UMORE is a restyling project that converted a former crêperie, located on the ground floor of a historic building in the main square of Marina di Ragusa, into a modern cocktail bar.
Despite its highly advantageous location, the project had to overcome challenges related to limited indoor space and the venue’s connection to the public square. In fact, the geometry of the building, characterized by a portico with three arches misaligned relative to the interior facade, rendered the business barely visible to passersby.
The project solves these issues through the insertion of a single multifunctional element: a connecting tunnel made of iron arches that extends from the portico to the bar’s entrance, giving the venue an unexpected outlook onto the square and a completely new perception.
The structure then breaks through to the interior, spanning the vaulted room and ending its path against the back wall. A mirror set into the final arch generates a new virtual dimension that reflects the tunnel itself, objects, lights, and colors, doubling the space and amplifying it.
Beyond housing the counter and functional elements for the work and serving areas, the tunnel accommodates all technical components, such as lighting fixtures and climate control units.
The iron profiles are painted black, while the shelves behind and on the bar counter are finished in liquid brass. The same material was used to treat the metal mesh wrapping the outer structural arches and a portion of the interior ones. The main counter is made of teal-colored Corian, while the polyurethane resin floor is an olive green shade.
The design relies on a single decorative element: a painting by artist Giovanni Robustelli. Reinterpreting an ancient fresco, the artwork wraps around the vaulted room with a rich variety of hues that blend into a cocktail of emotions, revealing hidden natural figures.
The artist’s skillful shading and dilution of colors allow the artwork to blend harmoniously with the architectural elements rather than overpowering them.
The project is completed by an outdoor seating area (dehors) on the square, which echoes the features of the connecting tunnel and adapts them to the requirements of the external environment.
The result is a lightweight, temporary iron structure topped with a canvas canopy that can easily be closed and moved an essential condition for occupying the public space.
