Vinci's Pizza is established in Napier as the place to be. A vibrant meeting place for pizza lovers, the energy that owners Vincent and Nina bring has created a space loved by many. The restaurant had outgrown its footprint and with the opportunity of the surrounding building being strengthened and upgraded, more space was made available to expand operations.
The brief was to create a larger, more functional kitchen revolving around better efficiency of operations and bringing pizza making into the centre of the space, a performance of sorts. More seating was required: for groups, for social dining, and for intimate moments. There needed to be the ability to sit at the bar and watch things happen. At least three bathrooms were required. A better relationship between kitchen, prep areas, oven and cleaning facilities was essential, a kitchen operable by a bare-bones three-person crew or fully staffed with eight without people bumping into one another. Better functional flow was critical; before the project there was a single counter and a single door in and out.
There were real fears from members of the public that the essence of Vinci's would be lost. We interviewed people and found it was the intimacy, the hand-painted murals and the unpretentious finishes that they loved. We were resolved not to lose these. It needed to retain its playful nature. It needed to be fun. It needed to not take itself too seriously.
By placing the kitchen at the centre of the space and carefully designing flow paths around sightlines from entry, using curves to draw people to waiting points, we created a system that serves more customers in less time with minimal staff. Peak-hour operations were improved by splitting pizza and drink orders, creating clear zones for pickup versus dine-in, and adding a dedicated door for phone orders, all lit according to availability. The facade was opened to the laneway and courtyard, transforming the relationship between interior and street. The intimacy, hand-painted murals and unpretentious character that people loved were retained, and the community has embraced the result.
Materiality was derived from the original space, the building and the neighbourhood. Reds from the terrazzo entrance, the paintwork and pizza boxes informed the palette. Facade tile was reinterpreted in a New York-style colourway. Mosaics in both entrances commemorate the Ringlands building and Vinci's opening, hand-laid by Nina. Tabletops were made from reclaimed matai and rimu salvaged from the neighbouring demolition. White Ash countertops feature carved divots under beer taps to catch drips. Interior surfaces were plastered and hand-painted in murals by Nina. The kitchen is fronted in terracotta brick tile, fluted glass and gaboon plywood, crowned by a curved fabric canopy on bespoke aluminium structure. Lights by Isaac McCormick tune to the mood of the evening. Angled mirrors and leather seats complete the booths.
The kitchen sits at the centre of the space not as a conventional open kitchen but as theatre, pizza making as performance, with bar seating positioned to watch. The layout scales from a three-person crew to eight without collision, a spatial problem most kitchens don't attempt to solve. Flow paths were designed around sightlines from entry, using curves to draw customers to waiting points. In peak hours pizza and drink orders split to separate points, with a dedicated door for phone pickups — each zone lit according to availability. Seating was designed not for capacity but for social scenario: the first date, the family group, friends catching up, tourists on the laneway. Each setting is subtly different so customers find exactly the experience they came for.
This project was a true collaboration, working with Vincent and Nina, Scott Architects, Sophie Lamb, Isaac McCormick, Fish Radich and all the craftspeople that brought the space to life.
The brief was to create a larger, more functional kitchen revolving around better efficiency of operations and bringing pizza making into the centre of the space, a performance of sorts. More seating was required: for groups, for social dining, and for intimate moments. There needed to be the ability to sit at the bar and watch things happen. At least three bathrooms were required. A better relationship between kitchen, prep areas, oven and cleaning facilities was essential, a kitchen operable by a bare-bones three-person crew or fully staffed with eight without people bumping into one another. Better functional flow was critical; before the project there was a single counter and a single door in and out.
There were real fears from members of the public that the essence of Vinci's would be lost. We interviewed people and found it was the intimacy, the hand-painted murals and the unpretentious finishes that they loved. We were resolved not to lose these. It needed to retain its playful nature. It needed to be fun. It needed to not take itself too seriously.
By placing the kitchen at the centre of the space and carefully designing flow paths around sightlines from entry, using curves to draw people to waiting points, we created a system that serves more customers in less time with minimal staff. Peak-hour operations were improved by splitting pizza and drink orders, creating clear zones for pickup versus dine-in, and adding a dedicated door for phone orders, all lit according to availability. The facade was opened to the laneway and courtyard, transforming the relationship between interior and street. The intimacy, hand-painted murals and unpretentious character that people loved were retained, and the community has embraced the result.
Materiality was derived from the original space, the building and the neighbourhood. Reds from the terrazzo entrance, the paintwork and pizza boxes informed the palette. Facade tile was reinterpreted in a New York-style colourway. Mosaics in both entrances commemorate the Ringlands building and Vinci's opening, hand-laid by Nina. Tabletops were made from reclaimed matai and rimu salvaged from the neighbouring demolition. White Ash countertops feature carved divots under beer taps to catch drips. Interior surfaces were plastered and hand-painted in murals by Nina. The kitchen is fronted in terracotta brick tile, fluted glass and gaboon plywood, crowned by a curved fabric canopy on bespoke aluminium structure. Lights by Isaac McCormick tune to the mood of the evening. Angled mirrors and leather seats complete the booths.
The kitchen sits at the centre of the space not as a conventional open kitchen but as theatre, pizza making as performance, with bar seating positioned to watch. The layout scales from a three-person crew to eight without collision, a spatial problem most kitchens don't attempt to solve. Flow paths were designed around sightlines from entry, using curves to draw customers to waiting points. In peak hours pizza and drink orders split to separate points, with a dedicated door for phone pickups — each zone lit according to availability. Seating was designed not for capacity but for social scenario: the first date, the family group, friends catching up, tourists on the laneway. Each setting is subtly different so customers find exactly the experience they came for.
This project was a true collaboration, working with Vincent and Nina, Scott Architects, Sophie Lamb, Isaac McCormick, Fish Radich and all the craftspeople that brought the space to life.
