Atelier Giorgio have been shortlisted for Restaurant – Middle East & Africas Award in The International Hotel and Property Awards 2022.

Ethos is a restaurant situated in Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s interiors follow the reinvented Mediterranean cuisine it serves, offering a new approach to traditional Mediterranean design, features and architecture, and elevating it into a more contemporary and toned down context.

The restaurant still had to be synonymous with the brand and the effortless aesthetic that the designer, Atelier Giorgio, had already created in their previous eatery. Inspired by the Mediterranean, Atelier Giorgio was tasked to create a space that pays tribute to the timeless features and curves that the Mediterranean has to offer, taking the classic and ornate features found here and bringing them to the local African shores. It is a space that offers a form of escapism, in its purest and most calm form; one which transports people but does not intimidate them with its sophisticated ambience.

The key elements of the design are the central olive tree, the ceiling baffles and the bar sculpture. The olive tree is synonymous with the Ethos brand. In the Mediterranean, people gather in town squares and find themselves enjoying themselves around the well-grown and nourished olive trees. Thus, it was inevitable to bring that into the space. The bark of the tree is preserved from a Jacaranda tree, and the leaves are individually handmade from silk. The imported ceiling baffles have been laid out in a way that mimics the flow of the waves found in the Aegean Sea. This creates a sense of rhythm, flow, and fluidity. This feature is also a mirror image, and runs in the same direction as the straight oriented Oggie wooden flooring placed beneath it, creating a form of repetition, and elongating the space. Lastly, the bar sculpture created by Elaine Jansen van Rensburg also follows the notion of the Aegean Sea. Starting from the alcohol display and stretching over to the curved ceiling, this sculpture mimics the underwater experience one has when exploring and taking in all the Aegean Sea has to offer.

The design works well as it is not obsessive, intimidating, or overdone. The design is tasteful and understated, whilst still holding a sense of extravagance. From the moment you walk in, you feel a sense of ease. It is a neutral and muted space that allows one to enjoy and take in their surroundings. The space is calming and inviting, allowing everyone to feel welcome.

Atelier Giorgio

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