The renovation of the Caffè Nazionale premises in Arzignano, Italy, carried out to the design of the AMAA studio, is an example of a conscious and insightful approach to architecture, in which public space, the memory of the place and contemporary modernisation form a complex composition. The project is the result of a year and a half’s work, during which the architects gave new life to a historic interior while preserving its precious multi-layeredness.
A return to the city through architecture
The new Caffè Nazionale opens onto the square, seamlessly connecting the interior with the public space through the colonnade of the 19th-century town hall. The centrepiece of the establishment is the main hall, which is a collection of original elements and traces of contemporary interventions. The overall arrangement leads the eye towards the inner courtyard designed as a birch garden. The café’s space has been shaped along an axis running through the entire premises, which allows for a seamless connection between the interior and the exterior and emphasises the multi-layered nature of the design.
Caffè Nazionale as an architectural theatre of remembrance
The spatial solutions at Caffè Nazionale are reminiscent of theatrical stage sets. Original design elements direct attention towards the vestibule and the garden, creating a sequence of visual frames. One of the most striking treatments is a curtain-like wall made of perforated stainless steel. The transparent element allows a view of the arcade and the garden, and its undulating form provides a backdrop for posters by Stefan Marx that evoke belle époque styling. The interior is complemented by contrasting materials: a mosaic floor is juxtaposed with a solid wooden ceiling with appropriate acoustic and lighting qualities.
Original and new elements
The café is entered through a door made of patinated iron, designed as the only opaque element on the square side. The leaf with its geometric pattern is complemented by a handle in green serpentine marble, created by the artist Alessandro Neretti. To the left of the entrance is the open kitchen, with the restaurant area above it. To the right, meanwhile, is the main room, where elements from the various phases of the historical bijuds are discernible. All these components are organised in a way that emphasises the impression of transition and fluidity.
The space of Caffè Nazionale as a palimpsest
The AMAA project has deliberately left some sections in an unfinished state. The exposed surfaces, showing traces of earlier transformations, bring a sense of suspension in time to the interior. Rather than meticulous reconstruction, the studio chose to restore and consolidate the materials in their existing state, taking into account traces of wear and tear and the passage of years. This strategy highlights the authenticity of the site and its continuous evolution. The new partitions and technical rooms were realised according to the principle of transparency of the construction process. Rather than hiding their construction, the workmanship and materiality of the individual elements were highlighted. The interior was furnished with a system of wooden tables and benches designed jointly by AMAA and Neretti. Their form is reminiscent of New York underground seats and the work of Donald Judd.
Research on incompletion and image
Caffè Nazionale is an extension of AMAA’s reflection on the notion of the unfinished work and the documentation of the creative process. Working in parallel with a physical model and visual materials, the studio treats the image as a tool to explore the space, rather than an illustration of it. This way of working is developed by the duo Marcella Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo in collaboration with the artist Virna Rossetto.
Recognition and international recognition
Studio AMAA, with offices in Venice, Arzignano and New York, has gained recognition both in Italy and abroad in recent years. The studio was one of the participants in the main exhibition of the Venice Architecture Biennale at the Corderie dell’Arsenale. The March issue of the Portuguese magazine AMAG was dedicated to their work, alongside other young Italian studios. In spring 2025, Galiotto and Rampazzo will lead an advanced design studio at the University of Pennsylvania.
The new life of Caffè Nazionale
The renovation of Caffè Nazionale is a unique example of how a historic interior can be creatively transformed without losing its spirit. The project combines old elements with new forms, leaving room for imagination and interpretation. Thanks to this treatment, the premises in the centre of Arzignano have taken on a new function and become a space that at the same time tells the story of the past without closing itself off to the future.
Project: AMAA
Design team: Marcello Galiotto, Francesca Fasiol, Eleonora Folli, Virna Rossetto
Location: Arzignano (Vicenza), Italy
Total area: 565 sq m
Completion of works: November 2024
Photos: Simone Bossi – www.simonebossi.it
Rory Gardiner – www.rory-gardiner.com
Mikael Olsson – www.mikaelolsson.se
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