White painted shopfront of an Italian food shop with a produce display in the window
Projecting shop sign reading Rosetta, Italian agri-cultural food, with a green leaf mark
Window display of plywood boxes holding jars, pasta and oils behind lettered glass
Plywood crate shelving with beer, preserves and wine above a slicer on a concrete counter
Long concrete counter with a cake dome, plywood walls and wide reclaimed floorboards
Pale spindle-back chair under a scrubbed timber table on wide whitewashed boards
Interior looking towards the street, with timber tables, white chairs and plywood joinery
Rear dining room lined in plywood, with long tables, benches and a rooflight overhead
Counter with stools below a plywood shelf holding cut-out farm animal figures
Close view of plywood box shelving holding jars and tins of Italian produce
View from the back of the shop past the espresso counter to the glazed street door
High stools at a timber bar below pendant lights and copper pans on a shelf
Communal table beside a mesh panel hung with enamel mugs against a plywood wall

– Project: Restaurant + Retail unit

ROSETTA FARM

The brief was simple : create a taste of Cremona’s countryside in the heart of London.
 
The restaurant specialises in Italian agri – cultural food influenced by the familiarity of high quality agricultural food from Italy. Since fresh and tasty food is an essential part of everyday life in Italy, Rosetta has been designed with the intention of capturing its experience and making it feel unique.
 
The restaurant’s design directly references the material found in an agricultural context, bringing the outdoor elements of the country side into the indoor space.
We chose utilitarian materials and raw finishes to reference the packing materials used to transport food to the shops. The window in the street wants to catch the eyes of the passerby as much as possible, keeping as much connection with the street level as possible.
 
The use of a green carpet and plywood boxes is a reference to the country side stalls that you can find in the markets in Italy. Food is displayed on shelves and counters made from plywood, in reference to this material commonly found on wooden packing crates.
Because of the narrowness of the shop, we divided the space with a concrete counter that clearly shows the service area with the public one.
The seating area is position to create an intimate room where recessed screens display the origin of the products and the aim of the shop.

Our client says:‘Pardini Hall have created a space that is fresh and unique and instantly recognizable’.
 
 
Lighting : Muuto
 

Concept

Concept sketch of the shopfront with an awning, produce boxes and a figure serving
Mood board of reference images showing fields, tools, vegetables and market interiors
Previous cafe interior with brightly striped painted walls and fixed banquette seating
Old serving counter with a hot food display against a striped painted wall
Illuminated burrito cafe shopfront at night before the unit changed hands
Existing counter with backlit menu boards, tiled wall and pendant lights

Facts + Figures

Appointed

2014

Completion

2015

Area

80 sqm

Location

London

Photography

Client feedback

“Pardini Hall designed our restaurant – Rosetta – and followed through the process from planning to site construction and interior design. They created a space that is fresh and unique, making us recognizable. We were delighted with their service. Their dedication during the period of the project was first class.”

— Founder of Rosetta, London