A former district-heating substation in Gdańsk becomes Węzeł Cieplny, a restaurant where CON S layers industrial grit with vintage domestic nostalgia.
Banquettes upholstered in brown leather and blue denim soften the rugged palette of metal, brick and wood, as do lace curtains filtering the daylight. Lace also appears whimsically draped over a minimalist tubular pendant above a communal table in the entrance space, further enhancing the scheme’s playful sense of vintage domesticity. Clad in glossy green ceramic tiles and paired with red tubular stools, the custom-made communal table is one of a series of exuberant flashes of colour, while retro-futuristic, glossy white 3D tiles around the adjacent bar counter play into the scheme's epoch-mixing nostalgia.
An eclectic assortment of furnishings similarly draws together objects from different periods. Edlef Bandixen's Model 2100 Chairs from the 1960s are paired with contemporary laminated tables, while vernacular wooden chairs gather around a sculptural marble table beneath a 1970s Tulip Lamp by Gebrüder Cosack. Traditional wall tapestries stretch the range further still, making the interior feel idiosyncratically collected over time rather than styled.
Niesiobędzka's balancing act reaches its most exuberant conclusion in the bathroom. A three-tone plaid of red, rust and cream tiles wraps the space in the pattern of a traditional blanket, with a deep burgundy sink, vintage glass sconces and gleaming chrome fittings completing the scene. Domestic nostalgia, industrial precision and a dash of theatricality converge in one small room, a fitting finale for a restaurant that turns a former heating substation into a place of warmth in every sense.