programme: interiors for a restaurant in the historic centre of vicenza 

client: il molo restaurant.

team: sophia los

city/area: vicenza, italy

status: completed, 2011

The project relates to the interiors of a small restaurant in the historic city centre of Vicenza. The budget available was rather limited. The two owners – a Sicilian Chef and his partner – actively worked on the construction site, carrying out some works themselves. The furniture realised by 101 – Alberto Beggio, a carpenter and yoga teacher, was built almost entirely on-site. The construction site turned into a workshop throughout the fitting-out processes that included the careful selection of bio-compatible materials. The restaurant – rather unique in town – is highly appreciated by a wide, heterogeneous public made of students, families, tourists, office workers on lunch break, professionals and the upper class.

A central feature in the project is the bench, designed with uneven bands showing the classic colours of inland Sicily to visually reduce the perception of the restaurant’s considerable length while also increasing the space’s acoustic comfort. A strip of backlit photos showing Sicilian landscapes gives the place a typical taste of the island, welcoming the guests in a unique way. Several were Federica Agnoletto – Freaks of Nature’s interventions, some of which were included in the initial project (a door, the ceiling and stairs, linen), while others were added on the commissioners’ request some years later when they decided to renovate the interiors.