Dialogue Between Architecture, Art, and Gastronomy: Cozze Ristorante by Hersen Mendes Arquitetura

Brasília, 2025 – For the second consecutive time, the award-winning Hersen Mendes Arquitetura firm, with projects in Brazil and abroad, is participating in CASACOR Brasília, the largest architecture and decoration exhibition in Latin America. In this edition, architects and partners Anastácia Hersen and Matheus Mendes are responsible for Cozze Ristorante, a 250 m² space that explores, in a sensory and contemporary way, the intersection between architecture, art, and gastronomy.

This year, the event takes place from August 13 to October 12, for the first time at Casa do Candango, a building that has been revitalized and updated to host the exhibition. In celebration of its 33rd anniversary, CASACOR Brasília 2025 has as its theme “Sowing Dreams,” an inspiration that echoes in the restaurant’s concept.

Cozze Ristorante represents, in essence, a space for pause, exchange, and nourishment, both physical and emotional. The environment provides fertile ground for encounters, memories, and affection, sowing dreams through shared experiences. 

“As it is an Italian restaurant, we sought references in Italian culture and aesthetics. The textures and tones chosen evoke a contemporary interpretation of Italian tradition, transplanted to the urban context of Brasília,” explains architect Matheus Mendes.

The architectural design of the space explores the contrast between curved and angular shapes through planes and strips that define the flow and create different atmospheres. The curves shape the outdoor balcony and counter, resulting in an inviting and welcoming environment, designed to encourage visitors to linger and enjoy their meal. 

“Each configuration was designed to offer pleasant experiences through geometry, color, and textures. Thus, the proposal stimulates a sensory experience, inviting visitors to move through fluid and expressive spaces,” adds architect Anastácia Hersen.

The sinuous volumetry of the project, combined with the use of natural and artificial stones, points to a contemporary language that balances materiality, organicity, and visual impact. One of the highlights is the integration with the nature of the location: the restaurant was designed to embrace an existing tree, respecting and valuing the original vegetation of the land.

Sustainability is also part of the project, which adopts conscious practices such as the use of MDF and LED lighting. Materials such as natural quartzite, Silestone, handmade Brazilian hydraulic tiles, rustic stones, porcelain tiles, and textured paints were combined to create striking contrasts and visual layers.

Among the original elements of the space are exclusive marble pieces, benches built on site, and four canvases created especially for the environment by artist Victoria Serednicki. Outside, a sculpture by Jadir Battaglia adds another touch of art to the space. The curatorship also includes natural adornments and objects developed by designers and artists from Brasília, Brazil, and around the world, reinforcing the connection with local creative production without losing sight of the global context.

Photography: Júlia Tótoli