Sala verticale del Gran Cafè Torino

Refined, evocative and emblematic; these are the adjectives that summarize the latest project signed by Puccio Collodoro Architetti studio. Located inside an important historic building from the early 1900s, Gran Cafè Torino is located near the central station of Palermo, at the corner of via Roma and via Torino, from which it takes its name.

The analysis of the context made it possible to develop a design concept that evoked the romantic style that characterized the neighborhood in the early 1900s; in this sense, a language has been conceived that recalls the soft forms of the Liberty style, emphasizing the verticality that characterizes the environments.

Bar counter with a basket of oranges and various spirits and a coffee machine behind it

The choice of materials, shapes and colours therefore results from the explicit desire to recreate an elegant city living room, where residents and tourists could enjoy the quality of the products being in a suggestive and original location worthy of its name. The use of micro-perforated sheet in pastel green that runs through all the rooms seems to recreate the parapets above the counter, certainly becoming the common thread of the project. The same sheet is applied in the antique pink variant on the back wall of the tea room, emphasizing the logo positioned above and acting as a head element.

Gold-colored logo of the Gran Cafe Torino fixed on the wall of the venue Gold-colored ice cream lettering placed on a green wall grid

The design intervention is developed in four main rooms, in addition to the large technical surfaces, for a total of 190 square meters, clearly defined by the supporting structure, which is unique in its kind. It is in fact one of the first architectures built with a structure made of load-bearing brick walls and a ribbed concrete floor. The peculiarity lies indeed in the important height inside the rooms, which has been deliberately emphasized with the use of vertical geometries also visible from the outside thanks to the large windows present in all the rooms.

Sketch of the cafe counter

The entrance area is strategic due to its corner position which indeed allows to perceive the entire space from a single point of view. Proceeding from the checkout area, one gets to the pastry shop featuring an important display counter with a fully visible laboratory behind it.

External stained glass window of the Gran Cafè Torino

From here one gets to the last large room used as a tea room and characterized by a geometric composition of micro-perforated sheet metal elements that frame a small exhibition and the lighting system. The back wall is emphasized by a perspective where the two large windows contrast with the soft geometries of the metal elements, and ends with the large back wall where the logo, also conceived with the soft shapes present in the entire intervention, dominates the large curved panels in antique pink.

Internal room of the room with a corner counter and glass walls

It was difficult to find the right synthesis between geometries, colours and materials that would re-propose the concept of the Gran Cafè in a contemporary key, without being excessive and decontextualized. The main goal, shared with the client, was to restore an iconic “city living room” to this part of the historic city.