Aussie icons Deus Ex Machina are sporting some serious flex with their new Berlin flagship, going beyond the usual concept stores for what they’re calling The Fountain of Eternal Effervescence. It’s an entire precinct, with a full lineup of their usual stock like motorcycles and merchandise, as well as a full-service “lifestyle restaurant”, mixology bar, a beer garden, and Berlin’s very first indoor surf arena – Wellenwerk.
The brand, which has long been a favourite for motorcycle enthusiasts, skateboarders and surfers alike, is widely known for their easy-going, hang-worthy concept venues in spots like Sydney, Canggu and LA, but never before have they opened something so wildly ambitious. It also brings them much closer to surf culture, with Wellenwerk now the only place where surfers of all skill levels can come and ride artificial waves up to 1.6 metres high.
In true Deus Ex fashion, the ‘temple’ also has designs for regular motorbike and custom surfboard workshops, acting as a beacon for the lifestyle that’s far enough from Berlin’s constant hustle, but convenient to get to being only ten minutes away from the very central neighbourhood of Alexanderplatz.
Slotting into the city’s love of restoration projects, the Deus Temple soaks up the history of the 130-year old Berlin Waterworks compound, which is still in operation and still provides up to one million Berliners with fresh water. Hence, the name – a literal fountain that facilitates the city’s famously eclectic lifestyle. The venue consists of the Deus Store on the ground floor and the restaurant upstairs, focused on internationally-minded comfort food curated by co-founder and award-winning chef Robert Havemann.
The bar deserves special mention, seeing as it’s an extension of one of the country’s most highly regarded cocktail bars, Velvet, which means it should also be largely leaning on local flavours and offbeat seasonal cocktails.
Deus’ very own beer garden – it is Germany, after all – will double as a function-friendly outdoor space regularly hosting events, concerts and parties – when it makes sense to do so under current restrictions, of course.
