Who is nika? The endless search for niche
from Prague and Leuven to all of you
"Nika" means "niche" in English, a word that isn't commonly used anymore. But it hasn't always been that way. It used to refer to those special places built into buildings and churches to hold the most secret and valuable objects. That's something we want to preserve.
We don't plan to become construction workers and alter the urban planning visuals of cities. However, we aim to help you find, collect, or rediscover places, objects and experiences that truly represent you, however unconventional they may be.
You might wonder where to start? We wondered too. Sometimes we still do because the search for niche, as we'velearned, is a lifelong journey. Niche looks different for each of us. However, we've been on this hunt for years now, and we want to share with you what we've learned and discovered.
We hope you enjoy these finds and, if you like what you see, will continues on this journey with us — searching for everything niche.
Andrea
Today’s niche →
What we place in a niche or where we find it can look very different today than it did a hundred years ago.
(1) Hotel — the cōmodo
A niche with purpose, like the one you’ll find in rooms at the cōmodo, a design hotel nestled in the Austrian Alps. Architect Piotr Wisniewski spent too many nights tripping over a bedside water bottle. So he decided to create a built-in space for guests to prevent the same nighttime mishap.
(2) Upcycling Studio
This niche meeting room was made from a few wooden cargo boxes, used glass and a few wheels screwed on underneath by architect Johannes Münsch owner of Upcycling Studio for the company Rolf eyewear.
Johannes believes that almost all products — no matter if it’s a book, a car or a house — will fall apart at some point if you don’t take care of it. But if you wash the windows, sand the floors, paint the walls and show care, whatever it is will last a very long time.
Read the full interview with Johannes Münsch: We don’t give things enough time.
(3) Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
Dexamenes Seaside Hotel is a postwar winery, converted into something truly special with many secret niches and hidden places to explore.
(4) Carry Doorn: Intuitive artist working with rejected rolls of Tulle
Carry is a visual storyteller working on the intuitive, narrative and layered method, building three-dimensional installations composed of rejected rolls of Tulle and Voile. We love how she elevates everyday materials, while giving us space for our own imagination and poetic interpretation.
NIKA is an independent magazine created out of a longing for more niche in our lives. We want to show you the way outside the mainstream — to a lifestyle that resonates with your soul. Join us on the search for all things niche.