42 THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY
OCTAVE RESTAURANT
Unforgettable moments at the
Octave restaurant, Antwerp
Hotel
The premium restaurant Octave is located in
the largest museum of the world for Belgian
chocolate. The overall interior design concept
comes from the Antwerp-based creative studio
real. space agency. The striking point in the
central open area on the ground floor is the
bar: A real eye-catcher staged with expressive
ceramic tiles of Agrob Buchtal.
The Chocolate Nation adventure museum is
located in the centre of Antwerp (Belgium),
directly opposite the main railway station. It is a
place where chocolate lovers get their money’s
worth. There, the visitors can follow the journey
of the cocoa beans from their place of origin via
the Antwerp harbour to the production of the
world-famous Belgian chocolate. Finally, the
Chocolate as the guiding theme
In order to emphasize the link with the
chocolate museum, real. space agency decided
both to pick up the tropical origin of the cocoa
bean by means of botanical elements and to
integrate the industrial aspect of chocolate
production into the interior concept. real.
space agency is a creative studio in Antwerp
which has specialized in the hospitality metier
as well as in retail shops. With a coordinated
interior and food design, the studio aims at
creating unique locations and places which
can be experienced with all the senses.
For the Octave restaurant, for example,
current trends in the food sector have been
considered and also the important subject of
sensory perception.
sweet temptations can of course also be tasted.
Those who have acquired a taste for chocolate
will find more culinary delights in the exquisite
museum restaurant Octave, named after the
chocolate pioneer Octaaf Callebaut.
Cathinca Arfman, interior designer in charge,
used white marble, dark wood or chairs and
benches in natural colours for the furnishings,
which in turn were confidently combined
with industrially connotated materials such
as steel, brick walls and concrete floors.
The whole ambience is characterized by the
charm of the Belle Epoque, a time in which art
made its way into everyday life and Belgian
chocolate also became more and more
popular.
Ceramic Tiles stage eye-catchers
Those who enter the restaurant are inevitably
captivated by a bar located centrally in the
room. It owes its fascinating effect to the
ceramic tile series Craft of Agrob Buchtal,
which have been used vertically to serve
as a surrounding cladding of the counter.
Arfman was particularly fascinated by the 3D
effect and the high-gloss surface: “There are
certainly other brands supplying tiles with a
3D relief, but only Agrob Buchtal’s series was
able to offer us this special flamed high-glossy
look”.