A House Where Stories Are Made

Engen, a steakhouse in a historic building in Bergen's cultural district, needed an identity that honoured the building's history from courthouse to temperance house. Nonspace delivered the concept “A house where stories are made”, visual identity, illustrated menus, signage, social media templates and a website together with Agenta.

Highlights

About the project

Engen Steakhouse is a premium culinary destination in central Bergen, where Chef Adam Bjerck and his team specialise in flawlessly grilled steaks and seafood using Mibrasa charcoal grills. Celebrated for its clean, high-quality flavours and elegant atmosphere, the restaurant consistently earns praise for its exceptional dishes and hospitality, most recently winning top marks in a local steakhouse comparison and delighting guests with standout offerings like tomahawk and wagyu beef.

Visit the website

The historic building at Engen, part of Bergen's cultural district, was restored to preserve its architectural heritage and transformed into a premium steakhouse. Engen approached us to craft a brand and visual identity honouring the building's rich history, from courthouse to temperance house. We created a brand that seamlessly blends this cultural legacy with contemporary dining, capturing the essence of “a house where stories are made” and continuing Engen's unique narrative.

Brand

Brand Strategy

Visual Identity

Web Development

Creating a new visual profile for a space still under renovation required careful consideration of the evolving architectural and interior design elements. Working closely with the interior designer from Baus Arkitektur was essential to ensure that the brand identity complemented and integrated with the physical space.

The process required comprehensive research, from market trends to design history. It involved interactive workshops and close collaboration with the client and architects. We developed mood boards, visual elements and initial sketches, embracing the concept “a house where stories are made”. The result is an identity that combines striking illustrations with an engaging brand story, where Engen's past and future meet.

Debora Szpilman's layered and hand-drawn illustrations vividly bring to life stories inspired by Engen's history and future, enhancing the storytelling aspect of the design. Each menu features an illustration and story connected to its content, creating a unique narrative experience for patrons.

We selected the colour scheme to align with the overall mood and interior design inspiration. We chose various fonts to convey different tones and visual styles, adding contrast and texture. Additional graphic elements provide visual interest and flexibility for multiple applications. We developed a simple, elegant website with Agenta in the final phase. The brand identity package included the logo, fonts, colour schemes, communication guidelines, and visual identity applications for signs, menus, and social media templates, ensuring Engen's cohesive and engaging brand presence.

“With history woven into the very fabric of the building and its transformation into a true architectural gem, we needed to craft a restaurant of the highest calibre. An essential aspect of the project was the close collaboration between the agency and the architect, which was crucial as the brand guidelines needed to be finalised before the building's completion. Their impressive work with Britannia Hotel in Trondheim largely influenced our decision to partner with Nonspace. We found it to be robust, meticulously planned and cohesive. The feedback from guests regarding the brand profile has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Ellen Nilsen, General Manager at Engen.

Illustrations: Debora Szpilman

Restaurant photos: Silje Bryn Knutsen