SOTTO SOPRA
-ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Located in in the Keyes Art Mile in Rosebank , Sotto Sopra is a hyper aestheticised interior concept created to wake up many senses. 'SOTTO SOPRA' in Italian means upside down-topsy turvy...and this inspired the fun, playful and bold design elements. Throughout this project we strongly subscribed to the same philosophy as Italian architect Gio Ponti- "It is not concrete, neither wood, nor stone , it is not steel, not glass. None of them is the most resistant element. The most resistant material in construction is ART". Inspiration was also drawn from the iconic designs of Carlo Scarpa and from the irreverent and geometric designs of Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis group. The restaurant is a quirky visual feast of colours and textures that nods to Italian flair for good design as well as flamboyance. Travertine, mosaic and fluted panels were used to clad accent walls and areas. Original art adorns the walls and the bathrooms were inspired by the colours of Sicilian cassata ice-cream. Each element of the restaurant interior was custom designed (from the wall treatments, furniture , fabrics, brass fittings, tiles and lighting) and crafted by talented local craftspeople and suppliers. You can see behind-the-scene pics .