Banca Padre Pio restaurant interior in Curitiba by Sarturi Gumz Arquitetos

Sarturi Gumz centres Curitiba restaurant around a communal timber table

Sarturi Gumz Arquitetos has completed Banca Padre Pio, a 60-square-metre restaurant in downtown Curitiba organised around a single communal table.

Occupying a former restaurant on a street with intense pedestrian activity, particularly at lunchtime, the project creates a measured pause between the pace of the city and the intimacy of eating together.

Street-facing entrance to Banca Padre Pio in Curitiba — New openings connect the compact restaurant directly with the pavement. © João Vitor Sarturi

Communal timber table inside Banca Padre Pio — A reclaimed timber table establishes the centre of the dining room. © João Vitor Sarturi

A communal table structures the room

The architects looked to the shared refectories of old monasteries as an organisational reference. Rather than reproduce this precedent literally, they used its sense of collective dining to define the plan.

A long custom-made table sits at the centre of the room, accommodating numerous diners while keeping circulation clear around its perimeter. Its scale encourages conversation, but the arrangement also supports different lengths of stay throughout the day.

Long communal dining table at Banca Padre Pio — The central table accommodates groups while preserving circulation. © João Vitor Sarturi

Built-in seating beside the communal table — Perimeter benches offer an alternative to the shared table. © João Vitor Sarturi

Dining room with ceramic tiled surfaces and timber furniture — Timber furniture brings warmth to the light-toned interior. © João Vitor Sarturi

Openings draw the street inside

Two new openings were cut into the frontage to strengthen the restaurant’s relationship with the sidewalk. Together they establish clear routes around the table and allow the activity of the dining room to remain visible from outside.

Built-in benches line the edges of the space, accompanied by small round tables for quick meals, individual diners and smaller groups. These secondary settings balance the collective focus of the centre.

View through the restaurant towards the street — The interior remains visually connected to downtown Curitiba. © João Vitor Sarturi

Round tables and built-in benches at Banca Padre Pio — Small round tables support shorter visits and smaller groups. © João Vitor Sarturi

Window seating overlooking the pavement — Perimeter seating places diners close to the street. © João Vitor Sarturi

Ceramic tiles unify the compact interior

Small-format ceramic tiles extend continuously from the floor onto the service counter and built-in seating. This consistent surface gives the compact restaurant a robust visual base and allows separate functional elements to read as one composition.

Above the tiled datum, lightly textured walls contrast with the reclaimed timber table and benches. Handmade plaster wall lights appear to merge with these surfaces, casting soft indirect light across the room.

Ceramic tiled service counter at Banca Padre Pio — Small-format tiles wrap the floor, counter and built-in elements. © João Vitor Sarturi

Detail of handmade plaster wall light — Plaster lights cast a soft glow across the textured walls. © João Vitor Sarturi

Timber bench and tiled wall inside the restaurant — Reclaimed timber contrasts with the pale ceramic surfaces. © João Vitor Sarturi

Architecture, furniture and lighting were developed as parts of a single spatial system. Each element reinforces the central idea of gathering while maintaining the flexibility required by a busy city-centre restaurant.

Evening view of Banca Padre Pio restaurant — Soft indirect lighting gives the dining room an intimate atmosphere. © João Vitor Sarturi

Dining area arranged around the communal table — The furniture layout supports both collective and individual dining. © João Vitor Sarturi

Close view of ceramic tiles and timber furniture — A restrained palette combines ceramic, timber and textured plaster. © João Vitor Sarturi

Banca Padre Pio interior seen from the entrance — The compact room forms a calm interval from the busy street. © João Vitor Sarturi

Floor plan of Banca Padre Pio restaurant — Floor plan showing the central table and circulation routes. © João Vitor Sarturi

Project Credits

Project name: Banca Pio
Location: Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Area: 60 sqm
Design firm: Sarturi Gumz Arquitetos / @sarturigumz
Completion: June 2026
Photography: João Vitor Sarturi / @jvsarturi