Il Buco | SOTOVIKIS + B

Il buco has been designed by Anastasis Sotovikis + Constantinia Batziou of SOTOVIKIS + B in collaboration with Dionisis Sotovikis + Kirki Mariolopoulou of WORKSHOP, Athen’s based architectural practices and cleverly combines minimal design with traditional design décor playing heavily on the elements.

The restaurant is located on the third floor of a neo-classical building, enjoying the views of the Acropolis. It consists of three separate spaces clustered around the cocktail bar. The restaurant showcases two opposing design themes; one the white contemporary sophisticated sitting area, and the other black atmospheric coctail bar creating a very intimate-than-minimal setting
The cocktail bar operates as a small deli, and has been painted black with plywood shelves that not only create a link between the deli shop on the ground floor, but also focus on the different moods of the space. The three other spaces maintain the minimalist appeal through all-white walls, and black fixtures and trimmings.
The three other spaces of the restaurant are very bright due to the pure white walls, floors and ceilings that gain structure from the strong, black door frames. The white tables with the black iron cast table legs have been mingled with mismatched wood-frame chairs collected from the area’s antique shops. This simple, yet successful addition of mix-and-match leaves the visitor with a nostalgic feel. The wooden-frame-chairs from a past era have been treated accordingly and in many cases new seats with woven strips of leather or new upholstery were added. With low ambient light of Droog, lamps have been used to light up the space and create an opulent chandelier, where ‘less and more’ are united in a single product. Furthermore, an antique sideboard with a marble top ‘flirts’ with the mix-matched antique chairs and is complemented by Red Revisited of droog.
Il Buco restaurant is adjunct to Il Buco Deli, which originally operated in a 15 square meter shop across the new restaurant. Il Buco Deli was the inspiration for the opening of this restaurant, which seeks to return the intense nature of the Psirri district with a modern and fresh view. The 15 square meter deli operated as a small box that opens and closes daily on one of the main roads of Psirri. The deli stalls open outwards thus inviting in to see, and taste something of the content within. The deli was also painted in black so that when not operating it would vanish in the region and become one with the rest of the buildings. The name ‘il buco’ for the 15 square meter deli, and thereafter the restaurant was derived from its Italian definition which means the ‘hole.’

photografer vassilis makris