Through the colonnade of the 19thcentury City Hall, the public dimension of the square flows seamlessly into that of the new Caffè Nazionale. Within this space, the main hall, a vibrant mosaic of fragments of memory and original spatial devices, offers glimpses of the serene natural setting of the small inner courtyard. This marks the first in a series of design strategies employed by AMAA in the restoration of the historic Caffè Nazionale in Arzignano, Northern Italy. A demanding and complex project, it has been carried out by the studio founded by Marcello Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo in a city that already hosts some of their most significant works.

Along an ideal axis that traverses the entire project, the space seamlessly connects interior and exterior, highlighting the concept of layered memories, urban moments, and the interplay of ancient and contemporary materials. The design orchestrates a sequence of spaces, reminiscent of theatrical stages, establishing a visual dialogue between the square, the colonnade, and the interior hall. Here, original scenographic elements guide the eye toward the vestibule and, ultimately, the inner courtyard, envisioned as a birch garden. This courtyard provides an open, perspective view that embraces the surrounding natural landscape.

The entrance to the bar is located at the center of the colonnaded wing of the palazzo, designed by architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin and built in the late 19th century. In AMAA’s design, the entrance door is the only opaque element facing the square. Crafted from burnished iron with a pivot mechanism, the door features a distinctive diamond-shaped design, visible from both inside and outside. The handle, made of green serpentine marble from Valmalenco, was custom-designed by the artist Nero/ Alessandro Neretti.

To the left of the entrance door, positioned at the corner and at the start of the colonnade, lies the openconcept kitchen, fully visible to patrons. A staircase located between the bar and the kitchen leads to the upper dining room, set up as a restaurant.

On the right, you enter the main room, where fragments of various historical interventions coexist. This space centers around the theme of theatrical backdrops, amplifying the sense of transition already suggested by the entrance. Historical traces evoke an almost boundless depth, which the design enhances through the placement of a wall conceived as a kind of curtain. This feature, crafted from folded and perforated stainless steel sheets, creates an interplay of transparency, offering an almost illusory glimpse of the grand arches facing the inner courtyard. Temporary posters by artist Stefan Marx, pasted and illuminated behind the pleated metal wall, evoke the theatrical posters of the Belle Époque and seamlessly integrate into the room’s layered narrative and scenic artifice. A refined polychrome mosaic floor is contrasted by an imposing coffered ceiling made of multilayered wood, designed to meet both lighting and acoustic needs. Adjacent to the main room, behind the perforated steel wall with its large pivot door, lies a vestibule—a space of transition and mediation. This area establishes an unexpected connection between the interior of the café and the broader, almost dreamlike world of the birch garden, a space that feels both physical and metaphysical.

The Caffè Nazionale is furnished with an integrated system of wooden tables and benches, custom-designed by AMAA in collaboration with Nero/ Alessandro Neretti and meticulously developed through full-scale mockups. In the main room, the seating arranged in the more interior areas is paired with rectangular tables, larger and better suited for dining. In contrast, smaller round tables are positioned closer to the square and extend into the outdoor space in front of the bar. The seating design draws inspiration from the benches of the New York subway and the work of Donald Judd.

The contrast between the recovered historical elements and the interventions that redesign and reorganize the space is evident throughout Caffè Nazionale, as are the deliberately unfinished segments that seem to reflect an openness in the project’s concept. In these exposed fragments, the temporality of the construction process feels almost suspended.

A year and a half of work resulted in the creation of a delicate and complex piece through which AMAA has breathed new life into a significant part of Arzignano’s history. The project engages with the themes that the studio has been refining in its research: a space dense with layers of meaning, as layered as the memory of the place itself. The restoration of the decorated surfaces, uncovered beneath the technical partition walls added over decades of previous activity, aligns with the intention to preserve these elements in their honest, worn, and sometimes compromised state. The consolidation acknowledges the passage of time, enriching the rooms with a raw and imperfect materiality that speaks to the idea of the unfinished and the continuous evolution of each element. Similarly, the new functional partitions for services and technical rooms adhere to the same intention: to reveal the construction technique and its components, as well as the process of realization, frozen at the point where each element remains recognizable and does not simulate another meaning.

Caffè Nazionale marks an important step in the development of AMAA’s research and experimentation in the design process, which includes an innovative use of imagery. These images are not seen as a final product but as a means to document the construction process as it unfolds. In this sense, they integrate the studio’s ongoing work with the physical model. It represents a further evolution of their research on the theme of the unfinished, as well as the development of an original process that the studio is advancing with Virna Rossetto on the use of imagery in the various phases of a project.

