CAFÉ DODO

A THEATRICAL AND CAPTIVATING RESTAURANT IN ROTTERDAM

Café DODO is located in the city center of Rotterdam in a classified (verify) building designed by the legendary Dutch architect Hugh Maaskant. This is the second interior design project of the restaurant in Rotterdam by MASA architects.

I am so special

In this project, our aim was to create a special place with a somewhat intriguing quality to it. We wanted to make this café an unusual spot with a characteristic atmosphere, which could be described as theatrical and captivating. Our aim was to give it a special character and a strong identity.

Contrasting Environments

Café Dodo has 2 floors. The ground floor is a first point of encounter with a new space which has a “Grand café” feel to it. Achieving this atmosphere meant working with the inherent qualities of the original space. We decided to valorize the airy quality of the partition-free voluminous space with a tall 5m ceiling. Thus, an impression of a generous, festive atmosphere, characteristic of the Grand café of the turn of the century, was achieved by purely spatial means.

In contrast, the 1st floor was conceived as a series of intimate micro spaces created by the structural walls, which divide the floor into eight segments. The extra layer of a thematic theatrical element was added by staging each space as a movie set: Host, Cocktail bar, Cigar, Havana, Tattoo, Future, Music, Conservatory.

We have chosen the original furniture dating from the late 19th century to 1920s for the Café DODO. In contrast, some anchor elements, such as the main bar on the ground floor and staircases, are unique, tailor-made pieces with a pure, contemporary design. This savory combination of nostalgia and futurism reinforces the movie-set feel of the place.

Authentic & Local

Netherlands is famous for its marvelous antique furniture markets. All furniture pieces were handpicked by Tan Do (the owner of the Café) and Hiroki Matsuura who spent more than 120 hours on the local markets and wholesales to make sure DODO gets the best authentic pieces that Netherlands had to offer.