Ektra Arhitectura and Fain Design Turn 19th-Century Romanian Pharmacy into Coffee Lab

In Cluj-Napoca, Ektra Arhitectura and Fain Design have transformed the 19th-century Matia Corvin Pharmacy within Palatul Széki into Laboratorium, a specialty coffee destination. The neo-Gothic landmark, originally built in 1893 by architect Pecz Samu, once belonged to pharmacist and professor Miklós Széki. The design team stripped away decades of superficial layers to restore original solid wood cabinetry crafted by cabinetmaker B. Bak Lajos, featuring Gothic arches and fleurons. Specialist restorers treated the woodwork as active elements rather than museum pieces. Fain Design introduced sculptural coffee bars made of curved stainless steel, creating a contrast between ornate history and industrial present. Original skylights flood the seating area with vertical light, and restored mural paintings on vaulted ceilings were uncovered. Opaline red lighting fixtures cast a contemporary glow. The branding strategy avoids historical clichés, using metal inserts and modular furniture. The project preserves the original spiral metal staircase and the 1893 floor plan. Laboratorium joins a global trend of narrative-driven cafés, such as the Atelier L-Kurasu pop-up in Beijing and Bluo Café by Gur Studio.