In the heart of Garbatella, a historic neighbourhood of Rome, STUDIOTAMAT has transformed a typical bakery abandoned for years in Tre de tutto, the capital’s trendy new postcode with three generous full-height custom designed arched windows overlooking a square full of details and moldings made of modest materials, typical of the Roman Baroque — the style that embellish the social housing typical of the area built in the 1920s.
Arranged on two levels to accommodate the natural inclination of the ground, Tre de tutto has a ground floor with a triangular layout, and a large central cruciform pillar that divides the spaces: reserved for breakfasts and aperitifs, with a lounge area dedicated to vinyl records, this room is dominated by a macro-counter covered with only two large slabs.
The walls, above a 1.50 m high majolica cladding, have not been treated, but have a transparent protective layer, and have been otherwise left in their original state, to exhibit the passage of time, featuring holes and traces of old systems, with writings and drawings prior to the renovation; the floor has been replaced by poured concrete finished in transparent resin, for a discreet and minimally invasive result.
Matteo Soddu, co-founder of the studio, explains: “We left the rough walls, with the original layers of plaster, to dialogue with the contemporary design of the architectural elements that characterize the space, from the clean-cut counter that dominates the bar, to the exquisitely pop staircase of the restaurant.”
The preexisting neutral shades are contrasted by a dynamic palette of colours: the wall cladding in deep blue majolica with contrasting brick-colored joints, fuses with the orange plum and bluette veins of the counter, while the recycled iron chairs in yellow and flesh-pink complement the leather colour of the benches covered with a nautical technical fabric and with the tables, also in recycled iron, equipped with coloured wood tops, rolled ad-hoc with soft decorations.
On the lower floor, which houses two dining rooms, the restaurant’s kitchen, services and the warehouses, light blue walls alternate with walls covered with Grid wallpaper by Texturae, and the connection with the upper level is completed by a salmon-colored staircase-tunnel with portholes.
An independent entrance, on the other hand, allows access to the restaurant directly from the street, thanks to a single bright yellow ramp, with a highly geometric iron structure, padded with micro-perforated sheet metal panels.
Rough interiors and welcoming atmospheres make Tre de tutto an original hybrid between a refined restaurant and a local bar, which cleverly mixes refined details and popular spirit, expressed by the neon sign “How beautiful Garbatella is!” at the entrance, inviting visitors and locals to enter.
