The Manzoni restaurant in Milan by Tom Dixon

Photographer: Peer Lindgreen

The Manzoni is more than a restaurant. It is also an experimental space, a theatrical backdrop for the best of Italian food and an international stage to present our latest innovations, and our best sellers. Design Research Studio collaborated with JLK Design Studio to build a space that allows visitors to experience multiple atmospheres, with each room exploring its own narrative.

The Entrance
The entrance of The Manzoni features a monolithic block of granite, which serves as the foundation of the bar. Exotic lava stone tiles decorate the wall, which complements the materiality of the Testi stone bar. OPAL, our new lighting range illuminates the space with an ethereal glow.

The Dining Hall
As you move further into the space, the room opens into a long hall featuring monastic cork dining tables, where guests are invited to dine in a communal setting for lunch and dinner. The dining hall is monochromatic with subtle touches of colour coming from the cork and our new Fat dining chairs upholstered in Raf Simons latest collection for Kvadrat. A kinetic installation of spinning SPRING pendants suspends from the ceiling.

The Jungle
Disrupting the monochromatic theme is a dense jungle of greenery in the gallery, supplied by luxury Sardinian florist, Art Flowers Gallery. Palms and vines flourish from spun aluminium planters and cluster together to create a wild overgrown oasis. In the centre of The Manzoni is a courtyard, which features a custom-made forest green marble table designed by Testi and JKL Design Studio. The marble is brought to life by the lavish foliage backdrop.

Every element of The Manzoni is an exploration of traditional and new materialities and manufacturing processes. The materials have been sourced from different regions of Italy; stone from Mount Etna in Sicily, marble from Verona, and flowers from Sardinia, to name a few.

The Food
During Milan Design Week, The Manzoni kitchen will be led under the direction of Modena chef Marta Pulini. Marta and executive chef Roy Smith Paredes Ynfantes will create a menu from locally sourced and fresh produce, that is rich in colour and flavour. Italian food design studio Arabeschi di Latte will curate the food experience tying in the theme of monochrome.

Design Team:

Tom Dixon

Photographer: Peer Lindgreen