NoWINA: A Unique Blend of Wine and Design

smallna's Wine Bar: An Ode to Love, Vintage Design, and Fine Wine

Located in a 100-year-old tenement house in the heart of Warsaw, NoWINA is more than just a wine bar. It's a wine shop, a wine culture gallery, and a vintage gallery. The space showcases an extraordinary collection of corkscrews, bottles, wine openers, and wine artifacts. With over 1000 artifacts, the atmosphere of wine culture is palpable. The interior is surrounded by museum-quality collectibles concerning wine artifacts, furniture, and lighting.

The design process involved revitalizing a unique location under the watchful eye of a conservator. All original parts of the building, including historic windows, doors, and floors, were preserved. Functional and minimalistic architecture was added to provide the functions: a glass floor for display windows, steel stairs shelving to place 1500 wine bottles in the wine shop, and a steel & glass wall to expose hundreds of the best wine labels between the shop and the bar.

Interaction is a key element in the design of NoWINA. The creators are focused on adding more artistic installations every month, ensuring the space is far from static. Clients can appreciate a wide range of wines, delicious tapas, and a program of activities including wine tasting, jazz concerts, discussion panels, and exhibitions carried out underground.

The project, which started in April 2015 and finished in January 2017, was not without its challenges. The building had to be supported to ensure it was resistant during events for 200 people. A second bar was prepared in the basement, and old coal slots were finished with glass to prepare display windows with historic wine, magnum bottles, and grand openers. A steel construction for the stairs, which the creators call "stairs to heaven," took half a year to weld.

NoWINA is a testament to the beauty of combining passions and creating a unique experience for wine connoisseurs and design enthusiasts alike. It's a space that celebrates the love for vintage design and fine wine, and it's a space that invites you to immerse yourself in a world of taste and design.

For its unique design and innovative concept, NoWINA was awarded Silver in A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2017. The award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation.