Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano. Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Milan, 8 May 2018 – On 9 May 2018, Restaurant Torre opens to the public on the sixth and seventh floors of the new tower at Fondazione Prada’s Milan venue, designed by Rem Koolhaas with Chris van Duijn and Federico Pompignoli from architecture firm OMA.
Restaurant Torre appears, according to Koolhaas’s definition, as “a collage of pre-existing themes and elements”, combining works of art and design furniture. Its main room is located on the sixth floor and occupies an area of 215 m2 divided into two parts: the bar and the restaurant. The two spaces are characterized by a contrast between the large floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer an unprecedented view of the city of Milan, and the warm tones of the parquet, of the walnut carpentry work and the hemp panels that cover the walls.
The bar has a central counter, with a suspended bottle rack containing spirits and international liqueurs, where it is possible to enjoy a cocktail and a light dinner. On the left is a fireplace surrounded by Soviet armchairs and Eero Saarinen’s Tulip tables. This space hosts two works of art—Cappa per caminetto (1949) and Testa di medusa (1948-54)—by Lucio Fontana, while the polychrome ceramic Pilastro (1947) by the same artist introduces guests to the restaurant itself.
The restaurant has seating for 84 guests and is arranged on three levels slightly offset from each other to recreate an ideal viewpoint. The first two are furnished with wooden tables and Executive chairs by Eero Saarinen and feature a selection of paintings by William N. Copley, Jeff Koons, Goshka Macuga and John Wesley. The third level features original furnishings from New York’s “Four Seasons Restaurant” designed by Philip Johnson in 1958 and elements from Carsten Höller’s installationThe Double Club (2008-2009). Inspired by the tradition of Italian restaurants, the walls feature artist’s plates created especially for the restaurant by John Baldessari, Thomas Demand, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Elmgreen & Dragset, Joep Van Lieshout, Goshka Macuga, Mariko Mori, Tobias Rebherger, Andreas Slominski, Francesco Vezzoli and John Wesley; forming a series open to new contributions.
The triangular outdoor terrace overlooks the urban space and features the typical porphyry paving and metal grills characteristic of Fondazione Prada’s exteriors. The 125 m2 area is divided into a restaurant area seating 20 on bistro-style folding tables and chairs and a bar area where sliding tables along the parapet can be combined or separated according to need. On the seventh floor is the chef’s table, an exclusive and reserved space with dedicated services, characterized by a glass wall with a view of the kitchens and a private terrace. Torre’s menu is authentically Italian and draws on the best regional traditions, while the desserts offer a range of the great classics of Italian patisserie. A prestigious selection of wines from Italian and international labels completes the offer. The bar and restaurant can be reached from Fondazione Prada’s courtyard during opening hours to the public, and from via Giovanni Lorenzini 14 during evening hours.
The collaboration with CARE’s: CARE’s Chef under 30 project
In addition to skills and values, the cuisine of Restaurant Torre is based on ideas: with the support of CARE’s – The Ethical Chef Days, the project conceived by Norbert Niederkofler and Paolo Ferretti, the restaurant will also be a place to explore international cuisines.
Throughout the year, chefs under the age of thirty will be invited as guests of Restaurant Torre and for two weeks they will propose dishes typical of their country of origin, in line with the principles of an ethical and sustainable cuisine. Thanks to the comparison with different cultures on concepts such as sustainability, care of territory and protection of the environment, Torre restaurant aims to create a virtual link with distant cultures, thereby increasing knowledge and awareness of ethics and gastronomy.
Copyright from top to bottom:
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada. Center: Tile Garden Krutikow , 2008-2009 Azulejos, mortar, wood, lemon trees in glazed ceramic pots (Partial reconstruction)
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti Courtesy Fondazione Prada on the left: Tile Garden Krutikow , 2008-2009 Azulejos, mortar, wood, lemon trees in glazed ceramic pots (Partial reconstruction)
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada On the left: Lucio Fontana Pilastro , 1957. Ceramica smaltata policroma / Glazed polychrome ceramic
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano. Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada. from left to right: Lucio Fontana Pilastro , 1957 Glazed polychrome ceramic// Lucio Fontana: Testa di medusa , 1948–54, Glass paste mosaics and cement//Lucio Fontana: Cappa per caminetto , 1949. Glazed polychrome ceramic
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti Courtesy Fondazione Prada
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano. Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti: Courtesy Fondazione Prada on the right: Tile Garden Krutikow , 2008-2009 Azulejos, mortar, wood, lemon trees in glazed ceramic pots (Partial reconstruction)
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano. Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada.on the right: Tile Garden Krutikow , 2008-2009 Azulejos, mortar, wood, lemon trees in glazed ceramic pots (Partial reconstruction)
- Ristorante Torre Fondazione Prada, Milano Foto: Delfino Sisto Legnani e Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy Fondazione Prada On the left: Lucio Fontana Pilastro , 1957. Glazed polychrome ceramic
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