In the center of our concept was to focus on and respect the architecture and the capability of the site during the renovation of the tenement-house building in Klauzal Street, where Doboz is located. We preserved a lot of the original materials during the design of the interior space.

We imagined Doboz as a multifunctional cultural center that is a revision of the recreational options in the 7^th district.  It could provide an alternative to the reoccurring ruin pubs with a viable, precise interior design concept. It became the largest club in the 7^th district with a 1000 people capacity. Fortunately, the contractor gave us free hands; as a result 99% of the plans were built according to our ideas.  The primary goal was to preserve the characteristics of the original building, while providing a new appearance. Another important architectural decision was to design every new element in a way that it would create a contrast with the old parts.

The name Doboz, which means ‘box’ in Hungarian, refers to the freestanding structure in the middle of the courtyard.  It creates an exciting tension, due to its relationship with the old building. However, Doboz lays there in harmony, without crushing or settling on the original surrounding. The 250-year-old tree and the large King Kong sculpture made from staves by Gábor Miklos Szőke, compensates the static, free standing structure. Each room around the courtyard has a different image according to their functions, but they fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the whole place. The wallpaper in the salon, at the right side of the entrance, was designed by Eszter Laki, graphic designer and it is a great complement to the logo’s organic theme, which was also designed by her. From this room we get to the ‘stave bar’, where also Gábor Miklos Szőke’s figure sprawls. From the bar we get to a house party imitation, where we kept the original door frames and where Márk Viszlay’s and Márk Süveg ‘s photo compositions serve as an instruction manual.

Doboz is a ruin in some way and also a pub, but not a ruin pub. We used old materials where it was authentic, such as the old oak flooring or the 100-year-old cement tiles. Decks from the attic were built in the grill bar, the restrooms were constructed from the old doors and the basins were covered by Zsolnay ceramics from the beginning of the century. The bricks from the attic were used in the courtyard.

Most of the furniture were purchased from flea markets and antique shops and the rest were designed by us. We paid special attention to the design of the lamps that connect to the atmospheres of each space and to the synchronization of these light sources. We designed each space function-oriented, we thought through who and how it is going to be used. This vision justified on the opening event, the people used the spaces as we imaged how they would use it. This is the biggest recognition for a designer.