AVE bistro is an Italian restaurant that we designed as the primary part of a large complex, which includes the reconstruction of an early 20th century mansion and the territory around it.
Concept
AVE bistro is an unusual Italian restaurant: the concept of its interior is the homage to the house of an Italian master. The house is permeated with warmth and cosiness, there is a lot of sun, greenery, and natural materials. Among the ancient walls there are easels with blank canvases, large briquettes of stone for sculptures are stored, and steel art objects are on display.
Each zone of AVE bistro is a reference to the rooms inhibited by an artist. There is a cosy living area with a fireplace, a real Italian dining room with a communal table, a large kitchen counter where the owner of the house cooks and receives his dear guests.
All these subtle and at first sight unobvious associations allow to immerse the visitor in the atmosphere of modern Italy, in a house of cosiness, creativity, and hospitality, in a very clean and minimalist design.
Space-planning solution
The space consists of three main zones.
In the first hall of the restaurant there could be found low sofa seating together with tables for four along the windows. In the second hall, a communal table is placed in a large steel cube with the same seating along the windows. The main accent of the second room is the ceiling with stunning mouldings, preserved in its original, historic form. These two rooms of the restaurant are connected into a single composition with the long stone bar counter and the open kitchen that permeates the entire space.
The third zone of AVE bistro is a separate bakery space attached to the historic building. From the outside, this glass cubic space contrasts with the red brick building, while its interior, on the contrary, is arranged as if it disappears into the greenery of the inner courtyard. The stained glass windows of the annexe make the boundary between the spaces disappear, the natural materials and trees inside the restaurant echo the lush greenery of the courtyard and its textures, and an element of the courtyard art object also finds its way inside the bakery.
All three zones are united by a common stylistic solution and are tied around the main axis of the space, which leads from the entrance to the bakery terrace.
The principle of contrast in the interior
Since the restaurant is located in a historic building, we had to decide how to fit our concept into the existing space, combining it with the identity of the place.
The interior is based on the principle of contrasts - the intersection of the historical and the modern, respect for the heritage and the creation of new meanings.
Everything historical here is textured and alive. We have preserved the brick walls and accent mouldings on the ceiling, and recreated a wooden ceiling with beams, which refers to its historical prototype.
To give the space freshness and air, we integrated new volumes with smooth textures into the interior. White panels have been placed around the perimeter of the room, providing a backdrop for the other volumes: a large onyx bar counter, a steel cube with seating inside, a steel space with wardrobe and wine cabinets.
Light translucent curtains with a gradient of natural shades envelop the entire space, uniting all the volumes and making the space more integral. Such airiness refers the visitor to the atmosphere of a green forest and the wrapping haze of fog.
It is important to note that the restaurant concept does not just exist on its own, it is part of a whole restaurant cluster, a complete public space located in a green courtyard with cosy street plantings, restaurant terraces, an amphitheatre, and open bars.