In the pedestrian heart of Padua, Essentia redefines the concept of a showroom through an intervention that works on spatial continuity and the expressive power of surfaces. The project moves beyond simple commercial display to create a unified organism, where cement resin, stone, and wood become architectural matter that guides the visitor from the public dimension of the ground floor toward the immersive and intimate dimension of the basement.
The entrance welcomes the client into a space that becomes an urban scenography. The reception stands out as a monolithic volume in travertine: a tectonic presence that organizes flows and acts as the first material manifesto, directing the gaze toward the hall. Here, the environment is rhythmically defined by four imposing slabs of turquoise onyx, encased in rigorous brass frames: these are not mere coverings, but architectural backdrops that ennoble the space—supported by a lounge bar—dedicated to exhibitions and events.
The atmosphere is defined by a precise chromatic balance: the wenge wood ceiling warms the space, dialoguing with the continuous and luminous surface of the floor and walls in sand-colored cement resin. The barycenter of the intervention is the helical staircase. A continuous ribbon of brushed brass winds through the void like a golden sculpture, becoming the visual pivot around which the entire project rotates. Its metallic mass is lightened by a large suspension: an aerial net studded with light points that draws the empty space and accompanies the descent, transforming vertical movement into a visual experience.
The basement reveals itself as a space of great design intensity, focused on the exhibition function. This area is conceived as a living archive of matter: the large consultation table becomes the focus of operations, the place where clients can touch and compare samples of precious marbles, woods, semi-precious stones, and resins. Technical lighting with very high color rendering is an essential tool here, transforming the selection of finishes into an act of museum-like precision.
Complementary functions are arranged around this operational core: the meeting room and offices—which in this context take on an intimate and reserved character—along with services and other technical rooms. Holding the composition together is the long sandstone wall that runs longitudinally through the space: worked with different textures—honed, bush-hammered, ribbed—this surface becomes a tactile abacus that defines the environment solely through the vibration of stone under light. Essentia thus presents itself as an architecture of synthesis, where technology and contemporary design merge to enhance the intrinsic beauty and value of natural materials.
