Given free rein with its interiors, multi-talented artist and style icon Maarten Spruyt created the groundbreaking design of the newly opened Capital Kitchen restaurant in Amsterdam.

Artist Joep van Lieshout, for instance, was responsible for the sculpture above the main bar. This showstopper, right at the heart of the place, is titled ‘The Creature’, and is a – deconstructed – human skeleton symbolising exposure of the inner self.

The main aim was to leave more space for art, something of a challenge given the limited wall space available. There was also a clear demand for locally sourced and sustainable cuisine. This inspired Maarten to go right back to first principles, with concrete pillars for base notes, white walls to reflect the light, Bas van Tol’s salmon pink staircase as a true centrepiece and stainless steel in the open-plan kitchen. The organic design of the chairs designed by the renowned artist designer Maarten Baas constitutes a gentle, warm compliment – each has a unique backrest. The design label Lensvelt manufactured the chairs and also the exclusive tables with organically shaped legs.

All the stripping back and laying bare eventually led him to the inner self. And Maarten Spruyt delved in even deeper. This theme of the ‘inner self’ is taken to the extreme with the furniture. Maarten Spruyt: “From the moment you read a menu, neurons in your brain activate. I really wanted to give visible form to this on the tabletops. And while you eat, your salivary glands are active, so I also wanted to portray that beauty on a few of the tables.’

The tabletops are highly magnified – down to cellular level – images of human organs, such as the oesophagus, pancreas, liver and even genitals.

Maarten Spruyt worked closely together with Tiago Rosado on the technical production of the prints. Also unique: a melted disco ball above the balustrade on the mezzanine. A design by Dutch-American designer collective Rotganzen, who won the prestigious Wallpaper Design Award 2019 with this ball, christened ‘Quelle Fête’, branches emerging from a human form by Juul Kraijer; Jan Eric Visser’s organic work transforming household waste and Esther Hoogendyk’s artwork made of concrete, which all go to put mother nature vividly on display.

Design: Maarten Spruyt Photography: Ewout Huibers, Inga Powilleit, Jan-Willem Kaldenbach

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