Gabellini Sheppard

The Davide Cenci flagship, located on Via Campo Marzio in Rome’s historic center, is a composition of separate buildings or ‘wings’ connected by a grand central atrium.  A fundamental aspect of the project is an extensive exterior renovation that unifies the disparate facades by matching the original window profiles and materials.  The 30,000 square-foot project debuted the Davide Cenci retail concept opened in 2002. A unique challenge of the design concept was accommodating the client’s request for high volume display while creating a luxury design identity commensurate with the Davide Cenci tradition - one of Italy’s leading designers of timelessly elegant men’s and women’s clothing.

The architecture is punctuated by three dramatic atria with floating elliptical Botticino marble stairs providing a sinuous and engaging connection between the  three display floors.  While the primary stair is located within an elliptical skylit volume at the heart of the complex, another reinforces the angular street corner and is visible through 13-foot-high display windows.  The display areas are defined as a series of small rooms connected to the next by Botticino marble framed portals and flooring, each with display windows veiled by sliding resin and linen panels. Further articulating each room environment is a curved plaster ceiling panel with a perimeter halo of ambient light and a glowing center of backlit Portuguese Estremoz stone.  The merchandising concept of men and women is emblematic of the Davide Cenci trademark colors: orange lacquer and luxurious mahogany.  In addition, within the special women’s areas a new signature blue is similarly introduced.  The entire concept is reminiscent of 1930’s early modern design - marrying the quality of tradition with modern vision.