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Awakened from its slumber

For about 20 years, one of Kiel's most beautiful excursion locations stood empty and visibly deteriorated. In the summer of 2021, the Margaretental restaurant finally reopened in a prime location on the Kiel Canal. Today, the building skillfully combines tradition and modernity: The facade of the pub, which was first mentioned in 1896, was preserved, and behind it a contemporary interior design was created. In a new extension, which also accommodates the sanitary areas, HEWI solutions are used that harmonize with the industrial look of the new Margaretental in noble matt black.

The regionally known restaurant directly at the Kiel Canal was used for excursions for decades and many parties were celebrated in the large hall. Then, in 2001, it was suddenly over – until Dr. Marc Weinstock decided to revitalize the building in Kiel's Suchsdorf district. For Weinstock, Managing Director of DSK-BIG and himself a Suchsdorf resident, the project is a matter of the heart. Because with DSK-BIG, one of Germany's major urban developers, he usually works on a completely different scale. Nevertheless, the project and area developer decided to renovate the historic Margaretental restaurant at great expense, to convert it and finally to operate it himself. "This is where tradition meets modernity. Outside it looks like it used to, and inside it's contemporary," Dr. Weinstock said at the opening. The restaurant's General Manager, Anja Schütz adds: "The location is almost perfect for an excursion restaurant: Sitting on the terrace, you can see the big cargo ships passing through the Kiel Canal."

Contemporary renovation of the Margaretental restaurant

DSK-BIG commissioned the experienced architectural firm AX5 Architekten from Kiel with the renovation and expansion of the Margaretental restaurant. The origins of the restaurant go back to a wooden pavilion from 1896, which was replaced in 1925 by a brick building in the so-called Heimatstil with stepped gables.

AX5 carefully renovated the main building, which is protected as an individual cultural monument, and rebuilt it to meet the standards of a modern restaurant. The large hall in the main building was preserved and fixtures from more recent times were removed. AX5 had an extension from the 1960s demolished and replaced it with a new extension that also houses the sanitary facilities. The new building is designed as a contemporary wooden structure, which was added to the gable end of the hall.

The interior features a lot of brick and black furniture, fixtures and doors, which gives the restaurant a classy industrial look.

Consistent design with HEWI solutions

The consistent interior design is supported by the HEWI solutions used. For the door hardware, DSK-BIG and AX5 Architects chose Series 270 in matt black – an elegant style icon designed by architect and designer Hadi Teherani. With its minimalist product design, the series conveys a very special aesthetic. Winner of several design awards, in the 270 series the greatly reduced trim emphasizes the clear geometry of the ergonomic lever handle and puts it in a completely new light.

In addition, the durable and robust accessories from HEWI System 900 were chosen to match the black matt HEWI door fittings, as well as the black washbasin fittings and dark surfaces in the new sanitary areas: Soap dispensers in the HEWI Sensoric variant, paper towel dispensers, waste bins and WC brush sets are used, all made of high-quality stainless steel and powder-coated in elegant deep matt black. System 900 meets the requirements of a wide range of building typologies, especially in high-traffic locations such as public buildings and restaurants, and impresses with its functionality, durable quality, clever installation technology and hygienic design. Also from the 900 series, which was essentially developed for barrier-free bathrooms, is the folding support handle in the WC, which impresses with its reliable quality and sophisticated technical details.

 

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