Have you ever wondered why some of the most famous bars and restaurants succeed in being so enjoyed, frequented and loved? Is it just because of the skilled barmen and starred chefs? Not only. The ingredients for an overall experience that tantalize a customer’s five senses are not just crammed behind the bars or kept in the kitchens. Customers will be satisfied with the excellent interior design as well. One very important factor that creates pleasant memories of an evening spent in a public space is the atmosphere of that place: something difficult to describe, ephemeral and elusive, but profound at the same time. This is the result of a sequence of elements which, when combined, enable that space to become imprinted on our memories.
Interior architecture is a little like the control room that enables the show to be staged: if the space is not adequately designed, even the perfect gin and tonic or an elaborate dish could not be fully appreciated. Therefore, how can a magical ambience be recreated? What are the correct ingredients?
Moya Restaurant by Nisi Magnoni – Cremona (IT)
View project
The Quality of the Space
The first sensation that we have when entering new place comes from our sight, an input which our brain processes and sends back as an emotion. Let’s imagine being on a foreign journey and entering a bar with bright, dazzling, white neon lights that light and accentuate an old bright red linoleum floor, what do you do? Ask for a table or look for a discreet way to leave? “They make excellent cakes” our guide informs us, “well, maybe some other time” we say to each other.
This is likely to have happened to all of us at least once; the quality of the space is a characteristic too important to be sacrificed. This does not mean that a place has to contain designer pieces or very expensive materials to be beautiful; this is not the point, since places like old bars and small taverns are loved because these places are full of flavour and authenticity. What happens when a client asks us to design and give shape to their new business outlet? We create a beautiful and unique environment that will please its future visitors.
The Material Surrounding Us
The materials that we are going to choose will be the clothes for our design, giving it character and identity. Once we have understood the client’s wants and needs, our work will be to choose the materials, colours, textures and dimensions able to meet these objectives, therefore taking technical and functional performance, not just on opening night but over the years, into account.
The continual coming and going of people at all times of the day is the energy that supplies a cafe, while at the same time it is also the element that consumes it over time. The architects must balance aesthetic requirements and performance needs, and the materials that will be selected must represent the precise mix of these two things.
The porosity of surfaces like marble or wood will not be able to remain natural and unaltered over time without appropriate treatments, which if not carried out will leave rings, stains and scratches visible, greatly accelerating the wear of these surfaces. The result? The client will not be satisfied at all.
White Monkey Pizza Lab & Bar by Ippolito Fleitz Group – Leipzig (DE)
View project
Aesthetics and Performance
Porcelain stoneware, on the other hand, is highly resistant and extremely low maintenance, succeeding in preserving our design and helping its finish to remain unaltered over time. Research into aesthetics and materials in this field has made giant leaps in recent years, so much so that Italian porcelain tiles are exported throughout the world, and this demand is increasing. Ceramic is making a comeback and its performance is even more appreciated today as the available range can interpret any material. The possibility to have numerous sizes and variants is the ace up porcelain stoneware’s sleeve, insofar as it has very few grouting lines and does not frequently interrupt spaces.
The Boulangerie Leslie project is an example of perfectly integrating such diversely inspiring materials as marble and wood, without sacrificing practicality – Nieuwekerken (BE)
View project
Low-key Atmospheres of Times Gone By
Among current trends in interior design and that of public spaces in particular, are the Italian experiences of architects and designers such as Gio Ponti and Franco Albini, wise masters who were able to draw maximum stylistic expression from materials. If we look through the magazines of the time such as Domus, Abitare and Casabella and compare them with those of today, we can see many similarities in the way that a space is given a precise identity, including material panelling, pastel ceramics and grit coating.
In spite of the trends and the fashions of the time, also present in an architectural context, the relationship between the selected materials and shape of the space is essential to embodying a design concept, arriving at a consistent aesthetic that those who use it will interpret as a designed space. The possibilities provided by porcelain tiles have no equal in this sense, as each aspect of the project can be resolved and it is extremely simple to relate contexts and details to each other.
Aji Restaurant: the Amani grey marble effect porcelain stoneware blends with the colourful detail on the furnishings and seats, and with the play of light between one environment and another – Milan (IT)
View project
