The first impression of this bar/restaurant perched on a wooden gangway jutting out over the water, can be misleading. The structure is simple enough: a single-story rectangle clad in dark wood and somehow reminiscent of a seaman’s bar on some desolate wharf. Closer inspection, however, reveals a subtle combination of sleek design elements, such as stainless steel and ground glass, and the warmth of wood. The interior design consciously seeks a streamlined look, while emulating the early ocean-liners of the 1930s.

Bar-Restaurant L'Arca at Follonica, Italy

Just past the entrance door, with its two round windows like portholes, is the bar area. Here, two tapered pilasters covered in stainless steel contrasts with the cherry wood panels that line the walls. Sheets of stainless steel mesh line the bar, behind which are simple ground glass shelves and back-lit wooden panels.

A row of round lights embedded in the floor leads to the dining room, which is opened up to include an outdoor terrace in the warmer months. The choice of materials corresponds to their usage and role. Hence the walls are lined with wood to absorb sound in the space set aside for live music. Stainless steel is used in the dining room for its resistance to daily use. Particular care has been taken with the lighting. The only sources of light in the bar are two delicate rows of small, evenly-spaced round lights in the wood panelling and a number of round lights embedded into the ceiling and floor. In the concert area a mixture of bright halogen lighting and hanging lamps creates a unique atmosphere. In the dining room, the tables are illuminated by a large custom- made lamp with an imaginative motif recalling either a mass of cumulous clouds or a coral reef. In the bathroom, a cluster of tiny lights set into a blue ceiling are reflected on the surrounding walls, creating the effect of a starry sky.