Page 79 - AIT0624_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Studio Modijefsky, NL-Amsterdam
Grundriss Erdgeschoss • Ground floor plan
Grundriss Obergeschoss • Upper floor plan
Bauherr • Client Dennis van Buuren, NL-Dordrecht
Standort • Location NL-Dordrecht
Nutzfläche • Floor space 1115 m 2
Fotos • Photos Maarten Willemstein, NL-Amsterdam
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 126
BRASSERIE DE WITT
IN DORDRECHT
If you want to attract people to the cinema in times of
widespread home entertainment, you do need a con-
vincing overall concept. Ideally, this should consist of
excellent films, an authentic location and catering that
invites people to come earlier and stay longer. In Dor-
drecht, cineastes are offered just that: Studio Modijefs-
ky directed the interior design of the brasserie.
S tudio Modijefsky is celebrating its 15 anniversary this year. Foun-
th
ded by Esther Stam in 2009 and currently consisting of nine
women, the interior-design studio that is based in Amsterdam has
already realized many successful catering projects. Celebrating in one
of their self-designed locations is therefore a perfect opportunity. One
of the most recent projects is Brasserie de Witt in Dordrecht, located
20 kilometres south-east of the city of Rotterdam. De Witt stands for an
overall concept that includes a cinema, a cultural stage and a brasserie
– and it definitely stands for large-scale revitalization. The building has
had a chequered history: it has served as a monastery, as a school and
as a laboratory. Most recently, it functioned as a cinema and restaurant
under the name The Movies, but was very run-down. Studio Modijefsky
was therefore commissioned to upgrade the cinema with a new brasse-
rie. And since last October, this has enriched the entire historic quarter
which has lately been developing into a trendy hotspot for culinary
and cultural events. Lugten Malschaert Architects designed a new main
entrance for De Witt. The floor-to-ceiling glazing allows plenty of light to
penetrate inside. Studio Modijefsky radically opened up the floor plan
of the former café-restaurant, producing a large main room, three smal-
ler rooms and also a bar. Everything is attractively connected via visual
references. Inside, the rich history of the building can now be experien-
ced. To capture the glamour of the early days of cinema theatres, wavy
curtains are running through the entire interior design as a narrative, as
it were. First and foremost, at the bar: the three-layer velvet curtain in
indigo tones is an explicit homage to the silver curtains formerly typical
of cinema screens. Even the wooden panelling of the bar makes waves.
The pendant lights in the form of cloister arches are a reference to the
former use as a monastery. The chequered floors are also striking: hand-
made Majorcan tiles on the ground floor and wood on the upper floor.
Refurbished vintage chairs, new armchairs and custom-made wooden
benches and tables create a variety of seating options and a harmonious
retro-style ensemble. Curtain up for a new era!
AIT 6.2024 • 079