In the Key of Jazz

The Supercool Jazz Cafe in a Former Gas Company Building

Disused industrial buildings often present the perfect blank canvas for a number of contemporary interior design projects. The Fifth Jazz Cafe, nestled in the heart of Eindhoven, Netherlands absolutely epitomises that trend.

“The empty spaces looked incredible when I first walked in. Old shattered walls, high ceilings, visible concrete structures and a huge elevator. These existing elements made this space have a lot of potential for something new and unique,” recalls Philip Bogaerts, founder of design company Bogaerts Label.

Philip was asked by events organisation company BYLEI to collaborate on transforming the promising shell into a fully-functional multi-disciplinary space. “We agreed immediately on using a lot of wood and steel in its original state,” explains Philip. “The industrial feeling in this building was just right with adding beautiful, clean wood and raw steel. Carpet and lighting had to be selected correctly so we could set the mood for every type of event BYLEI would organize.”

The result oozes cool style and subtle sophistication and is replete with unique furniture designs. We were desperate to find out more:

The Plus: What’s the main elements you used in the space and why?
Philip Bogaerts: Because BYLEI had plans to organize different types of events in this location, the interior had to be able to adapt to the event. For instance, we made a grid structure above the bar which allows the event planner to hang different objects from for different events. Sometimes you would see long flowers hanging downwards to the bar and other times it would be Christmas lights, for example.

TP: How was the collaboration with BYLEI?
PB: It worked great. BYLEI, and especially Lei Willems – the owner, is a very creative person himself. We did not have any struggles to communicate our plans and it appeared that we were on the same page throughout the project. One thing about designing an interior for somebody who is very creative themselves is that he also had a lot of ideas, which definitely does not have to be a bad thing.

TP: What’s your next interior design project?
PB: We are focusing mostly on furniture currently, but we do have some very interesting interior plans coming up. We are not allowed to say much about these projects at the moment, but keep an eye on new projects by Bogaerts Label in the near future!

TP: If you open a cafe one day, what would it look like?
PB: Great question! We are based in the city of Eindhoven where there is a lot of potential for new public spaces. Eindhoven is full of old buildings which will get new purposes in the coming years.
There are a lot of bars and cafes but it’s hard to find a place which has a more “loungey” vibe! If I would open a cafe one day, it would be a place of relaxation and intimacy. I really like an interior with an eclectic touch, so finding the right atmosphere with nice materials, plants, and of course good music – which plays a big role in every cafe. I guess this is something to keep dreaming about until the time is there.