SPACE COPENHAGEN COMPLETES INTERIORS FOR AMBRA COPENHAGEN

Image courtesy of Joachim Wichmann

Warm & welcoming interiors for new Italian-inspired

Space Copenhagen, the Danish design studio founded by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, has completed the interiors for AMBRA, a new restaurant in the heart of Copenhagen. AMBRA is the latest creation from acclaimed Chef Andreas Bagh, the chef behind Restaurant Esmée at Kongens Nytorv Copenhagen – also designed by Space Copenhagen. Seamlessly fusing Italian culinary traditions with Danish design, Space Copenhagen carefully curated AMBRA’s atmospheric, inviting interiors to complement the casual dining experience nested amidst Copenhagen’s enchanting cityscape.

On entering AMBRA from the buzzing street of Store Kongensgade, guests are welcomed into an expansive space featuring double-height ceilings with exposed features that celebrate the building’s industrial origin. Towering banquette seating and a cloud of large bespoke Space Copenhagen chandeliers for &Tradition bring a sense of human scale to the space, with the chandeliers providing a soft ceiling suspended in mid-air.

A 10-metre-long wooden bar, crowned with a brown travertine bar top and paired with bar stools from Frama, offers guests a place to enjoy drinks, small plates, and lively conversation. Softly upholstered banquettes, lounge chairs by Arne Jacobsen for Sika, and dining seating from Gebruder Thonet, surround the bar in nuances of ochre and dark plum, complemented by tables in brown travertine and yellow marble.

Presented by Galleria

Space Copenhagen opted for simple and minimal spatial features and surfaces for AMBRA, which provide a subtly decorative aesthetic to the space. The light chalky walls, which are treated with the beautiful marble paint from St. Leo, are complimented with earthy tones of terracotta brick flooring, with warm wooden panels partially covering walls and niches. The material palette for the millwork and furniture is kept to burnt colour tones to add warmth and elegance, with carefully chosen fabrics from Dedar, Pierre Frey, Kvadrat and FuturLiberty enhancing the overall scheme.

Eclectic and playful elements are spread out throughout the space to enhance the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant, with vintage pieces from Barbara Werner and Holly Golightly and big Italian Vintage brass shell lamps light up and frame the bar with its bespoke soft and wavy shelves. Elsewhere a unique large handwoven Gobelin from the 18th century, sourced for the space, is hung on the wall – bringing colour and a dreamy, poetic landscape of peach trees into the space.

Guests are invited to continue their journey through a lowered passage guided by amber-coloured blown wall sconces by Helle Mardal, which connects the two restaurant dining areas. The first stop is the unexpected Raw Bar, featuring Seine ceiling lights by Space Copenhagen for Gubi, which offers the perfect stop for a treat of champagne, fresh oysters, caviar and other seafood. Further on is the rear dining space, framed by an industrial metal and glass structure, referencing the heritage of the former warehouse building. The ceiling height is reduced to more intimate and horizontal spatial proportions, making the space warm, social and inviting.

The main restaurant features a generous open kitchen, with walls clad in beautifully hand-crafted burnished glazed tiles, yet the restaurant itself is kept simple in design, with the flow being determined by the arrangement of the banquettes populating the terracotta brick flooring. The bespoke chandeliers featured in the front bar appear here in a smaller more domestic form, accompanied by handmade rattan wall sconces shaped like ancient baskets, sourced from Atelier Vime, which light up the wall niches. Heavy linen curtains combined with woven bistro sheers, as well as rustic, beautifully crafted striped fabric in amber and sand colours, pay a subtle homage to Italian cuisine and traditions.

Signe Bindslev Henriksen, Co-Founder of Space Copenhagen says “We are delighted to have collaborated with Chef Andreas Bagh once again, following the success of Restaurant Esmée at Kongens Nytorv Copenhagen. AMBRA is a perfect place for a casual, easy and relaxed night out on any day. It’s a place to entertain and lean into the city buzz through a unique Italian-inspired dining experience, which we wanted to blend seamlessly with our Scandinavian design.”

Peter Bundgaard Rützou, Co-Founder of Space Copenhagen says “AMBRA is all about unpretentious dining, so we created a modern space that celebrates the heritage of the building, with a warm and wholesome atmosphere where guests can enjoy themselves surrounded by subtle yet beautiful design.”

Additional information:

Chandeliers/Pendants: Space Copenhagen for &Tradtion
Wall lights: Atelier Vime, Helle Mardal
Ceiling Lights Raw bar: Seine by Space Copenhagen for Gubi
Battery Lamps for tables: Manhattan Space Copenhagen for &Tradition 
Fabrics: Dedar, Pierre Frey, Kvadrat, FuturLiberty
Leather banquette seats: Sorensen Leather 
Vintage Pieces (Gobelin, Wall reliefs, Wall Sconces): Barbara Werner / Holly Golightly 
Lounge Chairs: Arne Jacobsen for Sika
Bar Stools: Frama
Dining Chairs: Gebruder Thonet