Fluid Dynamics in Architecture: Celeste Asfour Activates Berlin’s Industrial Past with ‘Strom’

Main Facts

In the heart of Berlin, nestled within a quiet, historic 19th-century courtyard that once thrummed with industrial energy, sits Strom—a newly conceptualized café, bar, and seasonal bistro. Designed by Berlin-based architectural multihyphenate Celeste Asfour in collaboration with Swedish branding agency Several, Strom bridges the gap between historical preservation and contemporary design.

The venue occupies the ground floor of a sprawling historical complex originally inhabited by some of Berlin’s earliest and most successful restaurateurs. Today, these 19th-century brick properties house a vibrant ecosystem of start-ups, design studios, and modern creative businesses. However, prior to Strom’s arrival, the vast internal courtyard remained largely unactivated—a space of transit rather than destination, hidden from the general public.

Strom—derived from the German word for "stream" or "electrical current"—serves as both a literal and conceptual nod to the continuous flow of people entering and exiting the courtyard through its three distinct entryways. The café offers artisanal coffee, small seasonal plates, and afternoon drinks, transforming an underutilized urban thoroughfare into a bustling community anchor.

Asfour’s interior architecture relies heavily on material tension, mixing brutalist-edged rose marble counters with oiled cherry wood, locally handmade terracotta floor tiles, brushed-steel shelving by Studio Ultimo, and recycled polycarbonate tabletops from Dutch studio Plasticiet. The design is further elevated by carefully curated lighting, bespoke furniture, and site-specific art pieces, all executed with a subtle, witty sense of playfulness.

Chronology: From Architectural Legacy to Urban Activation

Early Influences and Educational Pivots

Celeste Asfour’s entry into the world of design was both inevitable and deliberately delayed. Raised in a household steeped in architecture—where her mother regularly hauled her through construction sites and museums—Asfour initially sought distance from the profession.

"I grew up completely surrounded by it," Asfour reflects. "As a child, my mum was always dragging me to museums and construction sites."

However, during her university years, she realized that traditional, large-scale architecture—characterized by perpetual new builds and massive urban footprints—did not align with her personal philosophy. Rather than focusing on building, building, building, and new, new, new, Asfour pivoted toward the intimate scale of interior architecture. Her philosophy crystallized into a singular mandate: take what already exists, respect its material history, and work directly with it through thoughtful adaptive reuse.

Inception and Conception (Late 2024)

In late 2024, Asfour was approached with a blank-slate proposition: to design a to-be-determined gastronomy project on the ground floor of the historic Berlin courtyard complex. Unlike typical interior design commissions where branding, naming, and corporate identities are fully formed before the architect steps on site, Asfour entered this project at its absolute inception.

"It was quite a different setup," Asfour recalls. "There was no name, no logo, no website, no branding, no colours."

Collaborating closely with the project’s founders and the Swedish branding agency Several, Asfour helped shape the core identity of the venue. The design process was entirely organic, driven by the unique architecture of the space, its spatial requirements, and the desire to create a welcoming public interface for a previously closed-off corporate courtyard.

Design Evolution and Material Selection

Once the name Strom was selected to reflect the constant "stream" of human traffic flowing through the courtyard’s three passageways, Asfour began translating this kinetic energy into physical interior architecture.

Months were dedicated to sourcing and testing materials that would evoke tactile depth. The team integrated traditional craftsmanship—such as locally handmade terracotta tiles and bespoke cherry wood paneling—with contemporary industrial elements like brushed-steel shelving and recycled plastic surfaces.

By mid-2025, the buildout was finalized, culminating in a seasonal hospitality space that seamlessly shifts from an artisanal morning coffee spot to an evening wine and small-plate destination.

Supporting Data & Design Specifications

To fully understand the spatial and material depth of Strom, one must examine the specific collaborative network, structural layouts, and specialized manufacturing partners involved in Asfour’s vision:

