{And while we’re on the topic of historic preservation, let’s take a look at Piet Boon&r

{And while we’re on the topic of historic preservation, let’s take a look at Piet Boon’s recent transformation of a military hospital’s church into a gourmet restaurant. The space consists of a main dining area (which occupies the church’s main hall and can sit 65) and a bar on the upper floor simply called The Upper Room Bar – which also serves light snacks prepared behind the bar.The kitchen has been placed under the magnificent apse, where the altar used to be, and is encased within glass walls making the entire cooking process visible to patrons. Various tattoo-inspired engravings decorate the stainless steel surfaces of the kitchen, while a light installation in the shape of a skull overlooks the restaurant’s patrons with a big grin from high above. The designers chose to preserve much of the church’s original materials and features, such as the intricate mosaics on the floor and the arched ceiling – with the latter’s beautifully aged colours contrasted against the pristine furniture and spotless walls below. As a way to connect the existing use of the building with its past, the windows have been covered with stained glass designs similar to those found in traditional Western European churches. However, look more closely, and you’ll see that these windows portray neither martyrs nor the miracles of medieval saints: designed by Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel of Studio Job, the windows are decorated with a haphazard collection of objects, animals and other shapes, ranging from eaten apple cores and penguins to gas masks and birthday cakes, thus adding a more playful and fun character to the otherwise serious interior.} -- source link

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