Pigmento Experimenta Studio has aimed to evoke the quaintness of Italian cafes and streets at this pizza restaurant in Córdoba by installing bicycles and street lamps inside.
The Pan Plano pizzeria is situated on a corner lot along a main avenue in the Argentinian city, and boasts a large patio for dining outside.
Despite occupying a recently built commercial property, with hardly any architectural charm, the local studio crafted its interiors to evoke a timeworn atmosphere.
Led by Sofia Asan and Manuela Madruga, the team overhauled the space by taking cues from Italy's charming restaurants and meandering passageways.
"We were inspired by the textures and moods of Italian streets," the studio said in an interview with Dezeen. "Every detail – from passages, walks, tables, lights, and vegetation – served as inspiration for the restaurant project."
Inside, walls are treated to appear centuries-old, with concrete and tiles floors adding to the aged feel. One dining area has brick floors, with mirrored wooden window designs evoking the exterior of a historic building.
The existing walls were made with concrete, so the studio covered them with layers plastic clay. The walls were then painted with different colours and sanded down to create the desired effect.
"Pan Plano aims to transport us to the outer space of some long-forgotten Italian memory," said the studio.
Visible cracks and moisture stains help to make the interior seem old and historic. In order to bring the outdoors in, a collection of plants decorate the space, along with a tree.
The space is furnished with a variety of outdoor cafe tables and chairs, alongside cast-iron lampposts, trees and even bicycles to make patrons feel as if they are dining al-fresco.
Overhead, warm lighting is provided by oversized woven lanterns, while other glass lamps drop low to a collecting of dining tables near a window.
Slatted wooden blinds and woven shades wrap around corner glazing to filter sunlight, while intending to help the building seem less commercial.
"The most difficult, but interesting, part of the project was to correctly adapt the existing modern structure that was made with concrete walls and glass into an old-looking space," said the studio.
Other restaurants around South America include a bakery and outdoor cafe in Uruguay housed in a refurbished heritage building by Pedro Livni Arquitecto, and a wood-lined sandwich shop with orange chairs in São Paulo by Guilherme Pianca and Gabriel Kogan.
Photography by Otero Constanza.