Project Requirement: To design and model a Caffe in Piazza del Duomo, Florence, XIX Century Building.
Design priority: To respect the urban context and to interact with it in a harmonious way, choosing materials, shapes, details, and colors. The goal is to create design that could be implemented in other famous Florence areas such as Via Roma, Piazza Santa Croce, and Piazza Signoria.
Flight. Freedom. Future.
A caffe transformed into a creative space.
Indoor Space Design Requirements
1 bar counter, 6 small tables and chairs, 4 > 6 large tables (and chairs, 1 service area with 1 or 2 doors in the wall for access to WC and food preparation/storage, and 1 lounge area with sofas and armchairs.
Dehor Design Requirements
Dehor elements constraints: Include a fixed canopy structure made of water/fireproof solid fabric and steel, equipped with lamps and electric heaters; banister made of steel and glass; and platform the same height as sidewalk made out of wood, terracotta, or hard industrial ceramic.
Dehor space functions: space divided into a lounge area and a dining area with tables and chairs.
People establish relationships to the spaces they inhabit, both in natural and man-made environments. Architecture and Interior Design therefore represent an aesthetic and creative response to the fundamental human need for shelter. As an artist, my passions for science and understanding the structures behind design afford a concept of interior design as a way to build community from the inside out.
The elliptical orbits and flying objects inspired me to explore the overlapping shapes for the layout.
Organic forms and astronomical ellipses converge to create a floor plan arrangement that creates comfortable and functional spaces.
Once the floor plan provided the foundation for the shapes, scaled drawings and refined sketches helped explore the feasibility of the design.
From the ellipses in the floor plan, to the undulating waves of the interior elements, the entire design focuses on the innovations and inspirational work of Leonardo Da Vinci.
The final model brings the design to life, allowing the viewer to be fully immersed in the design.
The patio dehor elements call to mind Leonardo's flying machine prototypes while the lighting elements, furniture, and floor partition create mini "universes" in which various groups of people can gather.