A long-time Wallpaper* collaborator, Antonino Cardillo’s latest oeuvre marks a defining moment for the Sicilian architect, who is not afraid to reference numerous influences under one explicitly textured roof.
Called the Off Club – not a members’ club but an Asian fusion restaurant, mixology cocktail bar and lounge – the venue is owned by former Rome footballers Francesco Curcio and Matteo Di Persio, who struck gold – as well as granite – in their encouragement of Cardillo’s abilities to create a cosmopolitan urban hub.
The establishment is set over the two lower floors of a residential block in the city’s Casal Bertone neighbourhood and was given the working title, ‘Paradiso’ from the old Persian ‘for an enclosure’ – paradeyda – which has resulted in a mix of ancient and modern geometries lined with rough plaster, raw gold and glossy black surfaces- it is a safe, urban place in Cardillo’s mind. The medley of reference continues, and the space is further defined by continuity consciously akin to Escher, punctuated by Kubrickian monoliths, which are the holding markers and the anchors of the space.
From behind the two seven-metre long twin granite ‘altars’, bartender Patrizio Boschetto serves Japanese-inspired cocktails with ingredients such as yuzu rice syrup, sake and nikka vodka, while downstairs, the restaurant, which is anchored by contrasting elongated copper arches – that reference Byzantine icons – is helmed by chef Dario Tasca who doles out dishes like the black cod marinated with coconut milk, kefir and turmeric and served with enoki mushrooms and crispy skin.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
64 Via Casal Bertone
-
Bees can now check in at Kew’s new pollinator hotelAt Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden, artist Kristina Pulejkova unveils four functional sculptures that tell the hidden story of seeds and act as a refuge for bees during the heat of summer
-
Andu Masebo and The Singleton’s bespoke furniture celebrates the beauty in slow craftBritish designer Andu Masebo collaborates with single malt Scotch whisky The Singleton on a multifunctional furniture piece boasting minimal design codes
-
Inside a midcentury modern house so good, its architect didn’t want to mess with it‘I was immediately a little bit frightened, because it was such a great house,’ says architect Casper Mork-Ulnes of Roger Lee-designed gem in Berkeley, California
-
Spend a night at the renovated Villa Medici, ‘one of Rome’s greatest sleepover experiences’Villa Medici is not a hotel; but if you can snag a room at what’s in fact the French Academy in Rome, you’re in for a design treat
-
Inside Belmond’s most exclusive holiday villa yet, a lavish Ligurian palazzoOnce the theatre of lavish parties, Villa Beatrice is now a palatial haven of seclusion with easy access to Portofino’s Splendido, a Belmond hotel
-
The most stylish hotel takeovers to pop up at this summerFrom Capri to Ibiza, luxury fashion brands are taking over seaside resorts with exclusive boutique pop-ups and bespoke poolside accessories
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to PugliaThe pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in CapriPatricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to FormafantasmaFrom baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projectsLocated within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark
