As a guest, you are pleasantly spoilt for choice between a spartan snack bar, a cosy student pub, a home-style restaurant or an exquisite gourmet temple, all the way to a restaurant with the diverse cuisines of the world. A prime example of the latter is Nooba in Zurich's Europaallee, a centrally located quarter with a wide range of shops, cultural institutions, apartments and restaurants. Nooba is the abbreviation for "Noodle Bar”, because the main part of the culinary choice consists of different types of Asian noodles. However, there are also other specialties such as soups, fried rice or curries. The menu includes a wide selection of typical dishes from Thailand, India and Japan, for example, or in other words: pan-Asian cuisine is served. The food is prepared fresh daily by the Asian kitchen team via wok or teppan grill (Japanese "iron plate").  

The stylish interior
The furnishings were designed by Nader Interior (Zurich) to match the pan-Asian cuisine: light-flooded, transparent and (world-)open, indoor and outdoor tables and seats with a clear design language as well as finely dosed and well-balanced placed plant arrangements. The central element par excellence is the open show kitchen. It contains numerous elements and surfaces made of copper, in which the delicate, Far Eastern-inspired pendant lamps and the ceiling spotlights are effectively reflected to create a pleasantly warm and at the same time stylish-urban atmosphere in which one immediately feels at home. 

The ceramic art
The striking eye-catcher between the copper surfaces of the show kitchen is a work of art of a special kind: ceramic mosaics from the Plural series in the format of 2.5 x 2.5 cm and 29 (!) different colours were composed in an unusual way to create a floral motif which catches the eye. This unique piece was realized through an interplay of the expertise of Agrob Buchtal and Jasba. Both brands belong to Deutsche Steinzeug AG, based in Witterschlick near Bonn, which operates a total of four tile factories in Germany, with theoldest roots going back to the year 1755. The wealth of experience with regard to the production of the different types of ceramic tiles is correspondingly great. This includes, among other things, ceramic mosaics for covering floors, walls and organic shapes such as columns, benches, couches, etc. or individual motifs like this one. This special competence is bundled and has been cultivated for decades in the Jasba tile factory in Ötzingen in the Westerwald (about halfway between Bonn and Frankfurt/Main). This is also where the mural installed in the Nooba was created in the typical manner: basic ideas and wishes of the client are refined by the factory in terms of planning and meticulously-exactly assembled on sheets of about 30 x 30 cm, which are then numbered consecutively to ensure a correct final result in this way. Despite all the preparatory work in the factory, the whole thing must of course be properlyy and professionally "assembled" on site. The tiler has a great responsibility here: he not only ensures that the motifs are arranged correctly, but also that the edges of the individual sheets are not visible after pointing, so that everything blends into a homogeneous whole. In Zurich, this task was skilfully fulfilled by the specialist company Reibenschuh AG from Wetzikon. The result is convincing both the operators and the guests, who notice the decorative eye-catcher appreciatively and talk about it regularly. There is nothing more to add to this except the suggestion to get your own impression of the feast for the palate and the eyes that Nooba offers its guests during a visit to Zurich.

The amazing additional benefits 
Just as many collections of the Agrob Buchtal range, the Plural series used in this project is also provided with "Hytect" already in the factory. This innovative coating gives ceramic tiles special properties: they are extremely easy to clean, have an antibacterial effect without the use of chemicals and eliminate air pollutants and unpleasant odours - all advantages which are relevant in the catering industry and come in useful in Nooba day after day.

Selection of project participants (alphabetical):

Press contact
Gabriele Busse (Press officer / Senior PR Manager)
T. +49 (0)228 391-1104
M. +49 (0)151 14976931
Email: gabriele.busse@deutsche-steinzeug.de