ATLAS CAFE & BAR
Architecture / Corporate Design / Art
In 1994, Café Atlas was built in the immediate vicinity of the Philharmonie in Munich - as one of the first projects after the completion of the studio, Suzanne Faltenbacher and Klaus Neumann were commissioned by Gabriel Lewy with the design and overall planning of Café Atlas, which, with its opening at the Munich Film Festival, presents an innovative gastronomic mix of bar, café and restaurant.
The design incorporates the basic architectural elements of the building's load-bearing columns from the 1950s. The columns are altered through a stepped design and accentuated with light fixtures made of stainless steel and glass.
The curved bar, a free-form design, flows around a pillar. The angle of the cherrywood counter is created by an elaborate offset of the wooden slats. A wall relief by Suzanne Faltenbacher featuring rings is incorporated into the graphic design of the food and drink menu. The letter A is embossed as a nearly five-meter-high relief on the wall and also serves as the venue's logo.
On the terrace, curved wooden slats form a railing along the balustrade, creating a semicircular effect. Generous parasols and softly rounded wooden chairs at the individually designed outdoor tables invite guests to linger. A few years ago, Café Atlas closed its doors and now operates as L'Osteria.
Press: Magazine Light and Architecture / Café Atlas, Munich
In 1994, immediately following Suzanne Faltenbacher’s architectural degree, Café Bar Restaurant ATLAS in Munich materialized as the first cross-disciplinary project. Restaurateur Gabriel Lewy commissioned the young architect, alongside Klaus Neumann, with the comprehensive spatial design and master planning. Opening to coincide with the Munich Film Festival, the ATLAS established itself for over a decade as a definitive cultural landmark in the immediate vicinity of the Philharmonie at the Gasteig.
The architectural framework strategically integrated the structural load-bearing concrete pillars of the existing 1950s building. Through a sculptural stepping technique, the pillars were tectonically transformed and accentuated by custom-engineered light fixtures made of high-grade stainless steel and glass. Operating as a fluid, organic gesture, the curved main bar counter enveloped one of these central pillars. The dynamic inclination of the bar's body, crafted from premium cherry wood, was achieved through a complex, meticulously calculated offset of the individual timber lamellae.
This debut project also marks the genesis of the studio’s trademark interdisciplinary philosophy, where fine art and physical volume seamlessly dissolve into corporate identity. The Architect and Artist developed the entire visual brand ecosystem and executed two monumental art installations directly on-site: a delicate wall relief composed of rings incised manually into the fresh plaster, and an oversized, nearly five-meter-high relief of the letter "A".
This monumental artwork extended continuously along the expansive stairwell wall, guiding guests from the ground floor down to the lower level. These tactile spatial artworks were fluidly translated by the artist into the corporate graphic design, defining the location's logo and adorning menu cards, stationery, and custom bartender aprons.
The expansive outdoor terrace extended this meticulous architectural scenography into the urban realm, characterized by a sweeping, semi-circular balustrade made of curved wooden slats that mimicked a ship's railing with a deliberate upward slope. Custom-designed exterior tables, softly rounded wooden chairs, and generous umbrellas invited guests to linger. Following a highly successful era as an iconic social landmark, the ATLAS was eventually sold and architecturally altered.
As the foundational manifesto of studioacht, the ATLAS project remains an enduring testament to the timeless power of synthesizing structural architecture, spatial art, and holistic branding.