Celest restaurant & cocktail bar
The design of Celest in De Zalmhaven in Rotterdam by Doepel Strijkers and commissioned by Magnicity allows Celest’s guests to transcend the ordinary world, to a special place far above the earth. Guests literally rise to new heights as Celest occupies the top two floors of the tower, 190 meters above the Maas River, making it the highest restaurant in the Benelux.
When Doepel Strijkers began formulating the design concepts for Celest, they turned to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall as a central reference point. The book’s narrative of a journey to the moon provided the inspiration for a design that emphasises both ascent and transformation. The key idea was to create a space where visitors feel as though they are literally ‘ascending’ into another world, a world where the boundaries between the earth and sky blur, and the passage of time becomes fluid.
To ground their vision, the design team studied the moon’s unique qualities, exploring how its surface, atmosphere, and relationship with light could inform the restaurant's aesthetics. The moonpods, central to the design, are conceived in a gradation of colours that shift with the natural light, reflecting the changing atmosphere of daylight as it transitions into night. This approach creates an immersive environment, where guests are not merely in a room, but within a living landscape that mirrors the daily cycle of the earth.
The palette draws from the deep, dark blues of the Earth’s oceans, evoking a nocturnal atmosphere that recalls the vastness of the universe, the moon, and the stars. The dynamic space of Celest thus becomes a celestial journey, where the passage of time, light, and colour subtly transform the dining experience.
On the first floor where the journey begins, the dark blue of the earth with its oceans still dominates. The blue refers to what Hans Pfaall experienced leaving the earth. As Hans Pfaall ascends with his balloon, he takes a final look at the earth and sees the deep blue of the oceans stretching out beneath the horizon.
Once on the 57th floor, Doepel Strijkers draws inspiration from the moon and the nighttime universe. The cocktail bar on that floor reveals the view of Rotterdam, the bar itself blends seamlessly with the almost infinite space around it. In the cocktail bar, guests enjoy themselves with an interactive representation of the moon and through a telescope with the real world around them.
On the 58th floor, the highest point of the restaurant, the space is designed with a 360-degree view that constantly changes with the course of the day and the colours of the light. In the ‘moonpods’ – the intimate dining spaces of the restaurant – this colour gradient is carried through into the interior. Visitors to Celest are therefore not just in a space, but in a landscape that reflects the passage of time and constantly adapts to the daily cycle. It is a typical example of Doepel Strijkers’ working method, which is always looking for the mutually reinforcing and ever-changing relationship between inside and outside.
Doepel Strijkers has defined a customer journey in which 5 experiences have been devised on the route through the project. Doepel Strijkers has included RNDR in the design team for the technical and artistic elaboration of these experiences. RNDR’s ethos is rooted in designing processes, visualisations, and structures that exist in the hybrid realm of digital and physical space.
At Celest, from the moment a visitor steps into the elevator that simulates a voyage to the moon, to their discovery of a massive 2.5-meter-wide digital globe illustrating lunar layers, every detail reflects an immersive dialogue between the physical and digital. RNDR’s contributions include a telescopic interface narrating Hans Pfaall’s fantastical lunar journey, neon-quote art illuminating the cocktail bar, and a mesmerising moon animation that greets visitors as they descend “back to earth.”
Doepel Strijkers: Director of Artistic and Organisational Team
Under Doepel Strijkers' artistic guidance, many key collaborators contributed to the realisation of Celest. Doepel Strijkers served as both visionary and director, adding Studio Bouwhaven, led by Ruud Ghering, to the team. Their 25-year collaboration was crucial for managing the project's complexity, ambitious goals, and tight timeline. Ghering acted as the internal sparring partner, overseeing the budget, planning, and construction management. RNDR, a The Hague based office for interactive media, was their design partner for interactive experiences. Doepel Strijkers defined a customer journey through five distinct experiences and brought RNDR on board to help realise them. RNDR specialises in the hybrid realm of digital and physical space, and their decade-long partnership with Doepel Strijkers focuses on designing interactive installations within the artistic vision.
Material Stories: Crafting Collaborations
The design of Celest by Doepel Strijkers involved close collaboration with suppliers to create custom components that brought the vision to life. Studio Corkinho helped crafting glass-blasted, naturally pigmented cork with a "volcanic" texture, while Vincent and Carla de Rijk created resin bar panels with celestial gradients. Marcel Kroonenburg of Carpets for Buildings developed gradient carpets, and Studio Habib reupholstered gradient chairs. Nelleke Strijkers designed embroidered uniforms, adding personal touches throughout.
As artistic director, Doepel Strijkers ensured each element worked together, transforming materials into innovative solutions that echoed the restaurant's celestial theme. The construction and execution were led by Doepel Strijkers and Studio Bouwhaven, overcoming technical challenges and tight deadlines. With partners 10 Yards and Keijsers Interiors, they coordinated everything from mechanical systems to bespoke furniture, ensuring the design vision was fully realised.