With offices in Venice, Arzignano, and New York City, the studio AMAA, founded by Marcello Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo, has gained recognition on both the national and international stages in recent years. The March 2024 issue of the Portuguese magazine AMAG (Issue 34) is dedicated to AMAA’s work, alongside two other emerging Italian studios (Associates Architecture and Studio Wok), marking the first issue to feature the work of Italian architects. AMAA was a key participant in the central exhibition curated by Lesley Lokko at the Corderie of the Arsenale during the last Venice Architecture Biennale. In Spring 2025, Alessandra Rampazzo and Marcello Galiotto will begin teaching an advanced design studio at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania, invited by Rossana Hu (Neri & Hu), head of the Department of Architecture.

Team:

Client: MAM Srl (Marco Mettifogo – Andrea Poli – Marcello Galiotto)

Municipality of Arzignano

Architects: AMAA Collaborative Architecture Office For Research And Development

Project architect - Partner in Charge: Marcello Galiotto

Project management: Francesca Fasiol

Design team: Marcello Galiotto, Francesca Fasiol, Eleonora Folli, Virna Rossetto

Models: Mara Tirapelle

Structural engineering: Simone Michelotti

Fire safety engineering and Electrical engineering: Nicola Rosa 

Mechanical engineering: Riccardo D’Alessandro

Safety coordinator: Simone Michelotti 

Acoustic planning: Luca Dal Cengio

Identity and graphic design: Studio MUT 

Graphic artist: Stefan Marx

Artist and mock-up maker: Nero / Alessandro Neretti

Dress code and details: Ottavia Mettifogo

Communication agency: BlaaUniverse

Site supervision: AMAA Collaborative Architecture Office For Research And Development Marcello Galiotto, Alessandra Rampazzo, Francesca Fasiol

Contractor: Moredile of Morabito Massimo Casillo Srl

Plumbing: LO.GI.T. Termoidraulica Snc 

Electricians: ELETTROIMPIANTI of Nogarole Srl 

Safety sistem: Falle Antifurti Srl

Contractor furnitures and lighting: Operae Interiors

Communication partner and Press office: The Architecture Curator

Photos of the model Elena Pellizzer

Photographers: Simone Bossi, Rory Gardiner, Mikael Olsson, Elena Pellizzer

Materials Used:

Window frames: Fiorotto Design 

Window frames: Busato Srl of Cecchetto Davide 

Custom-made furnitures: Operae Interiors 

Electrical system: Jung.de

Lighting: Viabizzuno 

Metal wall and details: Lormet Steel Design 

Kitchen technical equipment: Frigotecnica Sas of Bincoletto Franca 

Conservative restoration: Athena Srl 

Restoration of floor surfaces: Adamah House of Castagna Rosanna

Leather for furniture: Conceria Laba Srl 

Sinks: Piba Marmi Srl 

Bathroom fixtures: Quadro Srl 

Marble elements for outdoor furniture: Bevilacqua Marmi Srl 

Sound system: Autotecnica of Peretto Giuseppe 

Green areas: Dall’Ava

Marcello Galiotto opens up new ways of looking, thinking and feeling

“FritsJurgens is really helping us with the dance of the door. And with the threshold, which is something that is really important for us. And the freedom.”

Tucked away in the enchanting town of Arzignano, Italy, awaits a hidden gem. And like the name of the town it resides in, this place too is downright enchanting. Which is only fitting when you consider that Marcello Galiotto, both architect and owner, has shaped Caffè Nazionale into a masterpiece of design and gastronomy. Whoever sets foot inside, has a hard time leaving. As we know from personal experience.

Marcello is an architect that strongly believes that in the sum of all parts, every part must be aligned perfectly. Anything less, simply does not suffice. This becomes evident in everything he does as an architect, but also as the owner of Caffè Nazionale.

Here, his vision is reflected in an adventurous chef residing over the modern kitchen, a progressive cocktail maker creating tastes that linger long after the drink is done, professional bar personnel that give you a feeling of belonging, and, finally, an interior so striking that it leaves many simply aghast with awe.

In this design, he has sought—and found—a refined blend of old and new, classic and modern. By preserving the best parts of the original classic design—thus maintaining its timeless elegance—and adding modern materials, lighting, two pivot doors and other refined details, he created a seamless fusion of past and present. A perfect sum of all parts, if you will.
Marcello though, remains as humble as ever.

“I think I'm not yet an architect. I'm trying to be an architect. To be an architect, it's not just to be a normal worker, but it's more creating a piece of life. So, then to be an architect, I think you need your complete life. You can be a super nice architect, do nice things, but if you do shitty entrances and shitty frames, you can destroy the architecture.”

