Miscela d'Oro - Messina

The new café/bar Miscela d’Oro is situated in the heart Miscela d'Oro- Messina, in an area which has long been one of the city's favourite gathering places. The core of the intervention by Lissoni Associati concerns the ground floor of a small building with a Baroque façade and highlights the contrast between the ornate style of the exterior and the elegantly interpreted interior. The structural features resulting from preceding interventions formed the starting point for a project that chose to maintain and enhance these elements rather than conceal them, making the architectural container a neutral component on which to weave a contemporary interpretation of the location's history.

Messina is a stopping point, an international city that has long drawn on the influence of different cultures. The essence of Sicily has been interpreted and narrated through the use of colours and materials that evoke restful and sunny climes, while the exploration of techniques typical of the area and local craftsmanship is revealed in the treatment of the horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Traditional majolica tiles, reinterpreted with a contemporary eye, are matched and applied to the pre-existing columns and alternate with the use of glazed lava stone that covers the coffee counter, while the overhead glass shelving leaves visible the structure of the ceiling.

The walls of the tearoom, on the other hand, are lined with wood boiserie, whose design recalls the woodworking typical of the portals of Sicilian churches, just as the custom-made benches call to mind the design of the pews. The display niches are in matt gold, a clear reference to the historical identity of the brand.

Overall, the furnishings call to mind quintessential Sicilian terraces, with wicker furniture interspersed with antique pieces and traditional objects.

The use of transparency is also important in establishing a connection between the dining room and the kitchen, engaging the customer in the art of culinary and confectionery preparation that is entrusted to the wisdom of chef Filippo La Mantia.

The traditional connection with the outside is developed through two outdoor areas, one of which is covered and conceived as a transparent box, allowing the façade to remain visible and enabling the sensation of luminosity to continue from inside to outside and vice versa. The uncovered outdoor area is furnished with white and glazed lava stone tables, white shade sails, and terracotta jars planted with shrubs typical of the Mediterranean.

The visual identity of the café was entrusted to Lissoni Graphx, the studio’s internal graphics department, who realized the new logo, the pay-off and the entire brand image.

Matt gold is the colour chosen for the new identity, which is accompanied by images of native plants (coffee, palm, fig, pomegranate, orange blossom) developed as engravings and applied to some of the material, such as the menu and the packaging.

In coordination with this theme, all the products for the table have been chosen with an elegant but informal style that imparts an atmosphere that is homely and particularly Sicilian.

Lissoni & Partners: Piero Lissoni con Ilia D’Emilio, Gaia Guarini, Andrea Piazzalunga