Cocktail-bar. Civitavecchia {Rome, Italy}.

This project deals with creating an "idea” for a coffee shop that sells pastry, sweets and ice cream in Civitavecchia {Rome}.These are the reasons behind the name: Venti: the evening | pre-dinner drink time; Nove: breakfast | morning coffee time; Dodici: brunch | lunch. The name was selected by both the architect and contractor who wanted to create a “strong” and “recognizable” identity for a type of entertainment that often seems overdone. We have used strategies and extreme individualization techniques that are often used by American coffee shops {chains}; our project should highlight a sort of “slow food” in a warm and clearly urban setting. In fact, the glass store front facing the sidewalk is light and has no paneling so that in the summer or when the weather is good, if a warm breeze should happen to blow through the city, it can be opened completely, inviting those passing-by to stop in. The temptation is to be watched or to watch people, mindless of others. It is clear that we have particularly focused our attention on the “inside-outside” idea. The outside window can easily be transformed into an awning {as protection from the rain} to create a tiny little “urban, virtual” square. The windows for the evening are transformed into a mirror and so long as they are open, they invite the passer-bys to play the game of “look but don’t be seen” but no the other way around. The warmth of the structure is emphasized by the emotional involvement of the architecture, attracting and inviting clients to eat in. The goal of the project was to create a place, an informal meeting point, which helps bring the community together in this urban setting.

2005

2006