Vudafieri-Saverino Partners design studio took inspiration from an urban and contemporary Japan in defining the concept design of Matanē, a Japanese street food restaurant.
The 42-cover restaurant, characterised by a witty and pop charm, inaugurates its second space in Milan in the elegant setting of Piazza Wagner 6.
The protagonist of the cuisine is onigirazu, a rice sandwich enclosed by nori seaweed and stuffed with different fillings, born in the 1980s from manga culture.
Matanē’s 78 square metres are spread over two rooms, to which a small outdoor dehor is added in fine weather.
To create an experience capable of connecting the pop culture of manga with that of traditional Japanese cuisine, Vudafieri-Saverino Partners focused on the atmospheres and streets of Tokyo filled with lights, signs, street food places and colour overlays, which can be found in the wallpaper and multicoloured silicone table and ceiling lamps.
The light wall-mounted bookcases, designed by the architects, recall Japanese tradition: a reinterpretation of fusuma and shoji, panels and sliding doors that delimit the spaces of the typical homes of the Rising Sun.
Colour plays a prominent role in defining the space and guides all the interior design choices, from the lighting to the furnishings and the graphics on the walls.
A symbol of good luck and happiness, red is used in all its shades for tables, seats, benches and upholstery.
Giving an even more pop touch is the use of jeans, used for cushions and screens. At the entrance, the stars of the space are the wooden counter with copper mesh panels and the wall-mounted bottle rack, both designed by the Studio.
The urban character is also found in the bathroom, where the suggestion of Tokyo streets is reproduced through white striped decorations, evoking pedestrian crossroads, a traffic light and images projected in a loop from a screen.
For further information visit www.vudafierisaverino.it.
CREDITS
Project: Matanē
Studio: Vudafieri-Saverino Partners, Tiziano Vudafieri and Claudio Saverino
Design team: Anna Petrara, Sabrina Sala, Nicolò Spina
Location: Milan, Italy
Year: 2024
Brand and visual identity: 150UP
Photo: Andrea Fongo
