Amano
A shallow and long, new-construction space transformed into a welcoming, urban pizzeria.
Located in hip Hayes Valley, Amano (which means “by hand” in Italian) was opened to be an easy-going celebration of beautiful, house-made pastas and pizzas. In order to live up to the restaurant’s name, the modern, shallow, glass-lined shell required warmth and energy. We leaned into a risky but successful 45 degree motif—custom-designing tables that sit at an angle to the inherent layout, and dropping an angular wooden structure we called “the cloud” from the ceiling. To add a sense of humanity, we laid European reclaimed oak-wood floors plank by plank, used handmade white tiles and added multiple shades of green—olive and pistachio—along with bold pops of bright red as a fun tribute to the Italian flag. The opening night was everything we’d hoped for: Electric!