An exterior door as a statement
At Caffè Nazionale, two striking pivot doors enhance both function and style. One on inside and one leading its clientele from the outside world to the internal beauty of Caffè Nazionale.

The front door immediately beckons attention. Featuring a diamond-shaped design and a rich, bronze-like texture, it leaves a lasting impression. Marcello explains his architectural choices.

“Usually, the door of a cafe, of a bar, is glass. But I decided to say: ‘no, it needs to be black. It needs to be strong, and, closed.’ Also, the shape of the door is diamond. In the past, the entrance of the old factories here were always designed like a diamond. So, all our buildings have the diamond shape, because it’s about the past and a tribute to what happened here.”

Furthermore, he elaborates on the use material.

“The material is simple iron, which is really delicate and looks like bronze, but it is not, it's just iron. Because bronze was too precious, and, at the same time, we want to keep things grounded. So, the space is not pretentious. It's a space for people. For everybody.”

The outside door is striking within itself, but even more so when Marcello dives into the deeper meaning behind an exterior door—especially a pivot door—and reveals his vision of the threshold. He sees it as a step into another world, or even life. With one opening and closing, with one step, you leave the outside world behind, and the person you were there, and become the person you are within the confines of your home, your workplace: your internal self.

“I think the main point from the outside to the inside is the experience of that moment. This is a theme that we at AMAA investigate a lot. In the past, in the Japanese culture, for example, the threshold before entering the house has a special path. Or in the Indian tradition, the threshold has a step.”

Marcello wholeheartedly believes that pivot doors have a great impact on the idea of the threshold and that sensation of moving from one reality into the other. Especially pivot doors that move with a FritsJurgens pivot system, that move like a dance.

“And, I think for us, it will be really difficult to abandon the pivot door and the system of FritsJurgens, because it's really an emotion, it's a dance. When you move the pivot, it's kind of smooth, and it's giving you a new three-dimensional feeling of entering a space. It's a threshold.”

Overcoming the dimensions of an interior pivot door
When creating the interior pivot door, Marcello wanted a door that would fit into the design but also stand out. So, it had to be big and impressive. And the material and shape would also have to be just right.

“For the inside it was about the dimension, because the dimension was so big, and the weight of the door was kind of impressive. And then we will have this effect of moving the things with one finger.”

The door has a wavy shape and is made of aluminium with tiny perforations. This material is continued throughout the entire wall, not just the pivot door. This works miracles for the overall feel of the place where people are seated to enjoy a coffee, lunch, cocktail, dinner, etc. The same material extends to the high cupboards behind the bar, where bottles and other ingredients for crafting cocktails are stored. It binds the two spaces Caffè Nazionale consists of together. In a seamless and near organic manner.

The wavy aluminium pattern contrasts with the classic elements of the interior. Yet rather than clashing or overwhelming the space, the sleek aluminium wall and pivot door harmonise effortlessly with the historic Italian frescoes and ornaments, striking a perfect balance between modern innovation and classical artistry.

Another clever detail is the tiny perforations in the aluminium. As a result, the pivot door leading to the restroom reveals a large window overlooking a lush backyard. This design choice allows daylight to cascade into Caffè Nazionale, creating a breathtaking effect—especially in spring and summer. And that was intentional. Marcello wanted to maintain a connection to the outside world. Even though you leave the outside behind at the threshold, he doesn’t want you to forget it exists. The pivot door plays a key role in that vision and feeling.

“The not super-fast movement of a pivot door enables you to leave outside your thoughts of the day, your daily life, and enter the house, which is the space for yourself and for your family. Even though outside is always there waiting for you to return.”

Why FritsJurgens?

“So, that’s the point: you can really be free in design. And it's the sensation. So, it's the dance! I would say freedom and dance are the points that you should highlight with FritsJurgens.”

Freedom and dance. Moving a very heavy door with just one fingertip. Creating a new threshold where you divide inside and outside into two different layers of living, and aspects of being. That is what is important to Marcello. And as it happens, that is also what is important to us. We want to give architects the freedom to design whatever their vision dictates. No boundaries, no limits, but sheer creative freedom. Our systems are manufactured to function exactly as the architect needs them to function. They move smoothly, close with a whisper, are impactful.

Marcello believes that pivot doors, and with the systems of FritsJurgens, have the power to revitalize the idea behind the threshold. Stepping from one life into the other. And again, we agree. We also believe that pivot door is more than a doorway or entrance, it is a transcendental emotion and becomes a thing of singular beauty.

We are proud to be a pivotal part of the bigger vision of Marcello Galiotto. Not only does our systems and his architecture align perfectly, but so does our idea of architecture.