• Location: Ground floor of a 19th-century historic industrial complex in Berlin, featuring a central multi-entry courtyard.
• Lead Designer: Celeste Asfour (Interior Architecture, Objects, Spatial Design).
• Branding & Visual Identity: Developed in collaboration with Swedish design agency Several.
• Millwork & Metalwork: Wooden paneling and brushed-steel shelving produced in partnership with Studio Ultimo. Sourced antique items integrated directly onto open shelving, alongside a peek-into kitchen window with a mirrored backing to expand perceived depth.
• Surface Materials & Furniture:
  • Countertops: Brutalist-edged rose marble paired with dark, oiled cherry wood.
  • Flooring: Locally handmade terracotta tiles providing organic warmth.
  • Tabletops: Milky-mauve surfaces crafted from recycled polycarbonate ("Karlite") by Dutch sustainable design studio Plasticiet.
  • Seating: Wooden dining chairs supplied by Form&Refine; built-in bench seating upholstered in high-durability Kvadrat fabric.
• Lighting Design:
  • Sconces: Hand-textured Murano glass sconces by Milan-based studio 6 am, casting a warm rose-toned glow.
  • Feature Lamps: Classic Noguchi paper lamp positioned on shelving; faceted pendant light by Asca Studio anchoring the main coffee bar.
• Artistic Installations: Large-scale black-and-white line drawings by Berlin-based artist David Schiesser, featuring surreal narrative elements (such as fish flying from hands and nets) that mirror the thematic currents of the courtyard.
• Sanitary Design: A custom, bulbous, bubble-gum pink bathroom sink that injects humor and irreverence into the space.

Official Responses and Design Philosophy

Celeste Asfour’s approach to interior architecture is grounded in deliberate contrasts and authentic human interactions. Rather than leaning into the ubiquitous, sterile minimalism of contemporary hospitality design, Asfour champions material friction.

"My philosophy now is to take what is there and work with it. That’s why I prefer the scale of interior architecture," Asfour states.

Addressing her aversion to monotonous design palettes, she elaborates:

"I hate when everything is completely beige or lacquered, when spaces don’t have any sense of texture. You have to balance hard things with soft things. That kind of tension results in balance."

Reflecting on the collaborative genesis of Strom, Asfour emphasizes the joy of community-building:

"In general, I love creating spaces where people meet and interact, so this gastronomy project was ideal. The outcome was really shaped by the process: by the way it began, by the space and its requirements, and by the people that I worked with, and by a desire to have fun with it."

While many contemporary venues obsess over securing the coveted status of a "third place," Asfour rejects the marketing buzzword entirely, focusing instead on physical comfort and functional versatility:

"I really dislike the term third place, it’s so overused. But you do want to create a space where you feel comfortable and welcome, whether that’s through the lighting, table and chair height, seat depth, or the kinds of setups people can settle into. Because some people are just here for a quick coffee. Maybe they just wait until their sandwich is grilled. Maybe they want to work a bit on their laptop. Different people want different things, and you need to cater to all of them."

Implications: The Evolution of Urban Micro-Spaces in Berlin

Strom’s successful integration into a historic Berlin courtyard carries broader implications for urban real estate, adaptive reuse, and neighborhood activation in dense European capitals.

1. Activating Dormant Industrial Heritage

Many of Berlin’s 19th-century industrial courtyards (Hof) have historically functioned as insular zones—reserved strictly for office workers, tech startups, and private enterprise. By carving out an accessible hospitality venue at the literal intersection of three pedestrian transit routes, Strom redefines the threshold between private commercial real estate and public urban life. It demonstrates how small-scale interior interventions can unlock the civic potential of forgotten architectural footprints without requiring massive structural overhauls.

2. The Shift Away from "Disposable" Interiors

Asfour’s rejection of the standard "new build" mentality highlights a growing industry-wide fatigue with fast-paced, trend-driven interior design. By combining heritage preservation with durable, sustainable materials—such as recycled polycarbonate from Plasticiet, locally produced terracotta, and vintage market finds—Strom sets a benchmark for circular, resource-conscious hospitality design. The space proves that sustainability does not require asceticism; rather, it thrives when paired with high-craft execution and visual richness.

3. Multifunctional Hospitality Architecture

As remote work, freelance culture, and flexible lifestyles continue to reshape urban consumption habits, venues like Strom illustrate the necessity of adaptive spatial planning. By offering varied seating typologies—from quick-stop counter spaces and intimate dining tables to sunlit window perches enabled by concertina glass panels—Asfour has engineered a micro-ecosystem that accommodates laptops, casual morning chats, and lingering evening wine drinkers with equal ease.

Ultimately, Strom stands as a testament to the power of collaborative design—proving that when branding, architecture, and historical context flow together, an ordinary courtyard can be transformed into a vibrant cultural current.