Ironic and iridescent: a new bar in Naples

Back in 1997, "Hi! My name is Stereo Mike!" used to open Drinking in L.A by Bran Van 3000, and today Stereo Mike is the name of a new bar in Naples, inside a building dating back to 1868, announcing itself through the light, colours and reflections that the playful design by Carmine Abate has sought to blend into a single environment. Reinterpreted by the designer, the original portal becomes a mirror made of irony and irreverence: between renewed tradition and 90s taste, Stereo Mike is characterised on the outside by coloured reflecting glass, through which it is impossible to look inside (while guests can observe the landscape and people from the inside, without being seen). 

To produce the characteristic luminescent effect, Abate used dichroic films to filter in ever-changing colours throughout the day. Varied and changing hues oscillate in the room, from blue to red to yellow to orange and green.  White 10x10 cm tiles on the floor form the backdrop for a place finiding its foundation in fascination, where nuances and light emerge, while a wrapped ceiling recalls Christo’s land art. The selection of designer lighting and furniture completes the global value of this project-installation, emphasising its character as an experiential space.