Novanta, meaning “ninety” in Italian, refers to the ninety seconds that Neapolitan pizzas bake in stone ovens before they are served. For the Novanta restaurant concept, the brick pizza ovens are an essential part of the process, so it was critical that the design respond by locating them centrally in the space. The total footprint of the space is just under 1,900 SF and nearly two thirds of that square footage was dedicated to the central pizza ovens and the surrounding open kitchen and back of house infrastructure.
As the second location for the Novanta concept, the owner wished to use the new space to elevate the Novanta brand and introduce a new level of maturity. The team pulled the branded red color from the original location and then drew inspiration from a design element commonly used in traditional Neapolitan pizza: contrast. Just as white mozzarella contrasts against bright red tomatoes, the palette for the space was curated around just a few simple and understated yet contrasting materials. This is evident in the contrasting matte and gloss wall tile, red and sepia tone walls, light and dark casework, and, most importantly, the white pizza ovens offset against a black backdrop.
All material selections and design decisions were made to play a supporting role to the pizza ovens as the focal point for diners eager to enjoy their authentic Neapolitan pizza.
