superspatial turns a former renaissance chapel into a kitchen showroom in florence

in the enchanting italian city of florence, a chapel dating back to the renaissance period has been converted by superspatial into a showroom for a bespoke kitchen company. after undergoing numerous transformations throughout the years, the latest intervention brings together the various identities to create a space that weaves between historical and contemporary. 

all images © delfino sisto legnani – alessandro saletta

the building is part of the ognissanti church, with paintings from famous masters such as giotto, ghirlandaio and botticelli. through the centuries, the building held different functions, from a church and a cemetery chapel, to a cinema, a restaurant and even a shoe store. it has even been a night club. every change in its history had left some architectural trace and addition to the original volume. the project by superspatial aims to bring the space back to its original simplicity and purity, without removing the alterations from the past.

with minimal interventions and changes specifically to the materials and circulation layout, the project separates what is old from what is new, underlining the different history of the elements. the modern volume, added in the 1980s, gives the opportunity to create a multipurpose space, transformable and extremely flexible, with a metal structure and state-of-the-art digital technology inside.

the central space breaks the original geometry of the chapel, and includes different activities in the location, from dinners, show-cooking , meetings and co-working, to parties, exhibitions or temporary events. the modern additions have been covered by aluminum and the metal structure is cleaned from the plaster and therefore left exposed. the old walls and frescos have been cleaned from the layer of paint. the false ceiling that covers the original roof has also been removed and substituted by a mesh, which can change the perception of the space according to different lighting layouts.

piazza ognissanti, florence

project info:

project name: borgo ognissanti

location: florence, italy

design: superspatial

lighting: viabizzuno

photography: delfino sisto legnani – alessandro saletta

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom