Re is the first component of many words in the English language, such as revolution, reaction, restart, refresh… In oral Greek the monosyllabic sound “re” at the end of many expressions expresses indignation, impatience, surprise, determination… The café – bar – RE at the pedestrian of iktinou in Thessaloniki within the 65 square meters is trying to travel you with a symbolic and humorous way in the decades of 50, 60, 70 and 80 through innocence, childhood, adolescence, negligence the young years of the current Greek 40year old people …. and older ones.

The space is parallelogram wide and long like a train, like a bus ready for a trip… Its facade is just 3 meter and it is 12 meter long, the journey is developing in two floors the ground floor of the main part, while the first floor which is visible from the ground floor in a special way, hidden functions-locations not for all travelers – customers, more private spaces.

When you enter the café bar the metal support structure floor and mineral translucent box his kitchen floor become visible giving the building an industrial feel that the façade has already prepared you for it. On the left side a small space with two tables and chairs and a sofa develops, then the bar that its facade coated with tiles of different sizes and colors of the rainbow, while characteristic writing of the legendary band Rainbow comes to emphasize its symbolism.

On the back of the bar a blackboard and posted a world map with marked routes with different transport modes, dreams to discover the world then when there was no internet or television … reading the “on the road ” of Jack Kerouac… In the small space of the tables and chairs above the unique large sofa which is in the whole length, quoting framing of photos, from figures, objects, film and three-dimensional objects, symbols, trends, discoveries, innovations, new things to technology, to culture, to humanity over the mentioned decades.

On the right side of space and before we reach the small elevated level of the café- bar, a metal construction with elaborated mirrors with printed words with the prefix RE, attributed meanings that are depended of the travel, is developing at the whole height and length, like a huge frontage where the scene of the journey is “reflected” giving it another dimension.

The back level, could be named as the venue of the games, music, knowledge. Books and Comics, vinyl records, gadgets tidied in a library- the back of the library is a wall with white bricks – tile Moto “another brick on the wall” as the legendary cover of pink Floyd…

Hanging a monopoly – mirror, in front of a patterned Frisbee in lightings, complete the shot of James Bond in the target dart. A suitcase, trunks with musical instruments and the position of dj complete the scene. Climbing the ladder the Beatles crossing the overpass right above you as the cover of the homonym album “Abbey Road”. At the end of the hall wc Andy Warhol said reminds you that in the future everyone can become a star for 15 minutes, washing your hands into a huge can of Campbell Soup.

Designed by Minas Kosmidis

http://www.contemporist.com/2013/07/10/re-cafe-and-dining-bar-by-minas-kosmidis/