Neighborhood Visit: Paulusquartier

The building at the corner of Steinenring and Bachlettenstrasse is a Paulusquartier landmark. Built in 1904, it originally housed a Bell grocery store—an early example of retail integrated into residential architecture. Today, the ground floor operates as a café and, together with the buvette at the Paulus Church, serves as one of the liveliest gathering places in the neighborhood.

For the café, we were commissioned to develop an interior design concept that improves the lighting and acoustic comfort while highlighting the building’s turn-of-the-century character. Our proposal introduces a new furniture layout, new built-in banquette seating, acoustic curtains and a sound-absorbing rug, creating a more intimate atmosphere without compromising the café’s connection to the street. Read more about the buildings of the Paulusquartier in the Schweizer Heimatschutz catalog.