Artnewscafe is situated in Plovdiv’s old center, occupying the ground floor and basement of a historic three-story house. The interior design aims to affect rather than impose; to be modern, rather than agressive; to fit within its surroundings and to be flexible enough so that it assumes different funcitons: a café, a place to meet interesting people; a space for movie screenings and exhibitions; a background for the events that would take place inside it. The ground-floor has two spaces linked by a portal, while the basement level, accessed by a stair, houses a storage room and bathrooms. The rooms and the ceiling on the main floor are black, emphasizing the view outside. An exception is made for a single white wall – a screen for movies or the display of art. The old wooden latice on the ceiling is preserved as it was found: cracked, with uneven spacing between the crooked beams - an imprint of time and a record of the original house.
The street facade is transparent with floor-to-ceiling glass panels, which can open on a central pivot when the weather is warm; only the entry door is opaque, made of solid wood. A long wood step/ bench runs outside the glass panels along the length of the facade. The materials used are concrete, metal and wood. The furniture is moveable. One of the tables has hinges, and folds to free up space when needed. The lighting consists of bulbs hung from color cables, which can be plugged anywhere into the ceiling grid of outlets, based on to the particular function needed at the time. The electric wiring is exposed and the light switches have been put together with materials sourced from small neighborhood hardware stores.
