a floating staircase defines interior of bazar noir by hidden fortress

a floating staircase defines interior of bazar noir by hidden fortress
all images courtesy of hidden fortress

in october 2014, at kreuzbergstrasse 78 in berlin, a concept store named ‘bazar noir‘ opened its doors to the public for the first time, showcasing a  selection of hand-picked objects and interior accessories that targets lovers of design who enjoy furnishing their homes with extra-ordinary unique pieces from around the world.

hidden fortress was the studio commissioned to develop the spatial concept of ‘bazar noir’, realizing the two-floor interior. in order to allow for a constant change of exhibits (often one-off pieces), the task was to plan an extremely adaptable and flexible zone, that at the same time maintained the raw and lofty character of the building’s existing atmosphere. 

general view of the main floor of ‘bazar noir’ with a floating staircase at its centre

the color black has been employed to anchor the overall interior of ‘bazar noir’. the challenge was to realize the same tone/tint in a variety of surfaces, materials and production methods throughout. the special presentation of the second floor was achieved by separating it in stark contrast from the rest of the store, through the use of warm maritime pine — the material’s large grain provides a strong image in both its original color of light white/yellow, as well as when it is tinted black. while it is the material, in its natural state, that characterizes the upper floor, it was also for most of the furniture on the main floor and finished in black. thus, the resulting contrast sees the mezzanine level projecting a strongly different atmosphere that could at the same time be integrated and separated from the darker main floor. to this play of black and white, elements of copper, glass and high-quality fabrics were added, a warm and cozy atmosphere is presented in spite of store’s strong minimalist interior.

hidden fortress designed a modular shelf system in which to showcase products

what hangs as a defining pillar of the ‘bazar noir’ interior is a staircase that seems to defy gravity, freely floating in the with no connection to the ground of the main floor. since it is also panelled in light maritime pine its internal well draws in the light and becomes a landmark in the room, attracting visitors’ curiosity, subtly leading them upstairs.

general views of the display areas and view to the glass enclosed mezzanine level

the dominating areas and visual axis’ of the main floor are the tea kitchen in the back part of the room and the presentation rack in the front of house, a glass-top counter, the side walls of the staircase, and a glass wall at the front edge of the balcony. the divisions and connections between these areas and between the two floors, are designed to allow a variety of new perspectives while one wanders around in the space. this softens the division between the upper and lower area, and contradicts the stronger division of dark downstairs and light upstairs. the result is a ‘strong feeling of a homogeneous space in spite of its division between the two floors,’ as commented by catherine pfisterer, the owner of ‘bazar noir’.

the modular shelving system accommodates regularly changing displays

for the presentation of ‘bazar noir’ products, hidden fortress has tailor-cut a flexible shop system. this consists of a structure of squared frames, which cover an entire wall of the front room, and which carry a variety of shelf modules in which to display objects. the shelves can be adjusted to accommodate a variety of design pieces, and are therefore produced in three different sizes; while from the side they resemble identical silhouettes. being made from laser-cut and powder-coated aluminum, the arrangement of the components in the framework results in a strongly geometrical image, or a playful seemingly more chaotic structure. detailed smaller elements made from copper and glass can be used for displaying smaller items.

profile view of the floating staircase

due to an optimized use of the available space at the location, it was decided to integrate the tea kitchen into the shop’s interior presentation. the kitchen therefore provides comfort and function to clients as well as the staff running shop. this allows it to double-function as a stage in which to  display items in the field of kitchen supplies and equipment. 

view of the mezzanine is finished in maritime pine which projects a warm yellow atmosphere

the second floor is furnished with areas for people to sit and look at books

general view of the mezzanine level

various display boxes showcase small design objects

the tea kitchen at the back of the store is a place for employees as well as a display area for related cooking products

alternative view of the tea kitchen

copper details are seen in the sink and faucet details

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.