Goldmarie Mainz

Colours and contours are the order of the day in the new Goldmarie bistro at the Mainz customs port. One is struck as soon as one enters by the loftiness of the place, by its combinations of various shades of green with a vivid orange colour, and by its somewhat (retro-)futurist atmosphere. An extremely long and winding counter mediates between areas of varying height within the room. A wall that sweeps right along the back of the hospitality space is lent momentum by gently projecting bands and has something of a nautical feel about it.

The design conjures up images of coral reefs and watery depths whilst also recalling the world of yachts and the decks of large cruise ships. The nautical theme chimes superbly with the new bistro’s waterfront location in the Mainz customs port at any rate. A window façade of great height affords views out over water, cranes and naval vessels in the port, as does an attractive outdoor terrace that seats 30 guests in addition to the 50 who can be accommodated inside.

The new bistro provides for a plethora of different uses and atmospheres ranging from cosily relaxing lounge-type sessions, through evening dining events offering both regional and seasonal fare, to the hippest of happenings. Caterer Louisa Focking’s great wish is that all and sundry should feel at home here and get to savour this splendid setting on the banks of the Rhine in Mainz. There are echoes of design from the 1960s and 1970s in the striking use made of colours and combinations thereof. Table luminaires by Verner Panton fittingly enrich the space with astutely distributed splashes of orange.

The Goldmarie bistro forms part of the Pandion Doxx residential complex, a real eye-catcher at Mainz’s customs port due to its double X-shaped ground plan and golden metal façade. Residents enjoy the extraordinary benefit of being surrounded on three sides by water. The building was completed in 2021. The bistro spaces were originally earmarked for officing. Integrating an entire catering set-up into an architectural shell conceived with something quite different in mind proved a considerable challenge for the interior designers.

The mandated interior designer Lukas Nobili made a virtue of this necessity. The ancillary service areas have been radically streamlined and stand in very effective contrast to the bright and airy hospitality space. The nautical imagery is likewise evident in sanitary spaces and a corridor that share the spatial confines encountered on boats. Their radiant orange resonates graphically with the colour of coral reefs. Sharply defined visual transitions from the bright hospitality space to a corridor and kitchen in orange serve as an aid to identifying which areas have which function.

Handles by FSB contribute unhesitatingly to this miracle of colour by dint of the company’s new models in Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier! Master builder Le Corbusier, a man much inspired by music and painting, authored two collections comprising a total of 63 colours in 13 clusters from the 1930s onwards. Fitted with door handles (FSB 0 12 1267 01954 9324) and roses in their own colour, the compact toilets give the appearance of having been dipped in a vat of orange paint all at once. Similarly, the recessed handle in orange (FSB 0 42 4215 01000 9324) is of a formal idiom that blends in marvellously with Goldmarie’s out-of-the-ordinary interior.