Notting Hill, London
101 Architecture+Design were delighted to work on a concept design for Gigi's Gelateria, an exciting, new ice cream parlour for Notting Hill, London. The gelato experience has historically been one embedded in a bold, colourful user experience. This relationship between the user and the gelato is heightened through the exaggerated bar form, typically arranged as a single expansive counter to showcase a plethora of gelato flavours. This counter acts as a centrepiece to the user journey, a concept we sought to continue within our proposal.
Taking inspiration from the colourful facades of Notting Hill, we wanted to continue this playful approach by introducing moments of colour and texture throughout the space. These colourful interventions would take the form of powder coated lighting tracks, tinted glass and neon lights. Our proposal aims to provide a balance of muted tones and bold, vibrant colours to create an environment that is exciting and engaging whilst not compromising the primary focus of the gelateria, being the counter and the ice cream itself.
The forms present in the design consist of a range of contrasting elements built up to create a whole. The solid mass of the counter tops, bases and banquette seating in marble, terrazzo and cushion are contrasted with the lightweight frame elements of steel and glass. The tension between heavy and light is reinforced by the use of brighter colours for the frame and a more muted palette for the solid features.
Additionally, a motif of circles and arcs is present throughout the design, in order to balance the angular edges of the counter design with a contrasting, softer formal language. Whilst experimenting with abstract forms influenced by the shape of an ice cream or ice lolly, applying this to various functions such as seating and lighting to introduce a subtle motif throughout the space.
