Osteria Oggi Adelaide by studio-gram

Well, well, well. Check out today’s fine specimen, aka Osteria Oggi, designed by Adelaide-based boys from studio-gram. Simply put, this project is smashing it out of the ballpark, leaving me positively impressed and smitten in equal measure. Why? Because it’s a manifestation of a truly unique design vision, with an aesthetic that sits in a league of it’s own. It’s simple and subdued, but oh-so-powerful with just enough playful personality that puts a unique stamp on the interior, without ever going overboard.

This space feels as though it could easily slot in anywhere in the world. Sure, there’s an undeniable Italian flavour (hard to get away from it with a name like Osteria Oggi), but what I’m trying to say is that the aesthetic has been pushed just enough to take this project some place else where the interior stands firmly on it’s own too feet, without feeling like a literal and obvious interpretation of Italy, and Italian-ness. And that, my friends, is the true mastery of proper interior design. At least in my books.

But enough from me. We had a quick chat to Dave & Graham about their project, and here’s what they had to say. Also, stay tuned for more awesomeness by studio-gram on Yellowtrace, coming very soon to a computer/ mobile device screen near you.

+ What was your design inspiration for this project – i.e was it a result of client’s brief, a particular concept or an idea etc?

The inspiration came from all of the above. The client, Simon Kardachi, is the owner of many other Adelaide establishments, all of which are rich in their materiality, and dimly lit, with sensual and moody interiors. He wanted Oggi to set itself apart from these. The brief was to keep it simple, put the kitchen on show, and embrace the natural light gifted through the saw tooth roof in the rear portion of the restaurant. In short, he wanted a simple and bright interior.
We then turned our attention to Italy, and in particular the squares or piazzas of Italy. The formal nature, the repetition and the materiality of these outdoor spaces all influenced the design direction of the restaurant.
This then influenced the overall idea – a long narrow bar, that opens to an ‘outdoor’ (it’s not actually outdoor, it is under a saw tooth roof) dining room. The introduction of a key focal point, and greenery became very important.

+ Your favourite thing about this project?

It’s hard to pin down just one element as being the favourite. The arbour sticks out for most people, as does the concrete bar. The most amazing thing about the space, is the way that it transitions from day to night. To truly appreciate and understand this space, one would have to experience it in different lights, from lunch through to dinner.

+ Most challenging aspect?

The most challenging aspect of the project was getting the plan right. The bar moved around a lot during the concept stages of the project. It was difficult to locate a bar that tied itself into the rest of our thinking, and that was also functionally correct for the type of service that was being proposed. It wasn’t easy selling the idea of a bar being in the middle of a long skinny room, with seating both sides to the client group. However, I think we (studio-gram and clients) would now agree that the bar is probably the most successful aspect of the space.

+ What did you learn during the project?

We had a client group that put a lot of trust into our decisions. They didn’t always agree with them, yet they had the trust to move forward. I think that made us second guess ourselves, but we stayed true to our ideas. We learned to trust ourselves, and to really push what we believe in.

+ Any interesting/ funny/ quirky facts you could tell us?

We essentially built a building inside of a building. There is only one original wall remaining. The rest was all designed, documented and detailed. We aren’t telling which wall was original!