Projects
A gourmet eatery with a cosmopolitan spirit in Nola
Roberta Valli
Luciano Busani
Sabato Orlando - Studioarcho
LAMINAM
2020
Ro World, an elegant, fashionable eatery located in the town of Nola just outside Naples, is a surprising venue with atmospheres that seem more reminiscent of New York or a European capital. As architect Sabato Orlando from Studioarcho explains, “Ro World is far more than simply a place for meeting, socialising or having breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is an entire world just waiting to be discovered, explored and enjoyed. Ro World is a sensorial experience.” And the sensorial experience begins with the welcoming and elegant atmosphere created by the interior design project thanks to soft, relaxing lighting, marble effects skilfully coordinated with the brassy glow of the furnishing details, the green hue of the plants, the splashes of pink, light blue and burgundy in the velvet and leather of the chairs, and the visually striking art installations. And of course the visual experience of the Ro-Café, Bistro & Patisserie is perfectly complemented in terms of taste by the creations of the talented pâtissier Antonino Maresca and the award-winning chef Francesco Franzese, who effortlessly intertwines French, Japanese and authentic Neapolitan cuisine. This varied and cosmopolitan gastronomic experience earned the Rear Restaurant at Ro World a place in the Michelin Guide 2021 and a mention by Forbes as one of Italy’s top 100 restaurants.
Ro World covers a floor space of around 1,000 square metres divided into two large areas: the Café-Patisserie-Bistro area and the restaurant area. Every detail of this ambitious and large-scale project was designed by Studioarcho, which devoted special attention to the choice of finishes. “The aim was to divide up the various spaces and to give each one of them a distinctive atmosphere,” explains Sabato Orlando. “But at the same time, the areas needed to complement each other and come together to create a coherent overall project.”
In their search for tactile surfaces that would bring stylistic unity to the various areas while allowing them to fully express their distinct personalities, the architects chose Laminam large-format tiles for the versatility and breadth of the range in terms of colours, surfaces and finishes and the refined elegance of the slabs. Laminam surfaces are used in almost all the rooms, including the exterior cladding.
On entering the Patisserie, customers find themselves in a large area in which the sense of space is accentuated by the Hungarian herringbone pattern of the floor tiling, while to the left the pastries are displayed like gleaming jewels in their glass cases. The choice of a forest green colour for the ceilings and glossy black for the rear walls brings a touch of warmth and elegance, while the atmosphere is enlivened by the pink velvet of the seating and the brass details on the counter and shelving. A more discreet area on the right is sheltered from view by partitions clad in Canaletto walnut wood. The floor planks installed in a Hungarian herringbone pattern designed by Studioarcho is the unifying thread running throughout the entire premises and come in all the finishes found on the other surfaces: Emperador, which continues on the floor in the space to the right of the entrance and as the counter cladding; Statuario and Noir Desir, both in coordinated colour and texture with the customised Laminam finishes of the table and coffee tables supplied by Calligaris; and Pietra Grey. The herringbone pattern continues on the bathroom floors coupled with Emperador large-size tiles on the walls.