The design students at the Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) proved to the public over the weekend just how creative, imaginative and skilled in their trade they are: on Friday, they set up their own mini pop-up restaurant in Krefeld's Stadtgarten as part of the Urbanorama Festival. The highlight: 18 students planned, developed, built and realized everything themselves for their "HyperLokal": from the regional food concept and seating to the mobile bar. Always focusing on the sustainability aspect, the concept was so well thought-out that almost everything could be transported in an environmentally friendly way by bicycle.
Guests were allowed to take a seat in the open air and sample various appetizers: exotic smoothies made from regional produce and the "permaculture vegetable patch" for tasting. They were cooked by star chef Christian Krüger, who was intensively involved in the culinary process and conjured up appetizers on the plates with his regional ingredients. He also prepared potatoes in sweet and savory varieties - for example, pickled in elderflower syrup and rolled in a crispy cookie coating. The unusual tuber creations were served in special porcelain croissants that the budding product designers at HSNR had specially designed. "The students came up with countless concepts and ultimately designed shapes that got the messages like regionality and diversity across well," says Lisa Freyschmidt.
She has been a professor of ceramic, porcelain and glass design at HSNR since January 2023 and accompanied the students on their creative journey in her first course. Where this journey would take them was completely open at the start of the project. The only thing that was clear was that the topics of sustainability and regionality - and thus the diversity of the Lower Rhine region - were to be the focus. Freyschmidt: "In Krefeld and the region in particular, there are very many farms and businesses that offer their own products locally. I find that remarkable."
The 18 product and communication designers finally developed the idea for the open-air pop-up restaurant together. It was important not only that the ingredients be of seasonal and regional origin, but that the transportation and materials of the furniture be sustainable. Thus, the "HyperLokal" team designed screens as textile room dividers and sewed seating landscapes with the support of the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology. They also created stools, trash cans and height-adjustable tables at which guests could eat while standing or sitting. Thanks to their clever design, they were easy to fold up and transport. The two counters with shed-style canopies were also delivered by bicycle.
The fact that the students had the chance to show their own designs to interested visitors in the Stadtgarten on the occasion of the 650th anniversary of the city of Krefeld also pleased Freyschmidt enormously. And there's more: In the "RegioTable" format, star chef Krüger wants to serve his dishes in the design students' tableware.
