Bistro Against the Current

photo: BoysPlayNice

Flow and connection are the main themes of the interior of the bistro Proti proudu in Prague's Karlín. Inspiration from the Karlín innovator in the field of electrical engineering – František Křižík – intertwines with the idea of connection through good coffee and great food.
The main bar wall made of white plywood with perforation creates a grid to which all elements on the wall are attached, from guiding wire targets to a roll describing the daily menu.
A network of wires spreading from the switches behind the counter to the lights above the tables makes visible the connection between the staff and the guests. The lights are individually controlled, and the arrangement of switches in the grid of the wall behind the counter rewrites the placement of lights in the space. The lights turn on and off with arriving and departing guests, making the bistro come to life with each opening of the entrance door.
The texture of the plywood is a muted reflection of the pattern of the stone floor, as is the oak countertop and individual tables. The steel elements retain the character of raw black iron. The only exception is the rusty counter with the motto that rust will not threaten – IN COFFEE WE TRUST.