The centrepiece of this garden-inspired Nordic restaurant in Copenhagen is an indoor greenhouse that Danish design studio Genbyg has created using recycled materials (+ slideshow).

Called Väkst, the Danish word for growth, the restaurant serves a vegetable-based menu – something Genbyg was keen to represent through its design, by including natural materials and plenty of greenery.

"The overall vision was to create a space with a design that reflects the Nordic kitchen and the dual atmosphere of a city and a garden," designer Rasmus Fex told Dezeen. "The idea was to create a vivid and organic space, like a garden party."

The heart of the space is a plant-filled greenhouse covering a stairwell, which connects the restaurant's basement and ground levels.

Framed by square-profile steel beams, the structure is built from repurposed windows, based on photographs from customers who have built their own greenhouses in a similar fashion.

Inside the dining areas, the majority of fittings and fixtures are also created using recycled materials and salvaged furniture.

Shelves behind the bar are made ​​from file drawers from the National Museum of Denmark's archive, while the counter itself is constructed from old factory floorboards.

Cabinet fronts are made ​​from wooden planks, while lamps are formed using old milk cans, and ceiling coverings in the basement were once tablecloths.

Mahogany surfaces throughout the restaurant originated from an old grandstand at Lyngby stadium, located north of the city, and glass shelving has been repurposed from a palace in Copenhagen.

"The restaurant is built on principles of environmental sustainability," said Fex.

"Using recycled materials not only has a positive environmental impact by reducing waste, it also offered unique and historical materials that add to the authenticity."

As well as functioning as a design studio, Genbyg also sells on recycled building materials.

Other recent examples of recycling in architecture and interior design include a pavilion in Paris built from old doors and a Shanghai bar featuring reclaimed timber flooring and found objects like an old sink.

Photography is by Chris Tonnesen.