Il Gusto: experiencing the Italian tradition through stoneware

In the Kosovar town of Ferizaj, Il Gusto is designed to be a welcoming yet exclusive restaurant, a valuable and unusual addition to the city's offering of public venues.

In this project, Pristina architect Kushtrim Musa has interpreted the best characteristics of the Italian style in interior design. “Our aim was to combine materials which suggest the Italian tradition and culinary experience to us: stone, wood, metal, glass and internal vegetation”, Mr Musa explains. The project reflects his desire to use Italian styles and materials in a fresh way, avoiding formal clichés.

The long, relatively narrow dining-room is accessed via a waiting lounge area. There is a corridor providing a clear separation between the bar and the show kitchen and the zone where the tables are placed. The choice of spotlighting and the lighting intensity, in a colour that matches the shades of the metal light fittings, helps to differentiate the different areas. The choice of flooring materials has the same identifying function: the wood-look porcelain stoneware floor covering is used for the table and lounge areas, while the two-colour marble-look stoneware runs right along the corridor.

“We attempted to harmonise these materials to achieve different effects," the architect explains. “We created the passageway by combining two different shades of the Allmarble collection - Capraia and Saint Laurent in Matt finish - cut to customised sizes for a more glamorous effect. In the dining area, on the other hand, we used the wood-look stoneware of the Treverkfusion collection in 10x70 cm size to give these spaces a warmer, more welcoming mood. For the wall covering we opted for the marble-look stoneware of the Grande Marble Look collection in Saint Laurent shade in the large 120x240 cm size with slimline thickness”; thus the stoneware surfaces, with their contrast of matt and glossy finishes, warm and metallic colours, marble and wood, alternate in colour with the furniture, mirrors and greenery, to generate a mood of sophisticated naturalness. For the corridor, on the other hand, the chosen material is the stoneware of the Allmarble collection in the Capraia and Saint Laurent in the 60x60 cm size.

“Marazzi porcelain stoneware, particularly ideal for use in public places with heavy traffic, gave me a very high degree of design freedom, with regard to choice of both textures and slab dimensions."

In fact, the Allmarble collection comprises nine tile sizes, the basis for creative installation patterns suitable for any location. What's more, Grande Marble Look and Allmarble are available in a multiplicity of colours and in the same Matt, Lux and Satin finishes, offering great creativity in the combination of these materials.