For this school project, I was asked to design an existing space of a restaurant in Florence, Italy. The design objective was that the design must evolved around the topic of Gentrification in Florence, which was the university exhibition topic for the semester. 

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The Opera is a restaurant located on the lower level of Plus Hostel Florence. The hostel is located in the metropolitan area of Florence and can be reach within 13 minutes walk from the Santa Maria Novella Train Station and 14 minutes walk from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

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For the concept, I wanted to focus on the positive side that comes with gentrification in Florence. With the city becoming more well-known, it attracts visitors from around the world or the “new citizens” of Florence. The city becomes more internationalized and diverse, where the old cultures blend and new ones emerge. The hostel plays a significant part in our focus on bringing in the “new citizens” and internationalizing the city. The objective is to transform the restaurant into a fun, exciting space that attracts the crowds and be a hub where visitors gather, share, and exchange cultures.

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In my design, I drew inspirations from the surrounding architecture and commonly used building materials in Florence. We kept the important features and characteristics of the old city in mind while recreating a more modern and exciting atmosphere for the restaurant. A few features we drew from Florence include Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The color palette is inspired by the Cathedral: the green from the Prato marble; the red-ish/pink from the Siena marble; the orange from the brick of the dome; the white from Carrara marble; and the gold from Palla del Verrocchio while the arches above the custom dining booths are inspired by the arches of Ponte Vecchio.