Reconfiguring urban spaces requires a unique vision. Architects embarking on such an endeavor must find the recipe that happily combines the owner's wishes with notes of innovation and attractiveness specific to interior design trends.
Form Architecture Studio embraced the challenge of transforming a rather unassuming space in Constanta, bestowing upon it a fresh visual identity.
The new look of Barissimo Cocktail Bar is based on a concept that combines a series of reinterpreted art deco elements (balustrade, entrance door, cover), with modern pieces (geometric wooden ceiling, two bookcases) and a series of industrial accents (ceiling cladding under the mezzanine with sheet metal, metal access door to the restrooms, central lighting fixtures and ceiling with exposed piping).
The space had previously been occupied by a computer store and needed to be brought up to a workable condition. Initial photos show that there were no sanitary facilities, the woven mezzanine was inaccessible, and these issues were compounded by problems with the electrical system, plasterwork, and carpentry.
In practice, nothing could be used without a major intervention, architects from Form Architecture Studio told us.
The design approach aimed to allow it to breathe. The final textures followed the concept line without straying from the modern feel: "We thus have at floor level a combination of high-traffic parquet that highlights current trends.
It has a dark color, with a series of 3 zones clad in decorative ceramics with geometric motifs in warmer tones. We opted to preserve areas of exposed brick on the walls, over which a fine layer of white paint was added. The ceiling aimed for an industrial influence, ultimately being unified by a blue-green layer.
The project began with the uncovering of the walls, running parallel to the construction of a new metallic structure for the mezzanine area – existing metal beams and columns were partially reused here. The next step involved creating new partitions for the bathroom area, along with the refurbishment of electrical and plumbing installations.
The aesthetic discord between the interwar building and the ceramic-clad facade was corrected through a stripping process that revealed a series of initial facade lines, which were subsequently adopted and integrated into the establishment's aesthetics.
The beneficiary is passionate about literature and cocktails. To integrate this message into an interior design concept and accommodate a large number of books, we created two large libraries and a bar made almost entirely from books. The first library has a regular structure and represents a unified backdrop against which the bar stands out.
The second library is located in one of the customer areas and is made from colorful boxes of different sizes to harmoniously integrate with the rest of the furniture, details Form Architecture Studio.
