Carlo e Camilla in Duomo

“The inspiration came out of observing and studying the architecture of the via Victor Hugo location itself, where the focal point is crossed by a large staircase which leads down to the sub-basement. This unique and special shape seems to be the perfect container for superimposing the two main concepts that were the guidelines for the design: Milan and the Underground. Milan-Underground is the blend which I have tried to balance using clean lines in the furnishings and clean surfaces in the timeless materials, but also through the graphic and decorative theme suggested by a careful consideration of the color scheme and lighting,” explains Gio Tirotto.

The street entrance leads to the bar area, where the pewter-effect, fully steel-clad bar is lit by a classic Murano glass chandelier. Tables made of FENIX are paired with bench seating upholstered with washed-effect black denim, whilst the chairs are made from specially unpainted aluminum, a conscious choice intended to lend the whole environment a non-conformist and one-of-a-kind vibe.

The stairs lead through the mezzanine level and down to the sub-basement, where a series of rooms are defined with different decors to create different experiences.

The main dining room is a fully-fledged amphitheater where the grandstand, with its two generous black oak terraces, offers guests the option of enjoying the menu’s excellent cocktails and elegant dishes in a more informal, convivial way.

Flowing through the heart of the amphitheater is a long central table made from super-matte material, which immediately conveys the Carlo e Camilla’s concept, focused on sharing both the space and the dining experience.

The table is characterized by its modularity, which allows for six different configurations. Divided by a delicate black oak spine, the 11-metre tabletop is characterized by the tactility of FENIX NTM® in Grigio Antrim. The material is super-matte, pleasant to the touch and anti-fingerprint.

A feature of key importance is the inclusion of works on canvas by the famous writer Eron, considered one of the most talented and skilled Italian figurative artists and modern painters on the international scene. Tirotto worked closely with Eron in the search of the most harmonious color coordination between his spray paintings on canvas and the modular coverings, which are made from FENIX NTM in Nero Ingo and serve as a skin for the entire architecture. The matte effect of FENIX provides a frame, enhancing the striking effect of Eron’s work.

The canvases are part of the “FOLLOW” series and, for Carlo e Camilla in Duomo, they depict two elegant and poetic landscapes, enrobed in the delicate, neutral tones of the fog pierced by a warm sun which is reminiscent of a glowing heart. These painted works excite and explode in all their imposing delicacy in a place where guests have the time to truly contemplate them.

“I decided to treat the wall paneling of the entire architecture in an unusual way, opting to draw attention to the colors and meanings of Eron’s work... How? By allowing the lights and colors featured on the canvases to explode onto the surrounding walls, as if the light were actually crashing onto the closest walls, gently fading out as it grew farther away. In doing so, the paneling - instead of being a normal repeating modular covering - also becomes a part of the work and takes on an expressive significance which completes the relationship between the message of the design and its proper implementation,” explains Tirotto.

“Milan has taught me how to research and experiment, and in via Victor Hugo I have designed an ‘alternative lounge’ where food and design combine to create a novel experience for people who want to express themselves, trying out and sharing new ideas.”

FENIX for Carlo e Camilla in Duomo

Boiserie FENIX NTM® Nero Ingo. Tables in FENIX NTM® Grigio Antrim.

About the Architect
GIO TIROTTO

Gio Tirotto’s projects come from close observation of everything that surrounds him, both nature and objects. If there is a border between design and art, Gio tries to cross it and rework design with the complicity that exists between human behavior and “things”. That is why he strongly believes that rituality, memory and imagination are often essential functions of an object.