CASE STUDY · COMMERCIAL INTERIOR

The Brief: An Industrial Restaurant That Doesn't Feel Cold

Industrial restaurant design is a frequent request across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia — exposed concrete, raw textures, brass fixtures, Bauhaus-inspired accents. The tricky part isn't the look itself, but getting there without pouring real concrete, waiting weeks for it to cure, or dealing with the upkeep that raw cementitious surfaces bring. This project used MCM flexible stone panels in a raw cast concrete finish across the reception counter, dining nooks, an outdoor terrace, and the barista bar. From a distance it reads as poured concrete; up close, it's lightweight, easy to wipe down, and quick to install. The result: Oranturm's WP-9009 Raw Cast Concrete panel ties together several zones of the venue under one material, without the weight or lead time of real concrete formwork.

Application Industrial Restaurant / Hospitality

Panel Used Raw Cast Concrete — WP-9009

Material MCM Flexible Stone

FEATURED PROJECT · 2026

Interior Design Brief · Modern Concrete Wall Restaurant

The design explores the dialogue between industrial restraint and everyday warmth. Raw cast concrete textures establish a structured, monolithic backdrop, while warm walnut furniture, brass fixtures, and Bauhaus-inspired accents inject a layered, lived-in character into the dining space.

Featured Wall Applications Across the Space

The reception desk uses the panel as a feature wall behind a dark steel counter, with brass pendant lights and a Bauhaus print breaking up the grey surface. The panel's faint shutter-line impressions and scattered aggregate pitting catch the light from the pendants, so the wall has some depth to it rather than reading as a flat print.

The booth seating and dining area use the same panel as a backdrop for warmer materials — teal velvet, walnut tabletops, terracotta leather chairs. Against the cooler, structured wall, these pieces stand out a bit more without fighting for attention.

Featured Wall Applications Across the Space

Curved Columns and Outdoor Terraces: Where Flexibility Matters

This view shows the panel applied to an angular, faceted column on an open-air terrace — a shape that would be hard to replicate in real cast concrete on an existing structure. At 2.5–3.5 mm, MCM panels can be scored and folded around angled corners, curved walls, and column faces using a utility knife or angle grinder, which makes them an option for curved features and retrofits that real stone or precast concrete can't really follow.

Outdoors, durability is the main consideration. The Raw Cast Concrete panel has a water absorption rate below 7% and is rated for both interior and exterior cladding, so it works for covered terraces, alfresco dining areas, and outdoor bar fronts exposed to humidity and temperature changes.

Curved Columns and Outdoor Terraces: Where Flexibility Matters

MCM Raw Cast Concrete Panel — 600 × 1200 mm/1200 × 2900 mm

Surface texture

Standard Format

MCM Raw Cast Concrete Panel — 600 × 1200 mm/1200 × 2900 mm

Natural cast concrete looks the part, but it comes with structural load, long curing times, and almost no way to retrofit onto existing walls — a real issue when downtime means lost revenue. PU-based faux stone panels are lighter, but as organic-polymer products they often carry lower fire ratings and don't hold up as well near kitchen lines or open flames.

MCM panels sit in a different category: a mineral-based composite. The Raw Cast Concrete finish (WP-9009) carries a fire classification suited to commercial kitchens and bar areas — full ratings are below. For a pass-through, bar back wall, or any feature wall near heat, that's often the deciding factor. Available in 600×1200 mm, 600×1220 mm, and 1200×2900 mm formats, the panels are light enough for a two-person crew to install without lifting equipment, which matters when renovating a restaurant that's still open.

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Curves without compromise

At 2.5–3 mm, the panel flexes around curves that would shatter natural stone — columns, arched alcoves, curved bar fronts. No heat, no special tools required.

Cut on site, waste almost nothing

Utility knife, scissors, or angle grinder — all work. One person can cut panels to exact dimensions at the point of installation, including irregular shapes and outlet cutouts.

Zero formaldehyde. No heavy metals.

No formaldehyde, no lead, mercury, or cadmium. For hospitality spaces with high occupancy and long daily hours, this is a specification requirement — not a bonus.

Fire Class A2, adhesive included

Panels meet CE-certified Fire Class A2 when installed with the Oranturm cement-based adhesive system. Both the board and the adhesive are covered — a single-source compliance answer for commercial interiors.

Open for business in 72 hours

Panels bond directly to the wall. Grouting can begin 48 hours after installation. Once grouting cures — typically within 72 hours total — the space is ready to open. No curing delays, no odour, no downtime.

A fraction of the cost of natural stone

Natural dark marble typically costs several times more per square metre — before factoring in cutting, structural reinforcement, and specialist labour. MCM delivers the same visual result at a cost that makes the project viable.

Installation and Sourcing for Hospitality Projects

Maintenance is fairly low: the matte mineral surface wipes clean with standard products, and since it doesn't absorb grease or moisture the way natural stone or raw concrete does, staining around booths and bar areas tends to stay minimal.

Before specifying, it's worth requesting a physical sample — screen colors shift depending on display and lighting, and the Raw Cast Concrete finish in particular depends on raking light to show its texture. Custom colors beyond the standard Concrete Gray are available for projects that need a matched palette across zones.