Upon our first visit to the site, our minds immediately raced back to our time in New York visiting these small private art galleries in the bylanes of the Lower East Side Manhattan. These were literally hole-in-wall spaces with large glass facades and bare interiors with the art on display being the center of attraction that pulled people in.

With Affogato, we explored the idea of a gelato and coffee shop disguised as a subterranean art gallery. A minimal monochromatic volume with textures and soft curves inspired by the swirls of gelato sets the tone of the space. Akin to art pieces and sculptures showcased atop pedestals in an art gallery, one can find the wide range of gelato and coffee take center stage atop the collection of stone blocks. We believed in dealing with the constituents of‘affogato’as pieces of art rather than just everyday consumables by creating a space that celebrates it.