Photo: Kyle Johnson

Darkalino’s / Hometeam

Seattle, WA

Located in the heart of Pioneer Square, Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, Darkalino’s + Hometeam is a mixed-use dining, retail, art gallery, and gathering place dedicated to the local community. The clients, long-time Seattle residents and entrepreneurs, wanted to create an Italian café and high-end sneaker store that would also serve as a welcoming space for Seattle’s youth.

The design concept for the project, a light renovation of an existing restaurant space, turns a historical bank building into a neighborhood beacon—bringing the energy of Occidental Square Park back into the space through a series of minimal, intentional architectural insertions. A clean, open plan accentuates the existing building’s generous interior volume, ornate tin panel ceilings, and industrial columns, while large windows maximize natural light and provide views to Occidental Park outside.

The interior features exposed brick walls, dark-stained plywood casework, and repurposed furnishings—including a vintage scoreboard and speakers—to play on the nostalgia and familiarity of a high school gymnasium. A focal point of the new space is the central bar, featuring Calder orange beer taps and espresso machine, as well as industrial lighting donated from the Olson Kundig office.

A set of old growth Douglas Fir bleachers, sourced from Enumclaw High School, separate the Darkalino’s dining area from The Hometeam retail space, which showcases an 18-foot-long by 8-foot-high sneaker wall. A custom mural, commissioned from a local artist, sits above the kitchen and pays homage to the city—and the people—of Seattle. Upstairs, an open mezzanine loft features an airy dining and event space with direct views into the prep kitchen below. A gallery next door provides a complementary space to host rotating exhibits and pop-ups, subtly delineating the home team from the visitors.

This project is a love letter to the city of Seattle. It creates a welcoming lantern that fosters a flow of energy between the dining and retail spaces inside and the active neighborhood just outside. The architecture is simple, rational, and flexible to serve the Hometeam’s community programming for years to come. Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA