This temporary structure is a sort of pavilion housing an exclusive restaurant with a limited number of places. It is like a room that becomes a cosy, welcoming space in which to chat and relax, after enjoying a gourmet meal. The striking design entails considerable experimentation. Materials, spaces and the search for sheer simplicity are the heart of this elegant construction. The underlying concept is to create an "object" that can be put up in different locations, without losing meaning or suggestive effect. Over time, the pavilion has been placed on numerous amazing, visually dominating "monuments" to highlight the impressive combination of a modern, light, technology-intensive contemporary structure and a historical building. Placing the pavilion on top of some iconic monuments underscores the relationship between a striking urban landscape, large city parks and architecture. The pavilion has been to Milan, Brussels, London and Stockholm, almost simultaneously, in a journey that effectively confirmed the correlation between urban spaces. The structure of the Cube mirrors the double need to "draw the visitors' attention to the landscape" and "be seen", occupying a vantage point on a sort of plateau, thus achieving a striking architectural representation. The fundamental glass walls come with an outer shell made of aluminium sheets, decorated with hexagonal laser-cut perforations, in different sizes arranged from the smallest to the largest. Moving from a more open and transparent design, with the elegance provided by geometrical patterns, to a solid surface shows how machined materials can be very effective communication elements, magnifying the value of the artificial lighting as it changes in intensity along the wall. The internal spaces are concentrated around the restaurant/conversation area, a space that can be re-arranged, with the table being "embedded" in the ceiling. The 50 m2 terrace is partly covered and offers the necessary integration with the indoor space, in a visual continuum achieved by using the same material for the indoor and outdoor flooring. The lighting and furniture, especially the chairs, are very high quality. This whole set-up offers an interesting way to convey a sense of liveability that goes well beyond the sheer meal to achieve a multi-layered dialogue involving architecture and contemporary design.
Francesco Pagliari
Location: Milano, Italia
Client: Electrolux Home Appliances Emea
Completion: 2014
Gross Floor Area: 140 m2
Architects: Park Associati – Filippo Pagliani, Michele Rossi
Design Team: Lorenzo Merloni, Alessandro Rossi, Alexia Caccavella, Alice Cuteri, Fabio Calciati
Works Management: General Planning - Giovanni Bonini, Francesco Prennushi
Project Management: Absolute Blue
Contractor: Nüssli - Frieder Braun, Maurizio Ledda, Maik Rauch
Consultants
Graphic and Texture Design: Studio FM - Cristiano Bottino, Barbara Forni, Sergio Menichelli con Libero Corti
Suppliers
Floorings: FMG, Greenwood
Outdoor Lighting: I Guzzini
Indoor Lighting: Zumtobel
Electrical Appliances: Electrolux Home Appliance, Electrolux Professional Appliance
Fireplace Hood: Max Fire
Furniture: Driade
Carpets: Kasthall
Photography: © Andrea Martiradonna, © Carol Kohen