Category: Other Projects

Simmetrico was appointed by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Italy for the renovation of a historic building, built in the 1940s, to house the new Embassy of Azerbaijan in Rome.

We were in charge of art direction and technical supervision, interior design and styling, light design, fit-out production and implementation, audio video solutions, video conference systems, and domotic systems.

Our project wanted to enhance a space for dialogue and cultural sharing reinforcing, even more, the bond of friendship between Italy and Azerbaijan: from the entrance to the offices, from the lounge area to the terrace and consular services, up to the beautiful Cultural Center.

The Azerbaijan Cultural Centre is the House of Azerbaijani Heritage and Culture, inside the new Azerbaijan Embassy in Rome. We designed a welcoming and comfortable area where the rich tradition of the country is combined with its values of hospitality, friendship, and sharing to host temporary and permanent exhibitions related to Azerbaijani heritage.

The logo of the Azerbaijan Cultural Centre was born by combining together the fundamental values of the Country with its culture and artistic heritage, a kaleidoscope of symbols of its identity.

 

CREDITS

Client: Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Italy

Project: Azerbaijan Embassy in Rome

 

HEYDAR ALIYEV FOUNDATION TEAM for the Cultural Centre project:

International Cooperation/Partnership Coordinator: Soltan Mammadov

Curatorial Expert: Ulviyya Kazimova

 

ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT

Concept Design: Simmetrico in collaboration with Studio Gallizia 

Restoration works coordination: Simmetrico e iDeas

On-site supervision: SimmetricoArchitettura

 

 

SIMMETRICO TEAM

Head of Project: Daniele Zambelli

Executive Project Manager: Francesca Tirotti

Project Manager: Giulia Guarisco

Direttore Tecnico: Francesco Giordano

Architectural Project Manager: Valeria Pallotta

Onsite coordinator: Ana Gugic

Head of Exhibition Design Team: Andrea Fiorito

ExhibitionDesigner: Lucrezia Montalboddi

Art Director: Eleonora Valsecchi

Graphic Designer: Nicola Neri

Cultural Centre Content Manager: Celeste Sergianno

AVL Technical Director: Filippo Nepote Andrè

Finance Manager: Roberta Valloggia

 

FIT-OUT SUPPLIERS

Fit-out contractor: Doppiozero 39

SpecialFurniture: OAK

Curtains and blinds: Mottura

Carpets: Battilossi

Special Joinery: Henry Glass

AVL supplier: Unitech

Light Design: Leo Megna

Domotic system: Armonica

Decorative printing: Inprinting

Artworks logistics: ExpoTrans Art

 

BUILDING RENOVATION

General Contractor: Feidos S.p.A.

Construction Company: ImpreDO

Electrical Systems: Ielet

2 June 2020,
Baku (Azerbaijan) and Milan (Italy)

Simmetrico Digital conceived, designed and created the first digital event for the Italian Embassy in Azerbaijan.

L’Italia che Riparte was an unprecedented way to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the Italian Republic Day together, sharing stories of Italians who didn’t stop moving forward during the pandemic, making their talents and passion available for the service of others.

The digital event allowed the Italian Embassy in Azerbaijan to celebrate an institutional anniversary, widening the event audience, surveying the data of connected people in real time and creating opportunities for pre and post-event communication.

Special guests contributed with live feeds during the event: the world-famous chef Carlo Cracco, the fashion entrepreneur Brunello Cuccinelli, the physician Massimo Temporelli, and the doctor Amedeo Capetti.

The first digital event carrying the Simmetrico Digital signature connected the audience beyond the screen and made them live an authentic, sensory, human digital experience.

Technological solutions by Synesthesia 

The space under construction was an empty peninsula, all glass and minimalism, protruding over Via Giacosa from the Foundation building; an architectural hybrid undergoing its third renovation in 120 years. All around it, the dust and chaos of the building site hid its aesthetic potential.

“We want the restaurant here; we’re thinking traditional gastronomy, something that evokes Turin, in the historical Agnelli Foundation HQ. It needs to be a contemporary space too, because the Talent Garden will be located here, frequented by geeks, Italians and people from abroad, millennials who grew up with a keyboard in their hands…”

This was the briefing that we pored over for six months before building the most extraordinary and innovative restaurant ever in just 15 days.

There are so many aspects to be told in a single story: the “Gastronomia” and culinary traditions of Italy; the mark of a Michelin-starred chef; a city that has embraced the avant-garde since the early twentieth century; a cultural foundation with an extensive photographic archive; partnership with the La Stampa image archive; a vocation for technology and a public of software-addicted millennials.

Even the name of the project was in constant evolution: first “Archivio Bistrot”, then “Ristorante Giacosa”, then “Giacosa 38” and finally “Gastronomia Torino”. As linear and simple as we wanted the restaurant itself to be.

