Gaji cocktailbar ‹ Liljewall Arkitekter – Göteborg, Stockholm & Malmö

Gaji cocktailbar

Interior design concept for the cocktail bar Gaji / Malmö

Scandinavian minimalism with a Korean twist sums up the interior concept at Gaji – one of Malmö’s newest cocktail bars. Welcome to a stripped-down urban vibe framed by blood red accents, spiced up with a well-balanced dose of neon. The owner of the intimate bar is restaurateur and master chef Jennie Walldén, who also runs the restaurant Namu next door.

Year

2023

Location

Engelbrektsgatan 2, 211 33 Malmö

Customer

Jennie Wallden

Contact

Sophie Karlsson
Architect
0705-36 94 55
liljewall

Light birch wood, perforated plywood and sheer rice paper walls meet warmly colored details and mood-creating lighting where neon acts as a supporting accent detail.

A taste of Seoul in central Malmö

Gaji, which means branch in Korean, is the result of a transformation of the parent restaurant Namu, which means tree. Here, an area of approximately 43 square meters has been converted into a complementary and intimate cocktail bar that is accessed through a separate entrance on Engelbrektsgatan in central Malmö. liljewall was contacted to develop an interior design concept that would not only harmonize with Namu, but also accommodate 30 seated guests and two bartenders behind the bar in a smart and inviting way.

The concept

Gaji’s interior design concept is characterized by a mix of materiality and details. Light woods and birch furniture meet walls made of rice paper but also perforated plywood whose patterns are inspired by Korean patchwork quilts. Textiles in warm red colors create a relaxing, inviting warmth and contrast nicely with the light plastered walls. Equally important to the overall concept is the lighting. Small table lamps spread atmospheric light and serve as an excellent contrast to the eye-catching, suspended neon fluorescent tubes that lead to the thought of a big city pulse. The challenge of accommodating 35 seated guests and two bartenders was solved by departing from the standard dimensions, which in this case have become too large for the venue and purpose. Despite this, Gaji is perceived as spacious in its smallness. In order to create an extra pleasant bar environment for guests and staff, it has been important to work with the acoustics. Sound levels have been dampened by integrating acoustic panels in both the perforated plywood walls and the bar counter.