Affogato: An Immersive Blend of Texture, Form, and Flavour
Affogato, designed by Kaviar Collective, redefines the traditional gelato and coffee shop, presenting it as an artful subterranean gallery where materiality and form are celebrated as much as taste. Here, coffee and gelato are elevated beyond consumables, showcased like sculptures in a space designed for sensory exploration.
Drawing inspiration from the minimalist private galleries hidden within New York’s Lower East Side, Affogato invites guests into an environment where every detail is deliberate — a curated experience where texture, material, and flavour merge.
Minimalism as a Medium
At the core of Affogato’s design is a restrained, earthy palette, a conscious choice that amplifies the space's tactile and visual experience. By stripping back colour, the emphasis shifts to the material surfaces and soft, flowing curves that shape the environment. This thoughtful limitation in palette brings the beauty of raw materials and subtle textures to the forefront, allowing the gentle forms of the interior to echo the creamy swirls of gelato.
The continuous layer of beige micro-concrete—applied by hand across floors, walls, and ceilings—creates a unified, almost sculptural canvas. The artisan trowel marks left on the surfaces become a key feature, offering a textural rhythm that softens the otherwise minimal architecture.
A Gallery for Everyday Rituals
Every element at Affogato is carefully considered. Stone-clad pedestals serve as counters, anchoring the gelato and coffee equipment with quiet strength. These blocks act like plinths in a gallery, placing everyday rituals — a scoop of gelato, a fresh espresso — at the centre of attention.
Wooden furnishings are used sparingly, introducing warmth and organic texture without disrupting the overall tonal harmony. This gentle layering of materials—concrete, stone, and wood—creates a grounded, calming, and quietly luxurious space.
A Quiet Invitation
From the outside, Affogato maintains an understated presence, echoing the discreet façades of Lower East Side galleries. The minimal exterior entices curiosity, encouraging passers-by to enter a world where the experience is led by texture and form rather than loud branding or colour.
Inside, guests are enveloped in a calm, textural landscape where choosing a coffee or a gelato becomes elevated to an artful encounter.
Affogato proves that with a carefully curated palette and an uncompromising commitment to material honesty, even the most familiar rituals can be transformed into something extraordinary — a place where design and daily life intertwine with quiet beauty.
