Cristina Poelk is interior designer and art director at Hem with over a decade of experience across residential, exhibition, and furniture design. Defined by a rigorous and contemporary aesthetic vision, Poelk regards the culinary space as the emotional core of every project. Her work is distinguished by in-depth material research and the creation of welcoming atmospheres that seamlessly merge functional design, elegance, and an acute attention to everyday rituals.

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This studio-client dynamic is exceptional, a testament of mutual trust between Poelk and TERMINO. The German design firm transforms culinary and domestic environments through high-end, modular, and architectural kitchen systems The brand stands out for delivering flexible, easily relocatable structures engineered with millimeter precision and conceived to outlast traditional built-in cabinetry. For this joint endeavor, TERMINO granted Poelk complete creative freedom to unlock the full potential of their modular system within a commercial hospitality setting.

NEXUS is a conceptual bar-restaurant envisioned for Tokyo's vertical, urban fabric, bringing together fine dining, cocktail bar, and nightlife club into a unique immersive journey. Its formal language draws inspiration from European brutalism, 1980s dystopian cinema, and Italian postmodernism. The spatial layout is anchored by a 360-degree circular central island paired with suspended overhead modules, allowing culinary craftsmanship to be observed from any viewpoint. The raw concrete structure contrasts with pale dusty-pink terrazzo floors and tables, complemented by the warm glow of sculptural light fixtures by GRAU.

Stainless steel serves as the indispensable material and functional backbone of the NEXUS concept. Integrated through the versatile modules of the TERMINO system, it delivers the thermal, chemical, and mechanical resilience demanded by an intensive professional culinary environment, ensuring surfaces endure continuous use without degrading. Its application across the monumental circular bar, suspended overhead volumes, and service interfaces reinforces the space's raw, brutalist palette; meanwhile, its clean, reflective finish amplifies the light and guarantees maximum hygiene, transforming an active workstation into an enduring, sculptural, and adaptable centerpiece.

According to Cristina Poelk "I've always had a big love for stainless steel. You can put cold and hot things on it without damaging it. So the durability aspect of the materials is something I really identify with".