Meissl Duo Layer: Elevating the Umbrella Bar Experience

For over a year, the Meissl Duo Layer has been met with great enthusiasm. Originally developed to prevent condensation in high humidity, another advantage of this addition to our umbrella bar concepts quickly became apparent: the pleasant atmosphere transforms the interplay of indoor and outdoor spaces into a true “third place” – a space people intuitively seek out to gather, linger, and enjoy.

More robust, more flexible, more sophisticated – this is what defines Meissl’s umbrella bar solutions since the introduction of our double-layer system. It is deployed wherever we create enclosed outdoor spaces with large umbrellas and wind protection walls. In such settings, neither indoor nor outdoor spaces alone can achieve the “third place” effect – a space people instinctively gravitate toward. As Austrian author Christian Mikunda puts it: 

“The Third Place as a Space of Possibility” 

A third place is not a building. 
It is a promise – an in-between space where people come together without an agenda. 
Not work, not home. 
But a place in between, where we forget where we came from and become curious about what can emerge. 

Third places are the quiet engines of a vibrant society. 
They foster closeness without pressure, and distance without exclusion. 
Here, chance encounters happen that would have no place in everyday life – 
and from this, community grows. 

The Alpine region needs third places too. 
Spaces that do more than follow destination logic – 
that have a social heart. 
A warm hearth, an open table, 
a lobby that becomes the village square. 

Here, locals, guests, and seasonal workers connect. 
Here, cultures, stories, and languages meet. 
Here, the Alpine experience is lived, not just consumed. 
Third places in the mountains are bridges – 
between season and everyday life, tradition and future. 

Because we live in a time where encounters no longer happen automatically. 
Third places create chance. 
And chance fosters innovation, creativity, and vitality. 

In short: 
Third places are the infrastructure for a sustainable future. 

The Meissl umbrella bar – the core product that has proven itself for over half a century – is now elevated to a new level in terms of materials, functionality, and experiential value. Two high-quality layers, multiple benefits, and a spatial experience that once again demonstrates why Meissl solutions have become indispensable in the world of outdoor gastronomy.