GRAN CAFFÈ BELLI
Gran Caffe Belli is a famous and iconic bar in the historic centre of Fermo, a town in the Marche region of Italy. This bar was closed for a long time and the new owner wanted new branding but to keep the same name. The restaurant has a magnificent, panoramic terrace overlooking the historic city centre and the countryside. From the terrace you can enjoy beautiful sunsets.
This bar hosts events and provides a type of entertainment that marries art, food and alcohol, and hosts various emerging and established artists; with a special focus on painting, photography, digital art and design. Among other artistic expressions promoted by the Gran Caffè Belli, is there renowned live music performances.
The attention to detail of the Gran Caffè Belli staff is evident in both the bar and the restaurant; from the exquisite wine selection, to the food menu where you will find fresh and locally sourced cuisine, whether you have just stopped for a quick lunch or you are celebrating an anniversary dinner.
The final result is a mix of old and new, with the main colour a grey/brown that conveys the image of old mixed with a touch of cold modern.
Collateral like business cards, uniforms, posters, paper towels have been created and the food and drinks menu have been designed using the black and white pictures of the town centre in order to highlight the link between modernity and the ancient past.
CHALLENGE
The interior designer modified the old interior keeping the ceiling and floors from the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, but showing off an industrial and modern style.
The new owner was eager to drive sales for both the aperitif bar and the restaurant menu which is filled with high quality cuisine that would reflect the culture and tradition of the bar. This concept also had to be implemented for the interior and the branding image.
This project was a result of a close collaboration with the client and the interior designer trying to understand their vision and translate it into visual design.
SOLUTION
The concept was to use classic elements that would reflect the Belle Epoque style and the early 20th century, and then moulding them together with modern and clean design and typography.
The problem presented by this project was trying to find the right language that would allow me to visually blend cultural heritage with industrial elements, and traditional food revisited in a modern way.
The initial solution for this project was to blend serif and sans serif typography, or a vintage looking typeface with modern iconography. For the modern typefaces the reference was from the posters of the early 20th century, Futura typeface realised in 1928 by Paul Renner and other similar sans serif typefaces. The visuals were minimal and stylised almost like icons.
Hand-drawn studies on some natural elements of the posters and the typefaces of the Art Nouveau and Belle Epoque have been conducted and the visual arts of the historic period ranging from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The main features of the arts and architecture of this period are the naturalistic inspiration such as petals, leaves, intertwined branches, the use of the animal world in a symbol such as swans and snakes; and feminine symbols such as water lilies and mythological figures such as goddesses.
