Bab Touma – Trompe l’Oeil Mural

3.5 x 2.5 meters

Syrian Restaurant Bab Touma, Oslo, Norway 2026

For the Syrian restaurant Bab Touma in Oslo, Studio Claessen created a 3.5 x 2.5 meter hand-painted trompe l’oeil mural that transforms the interior into an imagined courtyard in old Damascus.

The mural is inspired by the historic district of Bab Touma — a place where striped stone façades, arched passageways, fountains, lemon trees and hanging wisteria define the atmosphere of daily life. Through illusionistic perspective, the wall dissolves into architecture. A central archway opens into a sunlit alley, drawing the eye inward and creating depth where there was once only surface.

The black-and-cream striped masonry references traditional Syrian architecture, while the fountain, tiled flooring and citrus tree introduce warmth and intimacy. The mural invites guests not just to dine, but to enter a space of memory — a visual bridge between Oslo and Damascus.

Executed entirely by hand, the work balances theatricality and stillness. It does not function as decoration, but as spatial storytelling. The painting extends the restaurant’s identity beyond cuisine; it becomes part of the experience itself.

With this project, Studio Claessen once again explores how paint can reshape perception — turning walls into portals, interiors into landscapes, and hospitality into atmosphere.