[ad_1]
2049© describes their The studio is considered “the meeting point between architecture, interiors, brand, art and retail”. They offer “innovative spaces and venues to stand the test of time…” and are “focused on the arts, hospitality, festivals, experiential design and property development”. Looking at their new Pinco Deli in Adelaide (shortlisted for the 2024 Australian Interior Design Awards), it’s immediately apparent that the team at 2049© have a unique perspective on hospitality interior design. I’d even go so far as to use the word “radical” to describe their approach. They do it too: “Pinco is a sandwich deli inspired by the radical periods of 20th century Italian design with a fresh Australian twist. The resulting interior needed to deliver a simple, high-quality product while maintaining a nostalgic dining experience.”
Pinco Deli’s tagline, “now and forever,” seems fitting. The cinematic interior offers just enough postmodern weirdness to please design-obsessed progressives and panini lovers alike. The narrow space manages to contain a thematically appropriate monolithic counter that announces itself with a blue Yves Klein marble base and steel top. This volume plays Tetris with a multi-laminate wood veneer counter by Ettore Sottsass, which runs the length of the space at three height variations. Overall, this dynamic element recalls retro Italian espresso bars, while also serving as a place to pick up takeout. The same materials are applied to a high table at the back of the interior, which ends in a blue-lit threshold leading to the restrooms. Opposite the counter, a red-stained oak bench is joined by a 1970s brown banquette, steel café tables and Pigreco chairs by Tobia Scarpa (naturally, the master of postmodern interiors has a place at Pinco’s table).
The nostalgic aesthetic is echoed in the decorative objects and lighting, which play a crucial role in the space via acrylic panels on the ceiling, a hallway inspired by James Turrell’s work and neon accents on the artwork behind the counter. There are also steel planters, Sottsass-style vases scattered throughout and a tubular coat rack.
Bravo, 2049©, Rupert Piccoli and Shannon Wark, your Pinco Deli is something extraordinary. It’s fun, clever, efficient and suggests that 2049© will serve up a lot of cool stuff in the future (which you rightly describe as “dateless and stateless”). My only criticism is that the Pinco Deli should turn into a cocktail bar in the evening, playing exclusively Italian house. Don’t you think that blue counter is crying out for DJ decks?