After the opening of Casa Camper in Barcelona in 2005, an audacious first foray into hospitality by Mallorca-based shoe brand Camper, a second even more minimalist outpost followed in Berlin four years later which, unsurprisingly, also became a preferred stomping ground of a design-conscious young crowd. The building’s orderly, somewhat stern façade of concrete and glass boasts a playful eye-catching element in the form numbered windows, indicating each one of the property’s 54 guest rooms, but as of late, a new establishment on the ground floor effortlessly draws all attention. We’re talking Café Camaleón, the hotel’s lively new hospitality venue and adjacent, fully revamped, a lobby area and a new retail showcase. The striking hotel renewal has infused the property with a fresh energy that’s very compatible with the Mitte district, and is a collaborative effort of acclaimed Dutch architecture practice MVRDV, GRAS Arquitectos from Spain, and Berlin-based practice Laura V Rave.
Interestingly, a single space has been created, anchored by an elongated 18-metre (59 ft.) counter that runs across all three sections, but in a gradation of different colours to indicate each of their functions—red is for the hotel lobby, white for the retail showcase, following the specifications for Camper Lab stores, and lastly, a soft beige for the café section, inspired by the colour of German Milchkaffee. The coulours are captured by various materials, including resin panels, printed wood and cement-based floor tiles. Mind you, the colours merge into each other, creating a colour gradient that’s visible in the floors, walls, and counter. The colour scheme inspired the venue’s name, but is also a firm nod to Camper‘s first shoe model, the Camaleón, which was released in 1975. The glass façade can be opened, allowing for an almost seamless interaction between the indoors and the outside. Café Camaleón is an all-day casual dining concept offering a range of fresh, seasonal dishes prepared with Mediterranean ingredients from Italy, France, Turkey, Greece, and obviously, Spain.
Café Camaleón
Casa Camper, Weinmeisterstrasse 1 (Mitte)
10178 Berlin
Telephone: +49 30 20003410
Mon-Fri 7.30am-11pm
Sat 8am-11pm
Sun 8am-4pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
