The original architectural features of the 19th-century palazzo are contrasted by new spatial functions and a work-in-progress aesthetic.

Key features

A 19th-century building originally designed by architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin in central historic Arzignano, Italy, has been restored and transformed into a café and restaurant. Caffè Nazionale, designed by AMAA, has been imagined as an ode to its different eras of use, balancing restored original elements with contemporary interventions. Caffè Nazionale is a seamless extension of the Arzignano City Hall and public square in the palazzo’s collonaded wing. The connection to the public space is core to the design. A mostly glazed façade follows the rhythm of the building’s archways, except for an original burnished iron door, which provides direct sightlines to the adjacent public square.

Inside, the notion of transparency continues with the immediately visible open kitchen. A curtain-like covering, along the back wall of the bar’s main seating area, is made of perforated steel, maintaining visual continuity but demarcating the respective spaces. A staircase leads to the upper dining room, which features furniture designed by AMAA in collaboration with Nero/Alessandro Neretti; long rectangular tables suited to longer form dining experiences define the area. The furniture, featuring belts and cranks, reflects the intentionally unfinished aesthetic that contrasts with the grandiosity of the building’s original columns, mouldings and other fine finishes. A vestibule-like space serves as a transition point between the bar and the outdoor garden. Artist collaborations, such as pieces that recall theatrical posters of the Belle Époque, further nod to the past while highlighting the new.

FRAME’s take

Balancing historical elements with new functional ones, Caffè Nazionale is an example of how enduring spaces can be futureproofed and adapt. The way space looks and feels – as well as the way it's used – is a symbolic manifestation of this ethos. Original architectural features like archways and new ones, including precisely mosaiced tile floors, are contrasted with unfinished drywall, exposed brick and even walls with holes in them. This dichotomy articulates the notion that the space is constantly changing – in the grand scheme of its existence, it is a work-in-progress. It is a nod to how spaces, especially those with nearly 200 years of history, can evolve through time and that their current function is exactly that: rooted in the here and now.