CAFFÈ NAZIONALE

CAFFÈ NAZIONALE

by AMAA

The Sense Series by QuadroDesign for a Historic Revival in Arzignano

The Sense series by QuadroDesign was selected for the restoration of the historic Caffè Nazionale in Arzignano, designed by AMAA.

“The Caffè Nazionale project is a living work that takes hold of existing materials and their histories to generate a new architecture,”
stated AMAA.
“A first delicate intervention cleared the space of incongruous accretions and stratifications that had concealed its historic fabric over decades. It was a true process of discovery that guided the subsequent stages of the project.”

Behind a curtain of expanded steel sheet, the bathroom reveals the project’s deliberate sense of incompleteness. Here, the Sense series — a collection of electronic taps with infrared presence detection, made of AISI 316L stainless steel — embodies QuadroDesign’s philosophy: improving daily life through practicality, simplicity of use, and environmental awareness.

Architecture as Dialogue

AMAA designed Caffè Nazionale as a conversation between the city of Arzignano and its public space. Historical traces, reinterpreted with a contemporary sensibility, form the basis of a theatrical spatial narrative.

A choral intervention, enriched by collaborations with artists, transforms the café into an open, collective work.

Through the portico of the 19th-century Town Hall, the public square flows seamlessly into the new Caffè Nazionale. The main hall, a vibrant palimpsest of memories and textures, frames views toward the birch garden — a serene inner courtyard where architecture and nature merge.

This sequence of spaces — square, portico, main hall, and courtyard — creates a fluid visual dialogue, guiding the gaze through layers of history and light.
At the heart of the porticoed wing, originally designed by Antonio Caregaro Negrin in the late 19th century, stands the bar, a contemporary nucleus rooted in heritage.

Text by: Mário de Castro
Photography: Simone Bossi

www.caffe-nazionale.it
www.amaa.studio
@amaa_office
https://quadrodesign.it
@quadrodesign_official