The site's constraints seemed many: it is small, nestled between foundation walls, in a tired and unremarkable shopping strip. The project budget was modest, and there were strict obligations to council building guidelines. Both client and designer were aiming for a dramatic result - but how to create an asset for the area, without overwhelming it?
The warm glow that emanates through the shear glass façade conveys a sense welcome and openness, it draws the passer by in, making the building itself the billboard for Piccolino. The architecture, branding and operation are seamlessly merged, to the point where they cannot be individually dissected.
The means by which this engagement has been conducted is not through the aggressive, confrontational montage that has characterised Melbourne’s avant garde in recent years, but rather a stylistically free merging of intricate, contemporary aesthetics and making with contextual reference to the building type – the humble pizzeria.
Through a tiny architectural intervention, Piccolino aspires to engender reflection on the suburban condition and suggest a passionate, quality driven path forwards.