Al Fresco Restaurant | Yodezeen
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Al Fresco Restaurant

Italian pristine beauty in modern architecture and interior design
Photographer: Andrii Shurpenkov
About

Brief

The YODEZEEN team built the Alfresco restaurant from scratch because the atmosphere of the space is born in its foundation. The completion period took ten months. Our main task was to create a cozy and homely atmosphere in modern Italy. A calm sense and a certain restraint allow guests to relax in the Alfresco all day long.

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Location:

Kyiv, Ukraine
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Square meters:

17,222 ft² / 1,600m²
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Date:

December 2021
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Team:

Artur Sharf, co-founder and lead architect, Artem Zverev, co-founder and lead architect

Layout

The architects have thought through competent layouts and logistics as essential points for this project. Thus, a restaurant of 1600 square meters is a kind of well with a cozy courtyard with a fountain and an abundance of greenery inside.

The dining space with the largest seating stands out with a certain pomposity while the small dining space located next to it is more secluded and intimate. The main reception hides a wine room, and even further behind a restroom. Opposite, there is a children’s area so that every guest can spend an unforgettable and eventful day here. Near the small dining space is located a hidden door that enters another important feature of the Alfresco – a room that serves as a poker and smoking zone. Here is an ideal atmosphere to immerse yourself in the night flavor of Italy.

The outdoor patio starts along the inner facade of the building and leads to the covered patio of 274 square meters. On the opposite side, we placed four summerhouses, one of which is for children.

Concept

The whole project of the Alfresco restaurant is a real summer trip to Italy. The facade of the building itself looks very inviting in its soft eggshell hue and crisp lines of stucco. And the uppermost material of the project, rustic travertine, builds up a domestic comfort of a sunny country and performs an enchanting function inside the restaurant.

Implementation

Entering the reception, you meet the first feature of the space: the wine room located behind continues with wine shelving. This shelving stretches almost the entire wall of the main hall, becoming the unusual manifestation of the Italian courtyard’s openness. The Italian atmosphere reigns here at every turn, but classical accents are also inherent – we made stucco molding on the walls of the small dining space’s hall.

The secret room represents a poker and a smoking space and seems to be a fresh take on Italy’s nightside. Here is a retreat from the light and sunny travertine in favor of dark and noble basalt. In contrast to the custom crystal chandelier above the poker table, the designers created a wall of split and smooth natural stone, which echoes the hot-rolled metal lamellas.

The architects created a two-level fountain inside the courtyard. In the hot summer, eight small fountains shoot up and play the role of sound therapy, as well as moisten the environment. The fountain is one of the most important accents of the project, so it can be seen from all dining areas, and in the evening it is flooded with pleasant lighting. Finally, it goes under the covered patio and thus escorts the guest there.

The design and architecture of the covered patio intertwine the primordial beauty of Italian history and the motives of modern culture, which are expressed in the abundance of travertine on the floor and bar counter, wood as a base of construction, and simple, unpretentious accents in the form of chandeliers made of burlap and black metal.

Custom

The interior of the Alfresco restaurant is a real manifesto for the most singular custom products made according to the studio’s drawings. In the dining space, custom crystal chandeliers rise on the ceiling of aged pine wood. A custom wood-burning travertine fireplace and solid pieces of stone illuminated around the entire perimeter are intertwined with the atmospheric furniture made of thermal oak. Italy is caught in greenery: olive trees and date trees act as if in the role of art objects.

As for most restaurants YODEZEEN makes, every piece of furniture is custom-made from natural materials: wood, leather, and brass. The largest restroom boasts a bright custom product – a huge four-meter-long sink made of travertine. Another classic material for the studio is River stone, which designers used for the bar counter in the small dining space.

The main accents of the summerhouses are custom-made chandeliers of glass and metal. Each area of the restaurant also has custom carpets that complete the emphasis of a cozy atmosphere.