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How do you link Vesta to the neighbourhood of Brera, in which
it is situated?
In Brera there are a lot of restaurants with tables outside, it’s very
touristy. The architecture of Vesta, being very modern, stands in
contrast to all this, but the adjacent building is rationalist, hence
it’s still coherent with the context. There’s continuity as regards
the materials, too, because many of the structures on the same
road are built in quarried travertine. So, the texture blends well
with the brickwork of the church.
Moving on to the interior, was it the client who defined the
space?
Actually, the spaces were already fairly well-defined, because there
was a restaurant here before. We kept the functional areas – kitch-
ens, toilets, the dining hall – where they were previously, but we
totally redesigned everything. The dining area was narrow and the
ceilings low; we enlarged and opened up everything focusing the
architecture in the direction of the external windows. The base-
ment has become a smoking area: the arches, a structural element
giving the room its character, hide the extractor fans removing
the cigarette smoke.
How have the different areas changed?
The basement is envisaged as a sort of club or, to put it better,
a bistrot that, at a certain hour, turns into a club, while the main
room is a classic and very luminous restaurant. Then there’s the pri-
vate area and, naturally, the outdoor area. This allows us to create
different situations and meet the different needs of the clientele.
And what about the materials? Do they change depending
on the environment?
Yes, even though continuity is key. The outdoor area has a very clean
look, all in stone. In the interior spaces, the floor is in travertine, but
there are also contrasting elements with an ebony gloss, that give
depth and warmth. The private room is completely different, it’s
as if we created a room in a house with a light-coloured carpet,
furnishings in American walnut and the table in red travertine. The
bathrooms are sensational: we chose particular French bathroom
fixtures, bronze tiling on the walls and a Luna lamp by Zumthor.
In your projects you go for the emotional effect and work
on an architecture that creates an impact. How does this
idea marry with the functional needs of a space dedicated
to cooking or hospitality?
The client wanted to create something that wasn’t just interior de-
sign, but a real architectural concept capable of being replicated.
We worked together to realise a restaurant that was architectural
and functional at one and the same time. For example, the con-
struction of the stairs required the removal of some tables. Despite
this, the space created became inviting and, thanks to the use
of benches along the wall, we managed to make room for more
customers than before.
Did you also design the furnishings?
I designed the bar, the furnishing of the outdoor area, the divan in
the private room, the benches, the service station, the bookshelves
and the bottle racks, while the tables and chairs are from Poliform,
who also realised all the custom items I designed myself.
Why did you choose Poliform?
We needed furnishings built to last, but that were also easy to use
and Poliform has worked a lot on this – in hotels and, in general,
much used public spaces – so they provided a guarantee for us.
What was it like to work with Poliform?
We speak the same language, it was a perfect collaboration. We
were able to share any detail whatsoever with their technical de-
partment. We received the working drawings quickly and were
able to see the samples. This project included every type of materi-
al: marble, metals, glass and so on. It was a complex and complete
work, also at the level of the installations. What’s more, Poliform
have excellent suppliers, they coordinate each item and every-
thing works perfectly. We completed the job in just a few months.
In an interview at the Family Business Festival, you said that a
sustainable image often does not coincide with real sustain-
ability. What did you mean, and is Vesta sustainable?
The Vesta project has a strong focus on natural light: in the day
you can do without artificial illumination, but also at night there is a
considerable amount of light from outside that enters through the
skylights. We worked a lot on light as a design element. And then
there’s the question of duration: we imagined that people could
still be frequenting the venue in twenty years’ time, so we selected
natural materials like travertine and bronze, that increase in allure
and character as they age.
