Sans Arc Studio’s hospitality fit-outs are synonymous with Adelaide’s dining scene and notably recognisable for their understated elegance and vibrancy. Now based in Melbourne, the Adelaide practice’s most recently completed South Australian project is Sofia Bistro – the ground floor eatery occupying a 1980s low-rise building located at the Rundle Street end of Hutt Street, on the eastern edge of the Adelaide CBD.
This adaptive re-use of a tenancy within a building often dismissed as unattractive was always going to be an interesting proposition. So how did Matiya Marovich, Sans Arc Studio’s director and architect approach it? Firstly, he introduced a corrugated bullnose roof to Sofia’s façade, creating a cover for the new outdoor dining area. Not only does the new roof, along with a corresponding concrete planter box, provide an enclosed space for diners, it visually softens the exterior, breaking up the postmodernist building’s red brick mass. It also provides greater connection with the street.
As Marovich explains, “The idea was to create an offering that responds to its context. Sofia Bistro had to add social and economic value to the area, as well as feel like it was still part of the existing building while activating and bringing to life an underutilised stretch of the city. We wanted it to be sophisticated, but fun, and to engage with the street; to feel good, yet still be highly functional in order to achieve efficient business.”
The resulting welcoming quality of Sofia Bistro’s exterior extends internally, where Marovich has zoned the 170-square-metre space for comfort and logical circulation. A concrete counter and bar echoing the new roof’s corrugated iron profile impressively runs the length of the back wall, with the dining area divided into three separate yet interconnected zones. Booths provide ample seating and a banquette wraps the space, whereas the back of house is concealed with a green tiled wall featuring a black and white abstract mural that visually plays with modernist motifs and sensibilities.
Marovich’s scheme is characteristically pared back and minimalist, with strong attention to materiality and a confidence that eschews all unnecessary detail. “Everything has a purpose and reason, both practically and aesthetically,” he says. “And there are also environmentally conscious choices throughout, including the use of cork flooring, eco-certified fabrics, FSC plywood joinery and timber furniture.”
These materials are complemented by terrazzo tabletops and the concrete counter’s full-height terrazzo tile splashback. The use of concrete may lend the overall design a neutral backdrop, but Marovich’s colour accents are nothing short of delicious, from caramel and egg yolk yellow to pistachio green and dusty pink. It gives diners plenty to look at without being overwhelmed or distracted, and when the light pours in through the sashless windows that open to the street, the effect is appealingly light and airy.
Ordered, modern and effortlessly stylish are a few more words that come to mind when describing Marovich’s fit-out, which is sure to stand the test of time. And the design’s emphasis on connection and bringing people together is a fine tribute to the late mother of one of the clients, for whom Sofia Bistro is named. Marovich has succeeded in delivering a hospitality offering rich in materiality and thoughtful interventions that will no doubt provide a memorable experience for all diners.
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