A modern-day taverna, in a renovated house and light-filled, timber-paneled sunroom. A place to gather with family and friends. Somewhere to feel loved and somewhere to be fed. The brief given to Sans Arc Studio was for an authentic and honest space that was warm, welcoming, and fun. Traditional in some ways – about family, food, and connection – but modern in material and form.

In the midst of a wider Italian hospitality trend, the first-generation Italian-Australian owners sought authenticity throughout the project. This meant focusing on the feeling and deeper essence of Mediterranean dining; the dining table as the focus, and sharing and connecting over food.

A low-intervention project – an existing warehouse and attached house maintained and refreshed, with a lightweight structure added to create two separate but connected hospitality spaces. The aesthetic and material approach evolved from the context, drawing from the existing building and then the identity of the businesses that would occupy the spaces.

The idea was for two offerings connected visually and in locality, operating as separate entities, complementary but contrasting. Old friends that live next door. The site and context called for a fine-grain, some layers and points of interest, a space to slow down and a place to congregate. This added occupied space on a public road gives security and amenity; it also offers pappardelle and gelato in a relaxed setting.