Café CULT
Café CULT was created in Frankfurt’s Schillerpassage in 1993 as a hospitality and cultural venue extending across two levels. The restaurant, cocktail bar and event spaces were combined into a coherent concept that worked equally well during the day and for cultural events in the evening.
The ground floor was defined by the restaurant and cocktail bar. At the centre of the space was a curved bar clad in patinated copper. Combined with wood, natural stone and indirect lighting, it created an atmosphere that was open, refined and restrained at the same time.
The design deliberately avoided decorative themes and short-lived trends. Instead, atmosphere and orientation were created through materials, lighting and the sequence of spaces. The venue was conceived as part of the architecture of the Schillerpassage and made use of the generous visual connections to the building’s atrium.
A generous staircase connected the two levels. Walls finished with gold leaf gave the transition to the event and stage level a distinctive character, turning the descent to the lower floor into a spatial experience in its own right.
The lower level contained a second bar, flexible hospitality areas and a dedicated stage for cabaret, music and cultural events. The stage was not an addition to the concept, but an integral part of the spatial design.
With its restaurant, cocktail bar and event spaces, Café CULT became a venue extending far beyond the conventional function of a café, bringing hospitality, culture and social interaction together under one roof.
Project Details
- Project: Café CULT
- Location: Frankfurt am Main
- Year: 1993
- Scope: Hospitality and cultural venue
- Use: Restaurant, cocktail bar and performance stage
- Site: Schillerpassage, Frankfurt am Main
- Client: Dr Jürgen Schneider
Hospitality design is about more than arranging tables, chairs and counters. Good spaces emerge where dwelling, encounter and atmosphere come together as one.
Café CULT was an attempt to unite hospitality, culture and architecture under one roof – an ambition that has lost none of its relevance today.
Should you wish to discuss your own project, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Phone: 02151 736005
Email: k.buerger@k-buerger.de