For the second Berlin branch of Aera – a gluten-free bread manufacturer and café at Rosenthaler Platz – Gonzalez Haase AAS crafted a design that resists subtlety and commands attention. The space fully embraces its prime location with an expansive storefront window, unveiling a striking interior bathed in the deep, arresting hue of Lapis Lazuli blue.
Stripped back to its architectural essence, the 70m² interior sheds layers of its past, revealing a ceiling that soars to 3.8 meters and a linearity that stretches 13 meters in length. The unbroken sightline from the entrance to the rear invites the eye to move uninterrupted, reinforcing a sense of openness. Eschewing conventional boundaries, the architects avoided inlaid walls or protrusions, instead using a singular diagonal counter that slices through the room. This minimalist gesture divides the space into a fluid procession, guiding patrons seamlessly from arrival to the point of order.
The counter, crafted from concrete, is not merely a functional element but an extension of the space itself. Its surface, cast in the same intense blue as the walls and floor, dissolves into the architecture, becoming inseparable from its environment. The monotone scheme—applied with meticulous precision in 80cm bands—transforms the interior into a sculptural entity, blurring the lines between form and function.
This relentless blue is far from arbitrary. Inspired by the masterful works of Jan Vermeer, the architects drew on the 17th-century painter’s fascination with light, shadow, and materiality. Vermeer’s preference for ultramarine, derived from the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli, echoes in the store’s bold palette. The interplay of natural light and LED illumination animates the surfaces, shifting between matte and glossy depending on the hour, weather, or angle of view. The space, much like Vermeer’s canvases, becomes a dynamic exploration of light’s transformative power.
Adding warmth to the otherwise stark palette, solid oak furniture and electropolished stainless-steel shelving introduce a tactile counterpoint. Against the saturated blue backdrop, the golden hues of Aera’s baked goods emerge as vivid accents, their tones amplified by the minimalism surrounding them. This deliberate juxtaposition elevates the bread from mere product to centerpiece, a celebration of craft and substance.
Judith Haase describes the space as one that defies the expected, employing radical color and material choices to unsettle while maintaining coherence. The result is a space that reads as both bold and contemplative—a symphony of contrasts where light, color, and texture converge to redefine the traditional café experience.
