When designing outdoor dining spaces, there’s no overestimating the importance of the view. It’s an element that needs to be highlighted with comfortable dining areas and discreet roof coverings that do nothing to detract from the surrounding landscape. Lightness, simplicity, and functionality are all essential ingredients for creating unique, engaging spaces.
This was certainly the case with the restyling of Baita Piè Tofana, a restaurant nestled in the Piè Tofana area of the Dolomites near Cortina d’Ampezzo, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
Combining elegance, respect for its setting, and a contemporary feel, this wooden restaurant sets the highest standards in food, wine, as well as design. A mountain refuge, it was originally built for timekeepers at the ’56 Winter Olympics. With its location and excellent cuisine, it soon became a go-to place for Ampezzo’s smart set. It was even used by the Vanzina brothers as a setting for some of their famous films from the 1980s and 2000s. In 2019, a new management team undertook a restyling project intended to give the interiors a modern dimension, while simultaneously preserving the building’s historic character through the use of warm, appropriate furnishing choices. The renovation also extended to the terrace, with the outdoor space now allowing guests to eat lunch against a mountain backdrop, while sheltered against the sun and unpredictable high-altitude weather by the minimal lines of two Pratic awnings.
The outdoor spaces of the restaurant are regularly exposed to light summer rains that quickly pass to leave clear skies. With its waterproof shading fabric, the T-Way extendable arm awning protects diners from both sun and rain, uniformly covering an area of 312 square feet (29 m2), which can be occupied by around twenty diners.
This is a highly functional awning, with an arm tensioning system that can be adjusted to suit any situation via a remote control or app suitable for smartphones and tablets.
The lightness of its design allows T-Way to fit naturally into this outdoor setting. The choice of dove gray for the fabric coordinates with the light tones of the larch timber, while the wall-mounting beneath the side canopy roof harmonizes with the lines of the building, complementing the architecture of the terrace. Finally, the iron gray aluminum profiles – which hide the electrical components – add a modern touch to the structure. Even when the awning is fully closed, it still retains its clean, essential appearance.
This technologically advanced product appeals to the eye with its simple, timeless design, while also looking after guest comfort and enhancing the charm of this extraordinary outdoor dining area.
For more information visit: www.pratic.it