Pretzel Bakehouse with Its Busy Bakers

A glossy pretzel as big as a hall lies coiled across a mosaic floor, its twisted dough streaked orange, rose and violet and studded with pale crystal-like salt. Bakers in white climb ladders, brush the crust and knead lumps of dough on its surface. Through each loop of the pretzel stands a stone oven with glowing fire, a floured table and more bakers carrying trays and peels. Blue fans, pink poppies, yellow stars and purple feathers sprout from the crust. At the edges, bins of grain, stacked bowls, bread racks and baskets of rolls line the walls. The floor tiles shift from teal to lilac to pink, and each of the three loops has its own oven corner, giving the pieces natural places to belong.