Occupying a 19th century brewery site, the Pfefferberg project in Berlin is testament to Germany’s reputation for spearheading avant-garde concepts. The innovative venture, conceived in 1990, was sparked by the desire of local residents to converge in the same arena where social, cultural and commercial activities take place. Today, more than thirty years after the project broke ground, it’s one of the city’s most fashionable spots.
The humming cultural hub is home to art, music and design events as well as cutting-edge performance and theatre. Olafur Eliasson’s art studio and the Aedes Architekturforum modern architecture galleries are part of the project. As is Kink, an eclectic restaurant and bar with an in-house ‘culinary lab’ that opened its doors to guests midway through 2020.
Nestled within one of the precinct’s timeworn industrial buildings, Kink offers a relaxed vibe and multifaceted experience for its patrons, gently illuminated by a tangled neon sculpture, titled Spaceknot (Pfefferberg), that’s unwittingly become the venue’s crowning glory.
Created by Swiss contemporary artist Kerim Seiler, the large-scale light installation hangs from the 8-metre-high ceiling. Consisting of over 100 metres of red neon tubing, Kerim’s sculpture appears to float mid-air like a blazing scribble in a long exposure photograph. The artwork plays with the scale of the space, hovering gently over classic and vintage elements combined with contemporary design pieces.
The central bar was designed by Berlin-based studio Hidden Fortress while the metalwork of German artist Philipp Emanuel Eyrich adorns the mezzanine. Both gestures connect visually with Roche Bobois modular ‘Mah Jong’ sofas and handcrafted rugs from Berberlin (Berber-style rugs designed in Berlin).
For the founders of Kink, Oliver Mansaray and Daniel Scheppan, the objective was to create a cohesive drink-and-dine destination with art and creativity at its heart, soundtracked by a live music program, with a menu led by chef Ivano Pirolo and mixologist Arun Puvanendran. The result is unexpected and sophisticated, cool and bold, combining the best ingredients with effortlessly edgy design.
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Kerim’s sculpture appears to float mid-air like a blazing scribble in a long exposure photograph.
