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r How much time passed from the first idea to the opening of “Eisprinzessinnen”? ed us. In the meanwhile, we sometimes support many a former professional colleague
From the first idea to the opening took almost a year and a half. We thoroughly worked with “consolation ice cream” whenever something isn’t running so smoothly.
on our concept and put a lot of energy into the business plan. We wanted to make sure
it can work and that our idea would not indeed turn out to be just crazy. This period r Which are the structural requirements which have to be met for an ice-cream par-
was quite energy-sapping since, in the beginning, we handled all these preparatory lour and an ice-cream laboratory and how did you succeed in reconciling these
activities in addition to our everyday routine as architects. As of December 2013, we requirements with your own, aesthetic standards?
wholeheartedly concentrated on planning our future. Then came the search for a suit- Apart from the usual finishing works which were necessary to convert the area so far
able salesroom, various negotiations with banks about credits, the detailed planning used as a simple store into a gastronomic business, the complete basement had to be
and, last but not least, the renovation, conversion and furnishing of our store. As is usu- expensively renovated, the whole building technology renewed, a lifting unit and a new
ally the case with old buildings, our store as well, which is in an almost 100 year-old WC facility had to be added. Especially in the ice-cream laboratory, numerous architec-
building, came with various and some more and some less positive surprises and cost tural requirements had to be met – particularly due to the high demands regarding
us a lot of nerves. But after we started handling a lot ourselves – from the construction hygiene. But, with the right furnishing, even a clinical-looking room can be designed in
management to the hammer drill – we were finally able to for the first time open our a good and aesthetically ambitious way. But there were also very positive surprises,
doors on 17th May 2014. What an overwhelming day that was for us! such as the old terrazzo floor we discovered when we removed the floor tiles and had
subsequently renovated. No doubt the floor is not perfect everywhere but it tells a story
r You completed a training at the Eisfachschule (technical college for ice-cream mak- and reinforces the appeal of this charming place. Combining what is old yet beautiful
ing)and now, in addition to the diploma in architecture, also have the ice-cream with the necessary new, technical demands results in an attractive mixture.
diploma. What fascinates you about making ice cream?
After some talks with considerably older and more experienced ice-makers – also from r From the interior furnishing to the logo of the ice-cream parlour, you designed
Italy – we were amazed that for them it was incomprehensible how you can produce everything yourselves. Are you, after all, still sufficiently benefiting from your abili-
strawberry ice-cream with real strawberries and without the paste, without the emulsi- ties as to design?
fiers and without flavouring. We learned in the Eisfachschule how to make ice cream Having a basic feeling for design of course often helps us on a daily basis. There is, after
the natural way. We know the individual functions and physical features of the various all, again and again something new to create. At present, for instance, our homepage is
ingredients and raw materials. Those who do not know how to make delicious ice being revised. We cooperate strongly in the design and we know what we want.
cream without all these additives are far more fascinated than we are. Seriously, it is
incredibly thrilling to be able to create so many different flavours of ice cream in a very r Selling ice cream is a seasonal job – what do you do in the winter?
short time, to experiment, to – in a certain way – design and, above all, get rapid feed- Our concept was originally planned as a year-round business where, in winter, we would
back for one’s work. It is wonderful and invigorating to see the numerous large and decrease the range of ice cream and adapt it to the season – with flavours such as “gin-
small customers happy and with shining eyes in front of the ice-cream display case. gerbread”, and in addition complement it with pastry and hot waffles. At first we also
went ahead with this but then decided in favour of a little time-out of three months. That
r How did your previous architect colleagues react to your change of profession? was important after many months of seven-day weeks in order to gather energy. We can,
When we told our bosses about the freelancing we planned, of course they initially however, imagine not pausing quite so long in the future. After all, during the cold season
thought we would establish an architectural office. They had to smile a lot about our as well there are plenty of ice-cream lovers and for many of our regulars the period “in
actual plans yet, from the beginning, had a very positive attitude and in part even assist- which a piece the quality of life is missing” would no longer be quite so long.

BETTELUX SHAPE
Das neue Designkonzept aus feinstem Stahl/Email,
gepaart mit offenem Stahlrahmen, der das Innerste nach außen kehrt.
Design: Tesseraux + Partner

www.bette.de