Kro Bistro & Bar

The conclusion of the Kro trilogy shifts from Vinohrady to Karlín, where a functionalist building poetically recedes from the original building line on a tram artery. Kro Bistro & Bar builds upon the original concept of Kro Kitchen – haute cuisine street food – which expands to include a full-fledged, top-tier bar. Its relaxed layout places it on the same level as the open kitchen, and both counters dominate the entire space. Visitors can sit at either, converse with masters of their craft, and observe the process of drink or dish creation. Unlike the kitchen, the bar may be uncovered, making the bartender and guest literally on the same level.

By design, there is a deliberate combination and progression of motifs from both Kro Kitchen and Kro Coffee. The iconic lightning bolt, which has even made its way into the graphics of beer coasters, ties in with the simplification from the café and now becomes a figurative part of the infrastructure under the ceiling. The typical horizontal cut through the space gains emphasis here and is formulated by removing the original ceiling, with a complete transformation occurring below this line, while above it we left the ceiling in its entirely original state, which orchestrates and visually closes off the entire space.

In the display cases, we replaced the original metal filling with glass and opened it completely inward, bringing pleasant lighting to the interior and revealing the rolling metallic blinds. The obligatory plywood receives an elegant black coating that contrasts with stainless steel, white-white cladding, and also the white, original Kro linoleum proven from the café. The floor has seen the removal of faux wooden vinyl and the original, noble terrazzo was exposed, which has been patchily covered with polished concrete featuring pronounced aggregates in areas of new conduits.