The space is located in a new part of Oslo, called Oslobukta, in the heart of the city — connecting all the different parts of Oslo. It includes a restaurant, Café Platz, located just behind the new Munch Museum, and is a highly vibrant area, full of life, small businesses, the opera house, and water from the canals all around. Water, that also served as the main inspiration for Snøhetta’s interior design, according to Holzweiler’s co-founder and brand director Susanne Holzweiler.
— The space is located by the Oslo Fjord, and we really feel water is so drawing and also connects us all. We wanted to use as many local talents for the interior as possible and we have strived for the atmosphere to be modern, but also kept materials quite classic, as we want it to stay relevant for a very long time, she says, adding,
— It was much more challenging to build a restaurant and a team around it than we ever imagined, but we have this amazing chef, Petter Nystrøm, and he is truly making magic in that kitchen. The store is connected with the restaurant and is a curated space, where we also will have exhibitions and events.
Yes, you’ve also included art, can you tell us more?
— Yes, lots, the first project is with artist Marianne Hurum, who has also drawn our Café Platz logo. Every year we will sign on a new artist to do a new logo and exhibition, and hope to present in-between projects as well, says Holzweiler.
Her brother and co-founder, Andreas Holzweiler, believes that the future consumer is mainly purpose-driven.
— They expect more than the physical transaction of goods, he predicts. Brands need to offer more than experiences, a marketplace of ideas. This refers to the belief that the test of the acceptance of ideas depends on their competition with one another and not on the opinion of a censor. Our goal is to merge fashion, food, art, music, and culture into a space with a lot of versatile collaborations both for established, as well as, emerging talents.
Bielke & Yang has designed the visual identity for the store as well as the restaurant. Managing director Christian Bielke shares how Holzweiler Platz was created to challenge conventional perceptions of what the retail experience can be.
— It’ll combine events, collaborations, art, architecture, food, and fashion — creating a meeting point and marketplace for ideas with a constantly evolving dialogue between these overlapping themes and moments. With a new artist collaboration each year, the identity will keep on changing, he says.
