Steampunk Coffee Shop Comes To Life Through Kinetic Energy

Set in the city of Cluj Napoca, in Romania, this beautiful gem is quite a surprise. Enigma Cafe and Bar is a place like no other and it’s all due to its unconventional design. It’s a place full of intrigue and mystery, a design strategy that 6th Sense Interiors takes to the rank of art.

Enigma Cafe and Bar wall decor
Enigma Cafe and Bar wall decor intricate details

The design studio’s 9 years of experience is guided by a lots of creativity and a great love for aesthetics but not without giving ergonomics and functionality the share of attention they definitely deserve. Every project is a new challenge and each design is unique, whether it’s following the latest trends or goes back in time to explore forgotten details.

Enigma Cafe and Bar wall sculptures
Enigma Cafe and Bar bar decor behind counter

The Enigma Cafe has a unique design and a wonderful décor that comes alive through kinetic energy. Enter this steampunk universe and you’ll feel like entering time itself. That’s because the design is inspired by the idea of time travel.

Enigma Cafe and Bar robotic man

Guests are welcomed by a robotic man pedaling a bike. He has a transparent skull that lets you see the energy surging through. He’s in constant movement and never gets tired. But this is just a hint of what’s to come once you go deeper into the bar.

Enigma Cafe and Bar robotic man from the back

The most impressive décor element would have to be a very large clock placed on the wall at the far end of the cafe. The clock covers the entire wall and while size alone would be enough to make it stand out, its design is more complex than that.

Enigma Cafe and Bar clock at the back
Enigma Cafe and Bar clock design

The clock is meant as a metaphor of time and a way to provide an inside view of time itself. Dozens of wheels of different sizes move all at the same time, all designed to serve as a metaphor for the passage of time. The wooden rim and the LED band that illuminates the edge of the frame are there to add a warm and also dramatic touch to the whole design.

Enigma Cafe and Bar clock mechanism
Enigma Cafe and Bar clock seen up close

Designers explain their vision for this clock, saying that, because time is a machine, it needs a source of energy to work. That source of energy is an engine positioned on the front of the bar. The engine serves as a power outlet for the clock.

Enigma Cafe and Bar giant clock covers entire wall
Enigma Cafe and Bar sculpture

There are many other interesting design elements that make this cafe bar special. If you look up to the ceiling you’ll discover interesting patterns reminiscent of a labyrinth. They’re there to complete the décor and to add yet another philosophical twist to the design.

Enigma Cafe and Bar bar counter
Enigma Cafe and Bar bar design
Enigma Cafe and Bar bar steampunk details

The various moving pieces spread throughout the bar emphasize the concept that the project is based on: time and its continuous passage. But in order to fully appreciate this project you need to see the whole picture.

Enigma Cafe and Bar bar
Enigma Cafe and Bar ceiling maze
Enigma Cafe and Bar ceiling hanger sculpture

Getting lost in all the small and interesting details is easy and tempting but if you take a step back and look at the whole you get to understand the story, its significance and the to reveal the mystery behind the various individual details. That’s when it becomes obvious that this cafe is a stylish tribute to time and motion which uses steampunk décor to bring everything to life.

Enigma Cafe and Bar ceiling design
Enigma Cafe and Bar ceiling drops