»»thilo reich transfers the public space of the german capital to a moscow interior«
»»the venue narrates traces from berlin’s public spaces into moscow through concrete castings of pavements«
»»moscow – The dark and intimate interior of Berlin Bar by architect Thilo Reich is a ‘radical yet poetic translation’ of the German capital into the heart of Moscow. The venue narrates traces of Berlin’s streets through concrete castings of pavements taken by the architect himself from places that relate to the history of the two countries: the side walk in front of Café Moskau; the former demarcation line between the Russian and the American sectors; Glienicker Brück; and the district of Charlottenburg, which traditionally has a large Russian population. In addition, actual Berlin paving stones are repurposed throughout the scheme as table tops and wall cladding. ‘As a side effect,’ Reich explains, ‘the vertically-positioned ground plates of the bar cite the prefab buildings that dominate Berlin’s cityscape and the artistic reliefs often found on facades and foyers of socialist architecture’. The concept continues through other elements of the interior, including the substructures of the brown leather beer benches that are an integral part of Berlin’s streetscape. Yet its most striking feature might be the ethereal lighting fixtures. Seemingly flowing bands of light, the lamps are actually made up of modules from former East Berlin street lights. In all, the design connects Berlin and Moscow conceptually while highlighting the stark contrast of Berlin’s rough and minimal use of concrete against Moscow’s often colourful and shiny hospitality interiors.«
