https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/2807 en-us A young firm mines the potential of an ancient cave dwelling for a popular local eatery in Italy.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13616 Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13616-oi-mar%C3%AC-by-manca-studio Laser-cut glass panels screen a wine cellar sited in a niche alongside the main dining room. This feature “is the part of which we are most proud,” says the architect. “It is integrated harmoniously in the environment, satisfying the desire of the owner, a great wine connoisseur.” Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Co-owner Luca Mangiapia intuits, from a corniced, pointed arch in the main dining room, that the cave might once have been a church, but the architects speculate that it was either a dwelling or a warehouse. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Plastered walls appear in just a few areas, such as a staircase ascending to the owners’ quarters, adjacent to the entrance, and the bar adjoining the reception area. Shadow gaps are created between the walls and the cave roof, articulating the junction of new and old. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza At the back of the main dining room, stairs ascend to a small chamber, just large enough for a single table, whose domed vault is peppered with pickax scars. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Plastered walls appear in just a few areas, such as a staircase ascending to the owners’ quarters, adjacent to the entrance, and the bar adjoining the reception area. Shadow gaps are created between the walls and the cave roof, articulating the junction of new and old. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza A chamber off the main dining room provides an intimate setting for a single large table. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Arched portals frame views of the bar from the dining room. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Mirrored doors leading to storerooms minimize visual distraction from its ax-scarred walls and add spatial intrigue. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Mirrored doors leading to storerooms minimize visual distraction from its ax-scarred walls and add spatial intrigue. Photo © Pierangelo Laterza Image courtesy Manca Studio