A heating substation becomes a warm restaurant in Gdańsk

Węzeł Cieplny means 'heating substation', and that's exactly what this Gdańsk building used to be. It sits beside the Falowiec, the vast wave-shaped 1970s housing blocks of the Przymorze district, the longest of which runs for about 860 metres. For many locals, those blocks bring back memories of grandmothers' kitchens and Sunday dinners, and interior architect Zosia Niesiobędzka of local studio CON S built the restaurant around that mix of toughness and tenderness.

The industrial bones stay on show: exposed brick, visible ducts and galvanised metal. Reclaimed tread plate, the anti-slip metal with a raised pattern, runs across the floors of all three levels and, from a distance, looks almost like woven cloth. Warmth comes from honey-toned stained plywood on the bar, walls and a big shelving unit filled with glasses, preserves and cookbooks. Mint-green railings wind through the space.

Then come the homely touches. There are banquettes in brown leather and blue denim, lace curtains, and a communal table in glossy green tiles with red stools. Chairs and lamps come from different decades, including 1960s Model 2100 chairs and a 1970s Tulip lamp, so the room feels collected rather than styled. Don't miss the bathroom, tiled in a red, rust and cream plaid like an old blanket.

It's playful, nostalgic and very inviting.

Our summary of a story from Yatzer, published 28 July 2026. Read the original