Sanayi313 Architects, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Istanbul, has completed its latest project: the Café Di Dolce. A contemporary pastry shop located inside the luxury shopping mall, IstinyePark, in Istanbul, is none other than the new “brand” of Nusret Gökçe, a well-known chef for trendy restaurants based on first-choice meat menus and known as “Salt Bae”.
Flooded with natural light that enters through an impressive glass domed roof, Café Di Dolce is a theatrical space inspired by the great Parisian cafes. The interior features black and white marble floors and a mix of custom-made furniture in rich fabrics and textures. The floral installation by Nahide Büyükkaymakci, a Turkish glass artist, is a reference to the famous floral cakes of Café Di Dolce and includes over two thousand peonies carved in plexiglass, suspended from the glass dome.
The space is open-plan and is located within one of the main squares of the shopping center. One of the project’s biggest design challenges for Enis Karavil, creative director of Sanayi313 Architects, was to define the café and ensure that the space did not obstruct the visibility of the surrounding shops. The distinctive flooring helps identify the boundaries of the venue, while the site-specific floral installation distinguishes the space from the rest of the mall, as well as serving as a powerful focal point of the room.
Beneath the impressive floral installation, the café’s layout revolves around a central marble bar with bronze wire mesh detailing that displays the celebrated artisanal cakes.
Sanayi313 Architects chose to decorate the space with an eclectic mix of furniture, combining different types of seating and tables, allowing guests to discover new details every time they visit the café.
Bespoke velvet upholstered banquets, terrazzo table tops, and bronze details create the feeling of having tea in the lobby of a grand Paris hotel, while the Disklavier piano playing alone in the café corner plays jazz, for a more theatrical atmosphere.
INFO: www.sanayi313.com/en/architects/
PHOTO COURTESY: Ibrahim Özbunar
