Ristò Restaurants

Ristò is a historic chain of restaurants inside Iper shopping centres that has renewed the style of its service and food offer, changing from a self-service formula to an à la carte menu. In line with this new dining idea, AMDL CIRCLE has reinterpreted their premises, transforming them into rooms organized for service at the table. This change has required a redefining of the arrangement of the dining hall and kitchen, in addition to a renewal of the architecture and design of the interiors to give the restaurants a unique character: always lively and genuine, but more welcoming and with a clear identity. The project is seeing its first application in Varese.
The olive green colour scheme dominates the space. Furnishings, counters, walls, everything is single-coloured to evoke an imaginary world associated with natural settings and fresh ingredients. The exception is the wood floors, which add warmth to the environment. Another characterizing feature is the design of partitions and furnishings with slats, inspired by the Circle concept of “walls without walls”, with the aim of creating a convivial atmosphere. The interplay of solids and voids is repeated in the woodwork, the counters and the flower boxes, acting as an expressive element that marks the rhythm of the space and enables aromas, sounds and colours to circulate. The same theme of vertical slats characterizes tables, sofas and benches, specially created by Produzione Privata to create a harmonious continuity. From an architectural point of view, the intervention has envisaged an overall clearing away of additions in order to highlight the structural aspect of the spaces. The freed-up hall is subdivided into an ample space devoted to show-cooking kitchens – which, in addition to the traditional proposal, are now also organized for the preparation of fish, meat and Asian cuisine – and the dining area, with tables and chairs to be positioned freely in the space. The main entrance opens onto the bar area with views both onto the corridors of the shopping centre and inside the restaurant. The flower boxes organize the space, creating micro-rooms offering a sense of intimacy. Ristòs also have outside areas, created with an olive green painted metal structure and furnished like the interiors. These half-open spaces can be closed during winter periods and when rainy. Particular attention has been paid to the “soft” parameters, to create the right atmosphere and to favour positive perceptions by guests. The technical ambient lighting is almost invisible, as it is integrated into ceiling track mountings to showcase the beauty of the light. Flora, Fauna Ittica and Migrante suspension lamps by Produzione Privata, with their wiring decorated with metal shapes of plants and animals, have been chosen to create accents of light to illuminate the round tables. To eliminate interior noise and guarantee acoustic comfort, felt sound-absorbent linear modules have been used as a false ceiling, improving the quality of the spaces of the premises from both the aesthetic and the sensory points of view.
The same concept as the Ristòs is repeated in the adjacent “Pronti Iper” zones, which face out onto the corridors of the shopping centres, where the dishes of the hypermarkets’ food are served. These zones are distinguished by a change of colour, with green giving way to a deep blue. The pizzeria also uses the same system of furnishings; in this case it is a red colour that characterizes the space.