Charred wood, perfect pizza

Other 4-star chefs would have been forgiven for resting on their laurels. But the “Rossbarth” chefs Marco Barth and Sebastian Rossbach have taken their restaurant business a step further. In addition to the fine-dining sanctuary on Klammstraße, these Linz-based restaurateurs were motivated to open a second, smaller eatery with just 50 square metres of space. This new outlet offers high quality at lower prices, with a smaller selection of food but a greater sense of fun. After seeing an offer on Austrian online marketplace “willhaben” for a vacant food outlet in the Falk building of the former Tobacco Factory (Tabakfabrik) on Peter-Behrens-Platz, they seized the opportunity. During a tour of the premises, it only took a few minutes for these two inspirational chefs to reach their decision: “This is the one for us.”

Tried and tested

They quickly found the perfect food for this new outlet: it just had to be pizza! Topped with superior ingredients sourced exclusively from Italy – ranging from smoked scamorza from Campania through to onions from Tropea in Calabria. On the face of it, this seems like a surprising departure from the Rossbarth menu. But as everyone who remained faithful to the restaurant during the COVID-19 lockdowns will know, when the pandemic brought on-site eating to a halt, Barth and Rossbach outwitted the virus by offering takeaway pizza.

And so, on the door of “Haus Falk” on the ground floor where pizza used to be served by “Da Freccia”, followed by “Carbone”, the sign now once again says “Pizzeria”. The name has a tiny extension, however – “22k”. This is actually a cheeky reference to the amount that had to be handed over to the previous tenants for the on-site equipment. Only insiders are party to that kind of knowledge, though. When asked by guests, they normally respond by pointing to the cryptic statement printed in English on their pizza box: “You’ll never understand”. Nonetheless, one bite of this delicious Italian food will leave most people unconcerned about the meaning. And the only thing that actually matters is that these pizzaioli definitely understand their craft.

Specialists in monochrome design

The restaurant was redesigned by the planners at destilat, who are also masters of their craft. With offices in Vienna and Linz, the studio is active in designing interiors and furniture not just across Austria but around the globe as well. They are also highly respected specialists in monochrome interior design, with an extensive portfolio that has won multiple awards. For example, the architects won the German Design Award 2021 for their design of the Clemens Strobl Wine Manufactory in Lower Austria.

Incidentally, in 2019 destilat received the same award for the Rossbarth concept. And so it is no wonder that Marco Barth and Sebastian Rossbach returned to destilat for the design of their Pizzeria 22k. Especially as their expertise was again needed for the interior design of a restaurant in a listed building, tailored to the culinary philosophy of the two chefs that seeks to defy logic. “We’ll basically do everything differently to everyone else. Then it’ll all be fine,” said Barth. In any case, the design for 22k by destilat was recently presented with the German Design Award 2025 as a winner in the category “Excellent Architecture, Interior Architecture”.

Not the first time

The two celebrated chefs can now enjoy their laid-back culinary playground in this radically functionalist industrial building. The Tabakfabrik halls were built in the style of New Objectivity by Peter Behrens and Alexander Popp between 1929 and 1935 as Austria’s first steel skeleton-frame construction, which meant that strict monument protection requirements prohibited any changes to the floor plan. Nevertheless, destilat has succeeded in completely transforming the space, despite only having 50 square metres at their disposal.

“Listed buildings are best approached with great appreciation, but by no means with fear. Instead of bowing to history, we confronted the industrial monument with an equally strong interior design,” stated destilat founder Henning Weimer.

The space is immersed in deep black from top to bottom, with an existing poured asphalt floor. All new wooden elements of this culinary platform are charred according to the tradition of the Japanese technique Shou Sugi Ban, which is thousands of years old. It conserves the material naturally, makes it resistant to water and creates wooden surfaces in various dark shades. Each has its own texture, special aesthetics and unmistakable character.

Linking old and new

This technique lends the restaurant interior a timeless, natural beauty, while establishing an organic connection between old and new. The furnishings do the rest: black Thonet furniture was chosen by the designers to add a touch of classic elegance that links up the whole space.

However, the central element of this space is its bar area, which uses terracotta bricks with flat-bed faces from the “workshop” of the interior designer. In a break from the traditional approach, they were stacked with the holes facing outwards, creating a mesmerizing honeycomb structure. Filled with dark joint compound, sanded, edged with black sheet metal and effectively backlit, the high-top counter in the middle of the monochrome interior has the aura of a secretive artwork. And it also underlines the Pizzeria’s commitment to sustainability and innovative design.

Successful creation with one drawback

Altogether, the bold design decisions taken for Pizzeria 22k inject a modern, lively atmosphere without disregarding the history and historic architecture of the Tabakfabrik. There is just one drawback to this unique creation. The number of seats available in the restaurant is very limited – although there are also more (covered) spaces outside and also stools at the bar.

For all those who are unable to secure a place in the restaurant itself, there is a different option. Even though you miss out on experiencing the food, wine and design as a whole, you can at least enjoy the pizza. The 22k owners have developed a perfect collection service using their experience gained during the lockdowns, with prior ordering and reservation slots.

Enjoy the ambience

That said, the ordering system only allows five minutes at most for collection, which is almost a shame. After all, the interior design at Pizzeria 22k is truly a feast for the eyes that invites you to linger for much longer.

Text: Daniela Schuster
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Images: Jürgen Grünwald