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FARINA
CLIENT : Chef Michael Smith
PROJECT TYPE: Hospitality / Restaurant / Renovation
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 6,400 sf
LOCATION: Kansas City, Missouri - The Crossroads
DESCRIPTION:
The story behind Farina began during a trip that Michael Smith and his wife took to Italy, where they ate at a restaurant called "Guido". The meal was so good that he started to entertain the idea of switching his menu to Italian food only.
He refers to this journey as "finding Guido". Fast-forward a few years, and the concept of Farina was born. What was once an auto-shop, then an art gallery, is now the home to one of Kansas City's most decorate chefs.
Farina hugs the corner of an active intersection, but the atmosphere inside maintains a sense of intimacy. The restaurant features seating for 90 guests in the dining room, along with a cocktail bar, a fresh oyster and charcuterie bar, and a 20-seat private party room. The layout capitalizes on large windows along the north and west walls to draw natural light into the space and connect patrons to the activity in the surrounding urban arts district.
Role / Responsibilities:
Lead Interior Designer
Exterior Improvements Designer
Furniture Specification
Custom Furniture Design
Historic Tax ID photo
19th and Baltimore - the home to Farina - is a building that is rich in history. It was originally built as an auto shop. In more recent years, it was considered one of the birthplaces of the Crossroads as we know it today (first as the home to the Dolphin Gallery, then the Kemper Crossroads, then - for a brief period - the Haw Contemporary).
SITE & CONTEXT
View looking south of a Montgomery Ward building at 1901-1907 Baltimore Avenue. The view is captured from 19th Street. Cars parked outside of the building can be seen. A sign reads: Montgomery Ward - Tires & Auto Accessories.
Dolphin Gallery Era
Kemper Crossroads - Exterior (2008-2017)
Interior Before - Looking North (2017)
The overall design of the space balances the rustic nature of Italian textures with the modern & casual setting of the Crossroads. The client emphasized the importance of being surrounded by food, which not only informed the finish palette, but the layout as well.
CONCEPT
Slatted / linear wood is featured throughout the restaurant, from the custom bar-front, to the wainscoting, to the suspended ceiling. The linear texture is a subtle nod to the appearance of pasta when its draped during drying.
“Finding Guido is about trying to figure out a way to set Michael Smith Restaurant apart while being relevant to the way people want to eat today and being honest with myself about what I really want to cook,” Smith says.
EXECUTION
The layout of the space was informed by both function and experience. The task of making the diner feel surrounded by food was implemented by quite literally pinching the entrance between two bars.
ADDITIONAL IMAGES & RENDERINGS
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