But what would the restaurant actually be like? Digital self-service screens instead of waiters, food-collection compartments with transparent LCD screen doors just like automated fast-food chains in the States, traditional Italian cuisine and delicacies prepared by our chef.

Our screen doors tell diners a story with images, all signature photos and all of Turin, offering them the gourmet dish that they just ordered via a touch pad or smartphone.

The whole project required contribution from the worlds of architecture, engineering, storytelling, graphic design and artistic direction for a plethora of different tasks including the sensors on the touch-screen counters; the hardware for the food-collection compartments; the software architecture; the interface design; the design of the wall with 16 food-collection compartments and 26 screens; the design of each table; the choice or design of the chairs; the careful choice of each material and finish; the solution to each and every ergonomic problem for distracted or disabled customers; the quality of the photographs and post-production; the video sequence along the entire wall ordered by theme and chromatic palette and the strictly compostable packaging.

Everything had to be invented and specific solutions were found for it all: out-of-proportion objects such as a 3.5 metre natural slate table that took 12 people to carry, copper-coloured metal net walls used as display windows, ad hoc lighting, special paints and certification.

But the most striking feature is the 11 x 3 metre service wall so full of screens that it resembles NASA ground control. Instead of Apollo 11 however, what we see is an elegant series of images: the Mole Antonelliana is glimpsed through an apartment window; children play in the Fountain of Venaria Reale; clients from all over the world select fruit in Porta Palazzo; Filippo Juvarra seduces us from a grainy old photo of the Basilica of Superga; shots from the 1950s and 1960s show young women posing with Fiat Topolino while their contemporary peers enjoy happy hour at the Murazzi.

The real surprise is the service: order from the touch pad at the automated till; see your nickname appear in the queue on the large screen and then on the screen of the food-collection compartment assigned to you, which opens smoothly at the touch of a finger to reveal a cold light worthy of a Kubrick spaceship. The dish you ordered will be presented on a compostable dish, also decorated with images of Turin, for you to take to your table. Lift the lid to find gourmet treats by a Michelin-starred chef at the same price of the usual chips.

 

Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku (Azerbaijan)

In addition to the INSTITITUTIONAL AREA interior design project, Simmetrico, in partnership with the architecture studio Arassociati, has designed the spacious lounge area next to the auditorium of the Heydar Aliyev Center.
It is a multifunctional environment of about 200 sqm, designed as an area used to relax after and before a show or as a place for meetings and events. Every piece of furnishing was designed on drawing and realized in partnership with the best companies and manufacturers, in order to guarantee the quality and the the value that only Made in Italy can fulfill.
As for the INSTITUTIONAL AREA, peculiarity of the project is a perimetral motorized structure made of 3-meter-hight blades, that permits to control the intensity of natural light coming from wide glass windows.

Simmetrico was assigned an interior design intervention. In partnership with Arassociati, Simmetrico has developed and realized a project for an institutional area dedicated to welcome international delegations. The project blends in with the architecture style of the building, a total area of 450 sqm divided into living areas, meeting area and service areas.

Simmetrico aimed to work with the best Italian companies and artisans to guarantee a high quality production with great attention to details. Every element was drawn by hand, fabrics and essences were carefully selected.

The accurate selection of materials provided a chromatic coherence able to give value and characterize the environment, satisfying at best the customer’s requirements.

The technology setup and domotic system, purposely developed, allow an intuitive use of all integrated systems inside the area. A motorized and up to 180° swiveling structure of walnut wood sheets allows to control the intensity of natural light of a wide glass wall, characterizing the whole environment.
In the same way, wide motorized panels covered in leather, reveal, when needed, the built-in video system.

Assisi
22 November 2013

The initiative “1 million meals” organized by Patrizio Paoletti Foundation has the ambitious goal to assign, during 2013, one million meals in Perù, Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Indonesia.

To support the project Simmetrico has designed a cardboard house that will be placed in most crowded public places of the main Italian cities, with the aim of gathering subscriptions and make known the initiative.

Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti
Lyrick Theatre, Assisi, Perugia (Italy)
18th – 21st November 2011

“A starry sky within us” is a sensorial itinerant lab, a place where the latest technologies such as video installations, interactive touch screens and video interviews invite the guests with simple and direct language to explore the different areas of our brain, neuronal connections and the potential of this valuable and fascinating organ.

A science divulgation project, an innovative emotional journey of discovery of that “starry sky” which is our “infinite personal universe”.
The structure, made of inflatable polyester tissue, 100% recycled PET, was inaugurated the 18th november 2011 in Assisi, near the Lyrick Theatre.
For Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, Simmetrico managed the realization of the structure and of the laboratory, characterized by interactive installations, video projections and advanced lighting systems.