Tuesday 23rd May 2023 saw the preview presentation of the new identity and character of the cafeteria in the foyer of the Teatro Lirico in Milan with the special event Gaber Matinée, a literary symposium inside the theatre that has chosen to put the name of the never forgotten Milanese singer-songwriter alongside its own.
The sartorial interior design project is signed by Alessia Garibaldi and the vision of GLQR led by Giuliano Lotto, who manages the food & beverage part for The Stage and was created with the mission of reinterpreting the foyer space not only as a cafeteria linked to the theatre’s activity, but as a place with its own identity as a cultural salon.
The foyer of the Lirico, where today the colours of the fabrics stand out, recalling the pinkish shades of the marble, the structures drawn in light, the artistic effectiveness of the mouldings, will be open to guests not only on the occasion of the performances on the calendar, but also during the week from the afternoon until late evening and, indeed, even in the morning.
The Gaber Matinée of 23 May is an informal talk moderated for the occasion by director and presenter Mario Acampa and involves some leading figures such as Doppiozero’s Marco Belpoliti, Emilio Isgrò, Antonio Mancinelli and Maria Vittoria Baravelli who will develop the theme of the Café as a meeting place for artists and intellectuals in history, but also in their lives, recounting the relationship between their cultural projects and the city of Milan.
The second part is reserved for the participation of guests such as Sergio Buttiglieri, Style Director of the Sanlorenzo shipyards, who have a special bond with design and Milan; Cristina Morozzi a leading exponent in the world of contemporary design, Antonella Galli of Il Sole 24 Ore, Antonio Vettese of Yacht Design.
The sartorial project realised for the cafeteria by GarbaldiArchitects stems from the experience developed in the Hospitality field, as the architect recounts: “the first impression I had upon entering the large room, once dedicated to voice rehearsals for opera singers who warbled under the great vault, was that of a solemn space with its geometrically patterned marble, but empty”.
This led to the idea of having a central island like the benches found in stations or large hotels, to distribute the strictly black seats and coffee tables. The colour theme is derived from the original black and white palladiana floor tiles. Colour within the design is reflected in numerous sculptural furnishings softened by velvet, such as the striped armchairs or the rhombuses of the cupboard. The plinth of the large bench is deliberately mirrored so as not to interrupt and reflect the floor, thus giving lightness to the volume.
The arches of light and greenery play on the concept of a bench in the garden. Everything is softened by a fluorescent pink thread that borders, as in the pencil drawing, the entire new design.
CREDITS
Project name: Lyric Theatre of Milan
Project by: GLQR
Site Specific Interior Design: GaribaldiArchitects
Location: Milan
Year: 2023
Realisation of furnishings: Italpoltrone
Lighting: Renzo Serafini
Green design: HW-Style
Photo: Piero Gemelli
