A small Sushi Fusionfood establishment opens its doors on the ground floor of a 1940s building in the heart of Ponte Milvio, a historical quarter in Rome’s nightlife area. Mahalo is inspired by Hawaiian traditions and flavoursand its interior design was created and developed by RM\Architecture - Roberto Mercoldi Architecture who handled and managed the refurbishment project.
Upon entering Mahalo, you are exposed to a warm and colourful ambience- featuring a metal and polycarbonate greenhouse which houses luxuriant tropical plants that seem to invade the seating area; the foliage extending out and above the tables positioned in the dining area. The colourful ambience at Mahalo incorporates a bright red which is a characteristic of Hawaiian dining rooms, a bluish-green colour of the tables and walls, a soft shade of the muddy resin which aims to simulate the motion of waves hitting theforeshore.
To the side of the entrance you can see a wall installation of Central American tropical plants which sets out a fifth scenic design that strongly impacts the aesthetic senses.
The kitchen service counter borders the dining room and it was designed to accommodate 7 patrons on stools and enable customers to observe characteristic Hawaiian poke preparation .The service counter is made of stainless steel covered byrough planks of wood that were discoloured and manually planed. Instead the top of the counter takes on the same shades of colour of the dining room surfaces.
Mahalo’s furnishings and fittings were developed and custom made to show essential lines, but at the same time wanting to demonstrate character. For example, the tables and light shadeswere made from welded iron and subsequently painted; the container benches were made from upholstered wood, which was alsoplaned and discoloured ; and finally some seats were created by cutting tree trunks which had naturally aged over time.
