rgastudio creates caffè fernanda to complement artwork in milan's pinacoteca di brera

caffè fernanda by rgastudio is part of a larger project to redesign the pinacoteca di brera and its collection in milan. it is named after fernanda wittgens, the gallery’s visionary director, who was responsible for its reopening in 1950. located in the former main entrance, the café is conceived as part and parcel of the museum tour. the project is designed to have chromatic and material coherence with the gallery’s new layout, and its reinterpretation of the space’s 1950s architecture.

all images by michele nastasi

the intense petrol blue of the walls complement the warm hues of the gallery rooms and offset the artwork exhibited in the café. the design by rgastudio incorporates adjustable LED projectors that are mounted on rails to mimic the pattern of the existing plaster beams and serve as the sole source of light. the prominent features of piero portaluppi’s previous design, the beautiful peach-blossom marble floors and the lepanto-red frames, have been recovered and restored in the new project.

caffè fernanda sees pedrali’s INOX round tables together with the NYM 2830 chairs occupy the space

below damini’s seventeenth-century painting stands the café’s large, round-edged bar. its design evokes ribbed wooden furniture from the ’50s, albeit with inverted proportions: enlarged, semi-circular strips of canaletto walnut, topped by an uncharacteristically thin, antique-brass surface. the same brass, thinned even further, also frames the large mirror. the tables are also made of brass and walnut. the selection of materials by rgastudio creates harmony within the space, allowing for an unhindered appreciation of the artwork.

the cafe’s entrance featuring pedrali’s MODU’s 2.0 upholstered modular seats against the wall

the old entrance – bust of fernanda wittgens by marino marini

caffè fernanda – cupid and the three graces by bertel thorvaldsen’s

petrol blue walls, walnut tables and black NEMEA chairs by pedrali – portrait of fernanda wittgens by attilio rossi

detail of the semi-circular strips of canaletto walnut & peach-blossom marble floors with pedrali’s JAZZ chair

detail of the bar – glass, brass and walnut

detail of the wine display

view of francesco hayez’s famous kiss, located in the final room of the gallery

the outdoor seating area has been equipped with pedrali’s NOLITA chair

the courtyard of honor – napoleon in the guise of mars the peacemaker, cast in rome to a design by antonio canova

project info:

interior design: rgastudio – raffaele azzarelli & giuliano iamele

architect in charge: federica savoldelli

location: pinacoteca di brera, via brera 28, milan, italy

area: 140 mq

project year: 2018

graphic project: viva!

lighting project: hi lite next

photos: michele nastasi

furniture: pedrali – ciam

clients: pinacoteca di brera – fabbro spa

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom