Eataly - a tandem of Italian art objects and gastronomy
Mar 13, 2018
Entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti has a successful gastronomic project, the Eataly chain of shops. In 2004 he dares to defy the crisis and opens the first gastronomic boutique in Turin with high-quality products from all over the peninsula: cheeses, prosciutto, wine, fruit, bread and pasta. All, of course, exclusively made in Italy.
The main aim of the project is to create a conscious attitude among consumers towards their diet, and by 2018 39 establishments can confirm the success of the idea: 18 of them in Italy, the rest in Japan, the US, the UAE, Turkey... Every Eataly in the world has a different theme. And each has special events: from cooking workshops to exhibitions, concerts and even literary dinners. In short, a national Italian idea grows into a unique global cluster, which any manufacturer would be honoured to work on.
The first and obviously successful collaboration between Riva 1920 and Eataly took place in 2014 when the restaurant Alice (opened in 2007) moved to the first floor of Eataly Smeraldo, where the huge windows overlook the square. Chef Viviana Varese is in charge. The Michelin-starred chef, in tandem with sommelier Sandra Cicirello, knows how to bring the experimental spirit to Mediterranean cuisine. The interior, on the other hand, is laconic and elegant: lots of light, an open kitchen behind a glass wall, and Riva 1920 natural wood furniture.
Thus, Eataly's mantra "buy, eat and learn" is intertwined with the furniture factory's core principles: "produce with integrity, respect the environment, challenge time". The tandem of Italian gastronomy and style from Riva 1920 can now be seen in Milan, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Munich, New York, Riyadh, Doha, Copenhagen, Moscow and Trieste. In total 9 new openings, 9 themed restaurants.
At Alice restaurant, you can admire tables and dressers that are made of Venetian piles, or bricolls. The bricolls have been in the water for 5 to 10 years, during which time they are worked on by small 'underwater designers' - molluscs. Under the influence of water, vegetation and microorganisms, the oak piles begin to transform: fanciful patterns, microreliefs, amazing colour transitions, cracks and other natural "flaws" appear on their surface. At the end of their useful life the piles are scrapped, but Riva 1920 came up with the innovative idea of focusing on the natural aesthetics of the material itself.
Thus, thanks to Riva 1920, visitors to Eataly in Milan and other cities around the world can now appreciate an authentic bricolage that retains an emotional link to the Venetian lagoons, a nostalgic poetic reminiscence.
In addition to interesting art objects made of bricolage, Eataly offers unique pieces made of thousand-year-old cowrie, cedar and wood from American forests. The table, which is scattered with viands, looks particularly colourful on the Earth dining table. Designed for Riva 1920 by designers Renzo and Matteo Piano in 2016, it was presented at the Cologne trade fair in 2017 and won Interior Design's Best of Year award.
The Earth is made from thousands of years of New Zealand kauri wood. On the tabletop, the wood fragments are immersed in a special polymer and, according to the authors' idea, symbolise the continents and oceans of our planet. The texture of the wood and the transparency of the resin create an unusual play of light and shadow. The steel curved bars represent the rebar jutting out from under the debris of New York's twin towers (the table itself was launched for the opening of the new World Trade Centre building).
For the lounge area, meanwhile, Riva 1920 offers Pebbles and Newton tables, Wilma chairs, Betty benches, Dino stools and Parla! - all made of solid wood.
New Studio is a partner of the Italian factory Riva 1920 in Belarus.
