Chapter 3 - Prada Day - RESTAURANT TORRE
“a space for real life with numerous good spots for eating, drinking, talking, reading, etc. While I do think it would make a pretty good movie set, I think it would be an even better place to write a movie. I tried to make it a bar I would want to spend my own non-fictional afternoons in.”
After the “Surrogati. Un Amore Ideale” exhibit, I arrived at Torre in Fondazione Prada for dinner.
The Fondazione Foundation has two eateries - RESTAURANT TORRE and BAR LUCE. BAR LUCE recreates the atmosphere of a typical Milanese cafè as imagined by the American film director Wes Anderson in 2015. Ever popular, I only had time to briefly it check out but it has left an impression none the less. Here were a few things that really caught my attention:
Stepping into this light bar is a little like entering The Grand Budapest Hotel, not surprising as BAR LUCE was designed by celebrated director Wes Anderson in 2015.
Old Italian songs spill from a retro jukebox in the corner while waiters in crisp white shirts and black bowties wander by. Anderson says, “the approach I used to design this bar is exactly the opposite I usually use for the set designs of my movies. I tried to make it a bar you’d like to go to five times a week. When I was really young I wanted to be an architect, and this chance I’ve been given to pretend to be a real one is a childhood fantasy come true!”.
The space Anderson wanted to create is not just a "movie scene", but more so an environment that inspires to him to write scripts. A real place where he wants to read and drink.
The interiors of BAR LUCE, furniture, flooring, and wooden wall panels, are inspired by the pop culture aesthetics of Italian in the 50s and 60s - dominantly echoing the direction of Anderson's short film Castello Cavalcanti (2013). The vaulted ceilings and decorative pattern on the upper half of the bar frame a mini version of the iron-and-glass roof, an homage to The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of Milan's icons. Other cinematic references found are two defining works from the Italian neorealism period: Vittorio De Sica’s 1951 Miracolo A Milano (Miracle in Milan) and Luchino Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers (1960).
RESTAURANT TORRE
On the sixth floor of the Fondazione Prada building is the Restaurant Torre, designed by Rem Koolhaas in 2018. With a spacious terrace and large windows looking onto Milan, the atmosphere is punctuated with an eclectic collection of art and design.
Sadly if you can’t eat dairy and gluten like me, the classic bread, cream soups and ravioli are not allowed, so I can’t give you any feedback on those, though they smelled wonderful!But the salad I had was fantastic! I love a good salad, but I must confess I am a bit picky about salads. I don’t favour the raw “grassy” flavour of some greens and I don’t like overly rich sauces. My favourite is a simple vinaigrette dressing. My Restaurant Torre salad was fragrant, rich and a delicious blend of fresh complex flavours!
Torre features authentic Italian gourmet fare, the dishes combine local traditions from all over the country and a selection of fine wines from Italian and international labels completes the meal. For dessert guests can choose from colourful classic Italian pastries. Sadly because of dietary restrictions this did not include me at the time!
With seating for 84 guests, the layout of Torre is divided into the bar area and the restaurant.
Characterized by the art and design furniture, the wooden tables and executive chairs are designed by Eero Saarinen, and you will find paintings by Jeff Koons, William Copley Copley, Ge Shika-Makati and John Wesley. On the third floor live original furnishings from New York’s “Four Seasons Restaurant” designed by Philip Johnson in 1958 as CarstenHöller’s “The Double Club” (2008-2009).
Upstairs, truly considerate of the whole dining process, I was even delighted by the washroom design!
If you’re going to these two restaurants in Fondazione Prada, I highly recommend learning more about the fascinating stories behind their conception to enjoy more deeply the culture of Milan as well as the food.
RESTAURANT TORRE
Via Lorenzini, 14
20139 Milan
OPENING HOURS
Monday / Wednesday / Thursday
6 pm - 12.30 am
Friday 6 pm - 1 am
Saturday 12 - 3 pm / 6 pm - 1 am
Sunday 12 - 3 pm / 6 pm - 12.30 am
Closed on Tuesdays
Dinner service from 7.30 pm
INFORMATION
Until 7 pm it is possible to access the restaurant from Largo Isarco 2.
From 7 pm onwards the access to the restaurant is in via Giovanni Lorenzini 14.
BAR LUCE
Largo Isarco, 2 - 20139 Milan
Mon / Wed / Thu 8:30 am - 8 pm
Friday 8:30 am - 9 pm
Saturday 9 am – 9 pm
Sunday 9 am – 9 pm
Closed on Tuesdays
FRIDAY 17 JANUARY
Bar Luce is open from 8:30 am to 5pm
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Anderson想創造的空間不只是一個“電影場景”，更多的是Bar Luce是一個可以帶給他很多靈感能讓他寫劇本的地方，是一個會想在這裡閱讀、喝東西的真實世界。