Project “Unica Restaurant”
by IPA - Ivo Petrov Architects
They look like branches of a tree, intertwining with the leaves, engaging with the parquet, the raw surfaces of unrendered bricks and the concrete ceiling, as well as the furnishings and the green walls expertly illuminated by a blend of natural and artificial light.
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Natural paths of flavours
Wood is the absolute protagonist of the interior design of this restaurant in the heart of Sofia. The inherent warmth of the natural material, the organic shapes, and the sinuous trajectories of the elements that shape the space and run along the ceiling captivate the gaze, engaging in a continuous dialogue with the green walls that evoke the foliage of trees and the morphology of plants.
It occupies three levels of a seven-story residential building on Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., declared an architectural and cultural monument, offering a unique experience in the heart of Sofia. It invites its customers to immerse themselves in an artificial landscape that explicitly refers to the world of plants and trees.
Unica Restaurant, designed by IPA (Ivo Petrov Architects) in the centre of Sofia, has 105 seats and occupies the basement, which houses the kitchen, as well as the first and second floors where the dining rooms are distributed. All areas of the restaurant are “connected” by an element that serves as the guiding thread of the space, giving it a distinct identity. These are amorphous wooden elements, resembling branches or vines that intertwine and chase each other along the ceiling and even on the stairs.
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This interweaving design creates an organic pattern on the exposed concrete ceiling, with intersecting trajectories and tracks that also integrate the lighting sources, diffusing light upwards. In addition to wood, green is the dominant colour, found on the walls and in some furnishings, in continuous dialogue with the herringbone parquet, the vegetal walls, and fixed elements such as display cases and open shelves used to showcase products.
The concept of Unica restaurant, combining Italian culture with the Bulgarian territory, is also reflected in the layout of the spaces, the design of the logo featuring the theme of arches present in all areas, and the thoughtful integration of materials, colours, ingredients, raw materials, and cooking techniques, aimed at raising the bar of hospitality offerings.
A lever with clean geometries and a rectangular shape rounded at the ends, exudes a contemporary appeal that allows it to seamlessly integrate into various styles and different types of environments, thanks to its wide range of high-quality finishes. Its proportional balance makes Luce a handle that harmonizes perfectly with minimal and elegant doors, creating a coordinated and coherent interior design project. Aesthetics and functionality converge in Luce. For the Unica Restaurant project it is proposed in the matte black version. It guarantees an ergonomic grip and, thanks to the quality of materials and components, ensures long-lasting durability over time.
The designer
IPA (Ivo Petrov Architects) is a studio based in Sofia, specializing in the design of residential, educational, social, hospital, industrial, logistics, commercial, administrative, and office buildings, with interventions also at the urban scale.
A dynamic and creative organization committed to projects that combine vision, functionality, sustainability, and attention to the environment and people. An articulate and competent team, always up-to-date on the latest technological developments to improve design processes, manage even very complex projects, ensure efficiency and minimize waste of resources.
