The Hayloft Via Appia Antica

Project idea

The object was built as a hayloft in 19th century. It is situated aside a famous ancient road Via Appia Antica in Rome and it belongs to the regional park there. The design is proposing an exhibition, educational and workshop spaces and a café, which is developed to the detail.

The concept of the interior is the dialogue between the original raw masonry and a newly added constructions, which are all in pink colour.
The round shapes repeat in every detail to highlight the contrast of new and the original objects.

Project description

In the middle of café there is a bar, which is designed as a round shaped block with upper construction, where are hidden lightnings. The tables of two types are designed as the bar, but the tube-construction is under it as a support. Chairs are made by TON and it is their new design Chair AGAIN.

Next to the bar there are inserted two blocks with toilets. They are not connected to the walls or ceiling so they look like an insertions which do not relate to the original building. The blocks are round in every detail. There are atypical designed basins as well as mirrors. The connections of walls and ceiling or floor are also rounded, which is more hygienic and praktical. Hole blocks are having surfaces from corian - the artificial stone

In the middle room there are 52 lamps hanging on a long wires to create a huge light arc.

The contrast of two different types of object are creating very unconventional spaces.

Technical information

All the surfaces are made of corian (artificial stone) except floor, which is made from concrete with pink pigment. Corian is practical matarial, which has very good hygienic qualities and it is easy to restore.
The toilet blocks are made from steel structure (profile 40 x 40 mm) isolation, chipboard (thick. 10mm) and the corian (thick. 8mm) ( the second detail). The walls are rounded what makes an empty spaces between, where the ventilation system, water pipes and sewerage are hidden.
The roun connections between walls and floor/ceiling are filled by corian, because of its possibility to bend (the first and the third details).
In the ceiling there is a perforation in the round shape design for an air extraction to the ventilation system. All the ceiling hides LED stripe, which illuminates the round connections with walls and create the special light effect. (the first detail).