When Belgian magazine publishers Sanoma moved its editors north from Brussels to Mechelen in Flanders, their new HQ needed a smart new café which reflected the brand’s high profile status in the world of style. Named after the company’s flagship mag Marie Claire, Café Marie is the work of creative agency Creneau International and its designers Maarten Groven and Simone Pullens, who have separated areas of the venue reflecting different sections of the magazine.
The central greenhouse provides a focal point with natural materials in the form of the wooden frame and greenery within. Around the outside, the “gossip lounge” is stuffed with a great array of retro look comfy chairs and sofas for a relaxed get together, and the more formal “meet and greet” section can be closed off to make a conference room. The curtain dividing the dining area from this meeting place is quite a piece; the 4m x 5m jacquard fabric was woven by TextielLab of Tilburg. Dotted around Bar Marie are typographical features promoting its publishing focus and offering inspiring and empowering messages to staff and passers-by alike. “Give a woman the right shoes and she can conquer the world” one exclaims. And maybe some superpowers. Death ray vision and such. But mostly shoes.
