Fuorisalone meets Gae Avitabile Studio

The dialogue with the territory and the profound understanding of its resources and singularities are among the cornerstones of Gae Avitabile Studio's design thinking. An approach in which knowledge and experimentation with local materials are integral and essential components.

Campania is currently the region that Gae Avitabile has chosen as her residence and setting for her design path. The journey began in France and was characterized by significant collaborations with architects and designers such as Jacques Ripault and Christophe Pillet; leading to Caserta, where Gae Avitabile, in parallel with his role as an architect, serves on the scientific committee of the Royal Palace of Caserta.

The careful study of local skills, resources, and professions stems from Gae Avitabile's profound respect and sensitivity for the territory and its historical, naturalistic, and cultural heritage. This relationship is built from scratch in each new project, through experimentation and, only later, familiarity with the materials offered by the place.

"The period spent in Paris allowed me to understand that we can create anything we think of, continuously changing scale, interpreting a project differently each time, even if very similar. After returning to Italy, I tried to apply this methodology to a completely different context: it was a process, not obvious, that allowed me to find my design key," explains Gae Avitabile, describing how design work is a dynamic path that requires flexibility, listening, and understanding.


Civico 29 (Sperlonga), an interior design project by Gae Avitabile Studio

Emblematic in this sense is the interior design project created by Gae Avitabile for the Sperlonga cocktail bar, Civico 29.
Respect for the territory, attention to the life that inhabits it, and listening to its history guided the entire process of designing and implementing the project. Civico 29 is a place where the natural landscape and architecture share the same language, and where the interior and exterior blend perfectly.


Civico 29 (Sperlonga), an interior design project by Gae Avitabile Studio

The choice of colors (white, blue, and brown), textures, and the sinuous design of the furnishings tell the story of Gae Avitabile's decision to reproduce the maritime and architectural landscape of the city of Sperlonga inside the bar. This intention is made even more evident by forgoing existing fixtures, creating an internal environment in constant and mutual communication with the surrounding nature and all the sounds that inhabit it. The materials chosen, such as the classic perforated terracotta bricks filled with white lime and subsequently resin-coated, convey a sense of craftsmanship and lend the bar an air of sophistication.


Civico 29 (Sperlonga), an interior design project by Gae Avitabile Studio

A recurring characteristic of every Gae Avitabile creation is a profound sensitivity to the context in which each project is inserted. This attention implies an awareness that any final result will always be the outcome of a constant dialogue with the territory and a stratification of meanings, experiments, and ideas.