In addition to designing a new interior for the dining room, Wingårdh’s brief included expanding the space with an additional two basement rooms, so that today it seats 114. In order to create a more spacious feeling, the design takes advantage of the different angles and peculiar conditions of these rooms. The existing birch acoustic panels have been refinished, and the style of those panels has been extended to a rounded wall, where narrow mirrors and gray trim add depth to the space.

Upstairs in the restaurant’s main dining room, a banquette follows the form of the rounded wall like a fan and provides seating for pairs. The cognac brown leather seat is as soft as a sofa—comfortable for anyone who wants to stay on for an extra drink or two, has time for a long dinner, or is just looking for a peaceful breakfast spot.

“We’ve designed almost everything in the restaurant—banquettes, tables, buffet counters, host station, and more. But we haven’t just thrown all the old things away; we chose to preserve parts of the existing interior,” says Sara Helder, the project’s lead interior designer for Wingårdh Architects. “Instead of removing the existing acoustic panels, we repainted them to give a new look. We also kept the beautiful marble floor, and it’s even more visible now with the new furnishings.”

There was no marble floor in the two rooms added downstairs, so the choice instead was an oak mosaic parquet tinted dark green that resonates with the curving banquettes. Noi has a consistent look that is recognizable even in the plates. The kitchen has taken culinary inspiration from all over Europe, and so the restaurant includes features remembered both from local spots in bygone times and from travels through the continent. The walnut tables, with their glossy finish, are reminiscent of wooden boats in Italy, and the chairs are also walnut but have a softer, more Scandinavian finish.

Noi is designed both for socializing in larger groups and for enjoying a moment of peace and quiet, and the inner room can be rented for private events. Have a seat at the bar for a couple of cocktails at the end of a day in the city or reserve a table and stay all evening.

For questions, call Klara Grape at 010 - 788 11 19 or email klara.grape@wingardhs.se