In a collaboration with Instability We Trust, we led the interior design and branding of the new Rotterdam venue, Ballroom. The project involved two stages: first, we designed a minimalistic pop-up event space, then orchestrated the design of the permanent bar and restaurant.

To create the pop-up space, we positioned a diagonal wall to divide the former bar space in two, allowing one part – a pure white canvas – to remain open to the public while the restaurant construction continued behind the scenes. Through the pop-up event, we slowly and playfully introduced the new brand identity of Ballroom to the Rotterdam audience.

Completing the bar/restaurant enabled Ballroom to comfortably offer both cozy private dinners and large public events. The restaurant is clustered into stage sets arranged in volumetric configurations, each with its own tactile materialisation, such as a space defining diagonal bar from concrete, wood, and marble, which stretches through the full length of the interior. With its bold collection of materials – including concrete, green marble, and a vertical garden – Ballroom feels somehow both spacious and personal. The play between volume and material makes for an intriguing clash of intimacy and scale.