Oltremare Lounge Bar: a dive into the architecture of the Gulf of Sorrento
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Oltremare Lounge Bar, Sant’Agnello, Sorrento Coast, Italy, THDP
Image copyright: @Vincenzo Tambasco
Oltremare Lounge Bar, Sant’Agnello, Sorrento Coast, Italy, THDP
Image copyright: @Vincenzo Tambasco
The Gulf of Naples is an area that boasts a long Hotellerie tradition. How does the Oltremare Lounge Bar fit into this tradition?
Prior to our intervention, the structure of the Oltremare Lounge Bar presented white, minimal and linear spaces, in striking contrast to the characteristics of the hospitality of the coast. The Neapolitan tradition is characterized by elements of opulence and we wanted to bring that splendor into a contemporary and refined project. We then took these details of the area and brought them back to the language of architecture. The context is that of the Hotel Mediterraneo, an Art Nouveau building dating back to the early twentieth century, whose entrance has a series of arches that open to the lobby, reception and bar. The initial idea of the project was precisely to emphasize and enhance the existing architectural elements, such as the arches, which were redefined with bronze frames and filled with furnishing elements. The resulting environment is much more opulent and therefore in line with the expectations of guests who choose the coast for their holidays.
Can you tell us about the development of the project through its main phases?
The starting point was the brief of the customer, who was to have a particularly large space with high ceilings but completely open and devoid of definition. It was therefore essential to restructure from the operational point of view the welcoming check-in area. In order to better manage the arrival of customers, we have defined a space specifically dedicated to the reception by closing some of the arches with windows and curtains, so as to ensure flexibility. During the morning hours the bar is closed with curtains to be opened in the evening. We also looked for a surprise factor conveyed by a small space previously used as luggage storage and now reinvented as a room for customers to use for private dinners or meetings. Therefore, from a large and somehow disconnected space, we recreated several functional zones.