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Brutalism and (coffee) brews: this Belgrade café honours the city's architecture

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24 Jun 2024
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Hospitality
BOOKMARK ARTICLE
Brutalism and (coffee) brews: this Belgrade café honours the city's architecture
  1. Freya Architects took cues from Belgrade's brutalist history to inform Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters' latest post in the city's Stari Grad, striking a balance between old charm and modern architecture. - Ilya Ivanov
  2. Originally erected in 1921, the coffee shop occupies a site next to the city’s last remaining mosque from the Ottoman Empire, a feature leveraged inside by Freya Architects. - Ilya Ivanov
  3. Restored floor-high windows flood the cafe with light, enhancing the industrial aesthetic of the single-story space, which has been split into three distinct areas. - Ilya Ivanov
  4. There is a lively buffer zone akin to a city square with plywood cubes that forego classic seating with tables, a well-lit hall with ample space for extended meetings, and a snug dark room perfect for working on laptops. - Ilya Ivanov
  5. Through reimagining the shapes of buildings, scaling them down, and converting them into interior elements, the architects have achieved a minimalistic, raw aesthetic that takes cues from Belgrade’s brutalist history. - Ilya Ivanov
  6. Ilya Ivanov
  7. Chimney blocks form the base of benches, paving slabs create food and lifestyle counters, and old bricks are repurposed for the cash register area, all of which help to embrace the style’s communal ethos. - Ilya Ivanov
  8. A ribbon bench links visitors, fostering a sense of togetherness, while concrete cylinders promote a communal coffee bar vibe, urging guests to gather, sip, and socialize. - Ilya Ivanov
  9. Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters’ mission is ‘to create a community interested in specialty coffee’. - Ilya Ivanov
  10. Despite having only two outlets, Chernyi has maintained a distinct identity, revitalizing old structures to create unique interior experiences. - Ilya Ivanov
Item 1 of 10
  1. Freya Architects took cues from Belgrade's brutalist history to inform Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters' latest post in the city's Stari Grad, striking a balance between old charm and modern architecture. - Ilya Ivanov
  2. Originally erected in 1921, the coffee shop occupies a site next to the city’s last remaining mosque from the Ottoman Empire, a feature leveraged inside by Freya Architects. - Ilya Ivanov
  3. Restored floor-high windows flood the cafe with light, enhancing the industrial aesthetic of the single-story space, which has been split into three distinct areas. - Ilya Ivanov
  4. There is a lively buffer zone akin to a city square with plywood cubes that forego classic seating with tables, a well-lit hall with ample space for extended meetings, and a snug dark room perfect for working on laptops. - Ilya Ivanov
  5. Through reimagining the shapes of buildings, scaling them down, and converting them into interior elements, the architects have achieved a minimalistic, raw aesthetic that takes cues from Belgrade’s brutalist history. - Ilya Ivanov
  6. Ilya Ivanov
  7. Chimney blocks form the base of benches, paving slabs create food and lifestyle counters, and old bricks are repurposed for the cash register area, all of which help to embrace the style’s communal ethos. - Ilya Ivanov
  8. A ribbon bench links visitors, fostering a sense of togetherness, while concrete cylinders promote a communal coffee bar vibe, urging guests to gather, sip, and socialize. - Ilya Ivanov
  9. Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters’ mission is ‘to create a community interested in specialty coffee’. - Ilya Ivanov
  10. Despite having only two outlets, Chernyi has maintained a distinct identity, revitalizing old structures to create unique interior experiences. - Ilya Ivanov
Item 1 of 10

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Location
Map pointer Cara Uroša 26, Beograd 11000, Serbia
Design
Freya Architects
Client
Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters
Floor Area
140 sq-m

Freya Architects took cues from Belgrade's brutalist history to inform Chernyi Cooperative Coffee Roasters' latest post in the city's Stari Grad, striking a balance between old charm and modern architecture.

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