The interiors of the RE Cafe and bar in Thessaloniki in Greece designed by Minas Kosmidis takes you for a fun ride into the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Just like a train compartment, the 65 square metre space is wide and long with a facade which is 12 metres in length and 3 metres in width. The monosyllabic sound ‘Re’ in Greek is used as an exclamation, often used to get attention or express surprise, and corresponds in some ways to exclamations such as WOW!…And that’s exactly what the interiors of this cafe reflects: The WOW factor.
When I first saw the images the RE cafe and bar, it developed a sense of curiosity to explore the space further and each individual corner comes with a surprise element. The interior space consists of two levels: the ground floor and the first floor. While the ground floor is visible from the first floor, it does have some private spaces which cannot be viewed from the top.
There is a long bar which is cladded with ceramic tiles of different colours of the rainbow and features the word ‘Rainbow’ with calligraphy letters of the legendary British band Rainbow. Next to the bar, there is a small cosy space with two tables, chairs and a sofa. The wall space behind the bar counter is divided into two parts: one part features a blackboard with the menu and the other part features a world map with marked routes with different transport modes inspiring the visitors to dream and travel. The wall above the sofa features a collection of photo frames, framed objects, film and three-dimensional objects, symbols, trends, discoveries and technology emerged from 1960’s to 80’s.
While on one side of the bar is a cosy lounge area, the other side is nothing less than a library filled with resources of entertainment and knowledge -Games, music, books, comics, vinyl records and gadgets. Yet another interesting symbolic elements is the white brick wall of the library with the word ‘The Wall’, which is also the name of the 11th album by the legendary progressive rock group Pink Floyd.
Another interesting element is a larger than life suitcase filled with musical instruments and disclosing a space for the Dj to spin the records. The upside down photo of the Beatles from their cover of the album “Abbey Road” simply wants you to hit the road and explore the first floor.
