Opificio JM - concept store

Prato, Italy - 2010

Opificio JM is a concept store with restaurant and lounge bar built inside an old artisan factory located in the historical center of the city along the ancient medieval walls. In this project, steel is the hinge element that relates the ancient history represented by the city walls and the recent history of the opificio.In the large double height main volume for the display of products the mezzanine that runs longitudinally the entire environment rests on pillars clad in backlit glass that visually lose their static function turning into luminous lanterns that mark the space. The parapet made of laser-pierced iron with motifs derived from medieval symbologies becomes an organizing element of space, covering it centrally along its entire length. In the more articulated spaces that are in direct contact with the medieval walls are the rooms of the restaurant / lounge where the steel used as a floor finish and partial wall cladding creates a micro-architecture that penetrates the historical building.