Begin forwarded message:From: CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati <pr@carloratti.com>
Subject: AN EARTHY, MICHELIN-STARRED CANTEEN
Date: November 21, 2024 at 6:14:02 AM EST
newsletter NOVEMBER 2024
AN EARTHY, MICHELIN-STARRED CANTEEN
CRA designs an innovative dining hall for Mutti, global leader in tomato-based products, located in Italy’s Food Valley. The expansive, light-filled space was created by excavating a section of the site’s terrain and elevating it above ground level, to integrate the space with its natural surroundings. The canteen, operated by a culinary team renowned for its Michelin-starred restaurants, will serve both factory workers and external diners.
More information and images available upon request through pr@carloratti.com
International design and innovation firm CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati has completed the construction of Quisimangia (“Here we eat”), a new company Canteen for Mutti, a global leader in tomato-based products. The canteen, which will function as a restaurant by night, is located in Montechiarugolo (Parma), in the heart of Italy’s Food Valley. The structure was created by excavating a section of the site’s terrain and elevating it above ground level to integrate the space with its natural surroundings. This project marks a continuation of the partnership between CRA and Mutti, which began with the masterplan for a new factory and production site and was followed by “The Greenary,” a private residence that has become one of CRA’s most awarded buildings.
The new project features a dining hall crowned by a green roof made from compacted earth sourced directly from the site. Diners, seated in a recessed glass structure, are fully immersed in the surrounding vegetation, eating at the same level as the exterior meadow. The design evokes the image of a clod of earth lifted from the ground. The soil is elevated up to 5 meters above ground, covering an indoor area of almost 500 sq m (5,400 sq ft) for a total area of 1,200 sq m (13,000 sq ft).
Quisimangia will be managed by ViCook, the catering arm of brothers Chicco and Bobo Cerea, famed for their Michelin-starred Da Vittorio restaurants in Bergamo, St. Moritz, and Shanghai. It will be open to both Mutti employees and, in the near future, to the public. Adjacent to the new dining hall, an old tavern visible from the road has been renovated to serve as the canteen’s kitchen. The canteen will be an open space where people can meet in a friendly environment.
The gardens outside—a 1.1 hectare garden designed by Italian award-winning landscape architect Paolo Pejrone—showcase the bounty of the local region. The design reinterprets the 18th Century French concept of “ha-ha”, which means surprising the viewer by creating a vertical barrier while preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond from the other side, allowing guests to immerse themselves in nature.
“This project illustrates our quest to merge the natural with the artificial,” says Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA, professor at MIT, and curator of the Biennale Architettura 2025. “This clod of earth rising from the ground creates a constant dialogue with nature. Instead of a ‘déjeuner sur l’herbe’ we could call it a ‘déjeuner sous l’herbe’, dining under the grass.”
“We are pleased to continue our collaboration with CRA to bring this visionary project to life. The Mutti Canteen is much more than a dining hall; it is the finest expression of our commitment to quality and sustainability,” states Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti. “Integrating the natural beauty of our surroundings with cutting-edge design, we are offering an environment where our employees can connect with both the land and each other in a meaningful way.”
The principles of circularity are evident throughout the building’s design. The canteen also features a unique floor made from tomato skins—byproducts of Mutti’s production line. It is estimated that more than 3 tons of waste material were used to create this floor. The facility is equipped with advanced environmental control technologies to minimize energy consumption.
CRA’s designs emphasize the relationship between the natural and the artificial, pushing the boundaries of innovative construction materials. During Milan Design Week 2019, the “Circular Garden” installation explored the architectural potential of fungal root mycelium. In 2024, “sunRice” experimented with rice as an adaptable material. In 2020, CRA, in collaboration with Italo Rota, Matteo Gatto, and F&M Ingegneria, developed the “Italian Pavilion” for Expo 2020 Dubai, a living laboratory for advancing circularity in architecture, incorporating coffee grounds, recycled plastics, and algae into the structure. CRA’'s work on “The Greenary” and its collaboration with BIG on the “CapitaSpring” skyscraper in Singapore, which includes indoor public gardens, exemplifies their approach to integrating nature within artificial spaces.
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CREDITS:
A project by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati for Mutti
Creative lead: Italo Rota
CRA team: Carlo Ratti, Andrea Cassi (partner-in-charge), Francesco Strocchio (partner-in-charge), Giulia Tolu, Nicolette Marzovilla, Gary Di Silvio, Pasquale Milieri, Gianluca Zimbardi
Structural Engineering: INGEMBP (Corrado Curti, Marco Bertelli, Giuseppe Coco)
MEP Systems Engineering: PROJEMA (Ivan Pavanello, Simone Graziano, Emanuele Lenta, Diego Dellerba)
Acoustics: 2LD Acustica S.r.l. (Diego Dellerba)
Fire safety: ARCHING (Stefano De Pippo)
Authority Approval, Health & Safety Lead: Aldo Trombi
Photos by Melania Delle Grave, Agnese Bedini, DSL Studio
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More information is available upon request: pr@carloratti.com
CAPITASPRING WINS THE INTERNATIONAL HIGH RISE AWARDS We are thrilled to announce that CapitaSpring, the building we co-designed with BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, has won the International High-Rise Award 2024/25, the world’s most prestigious prize for skyscrapers. But CapitaSpring is more than just a tower—it’s a vertical ecosystem featuring a Green Oasis with over 80,000 plants, a public rooftop urban farm, and lush sky gardens that redefine what a garden city can be.
A CIRCULARITY MANIFESTO FOR THE BIENNALE ARCHITETTURA 2025 Carlo Ratti, as Curator of the Biennale Architettura (Venice, Arsenale and Giardini, 10 May-23 November 2025), launches a Circular Economy Manifesto developed with guidance from Arup and input from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. This Manifesto calls on Participants in the Biennale Architettura 2025 to address the fundamental challenges of the built environment and work together to create a genuinely circular exhibition.
URBAN REGENERATION
BARCELONA, SPAIN
NOVEMBER 26
The Barcelona University School of Urban Management will host Carlo as a special guest for its Urban Regeneration course, exploring innovative city design and concluding with an interactive session.
BAUWELT KONGRESS
BERLIN, GERMANY
NOVEMBER 27-28
Carlo will deliver a keynote at the Bauwelt Kongress 2024 in Berlin on the impact of digital technologies in urban design and how smart technologies can cultivate resilient, human-centered cities.
/ 22 AUGUST
Just how could a globe-spanning bubble shield us from climate change? Tune into BBC Radio 4's "Curious Cases," where Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain dive into MIT's Senseable City Lab project Space Bubbles with Carlo!
Adaptive reuse, new public spaces, and stunning views of the UNESCO-listed Piedmontese Alps are standout features in ArchDaily's coverage of CRA's renovation of the iconic Palazzo Micca in Turin, Italy.
Archilovers spotlighted how the Circular Economy Manifesto strengthens the exhibition's commitment to combating climate change through a sustainable model for design, installation, and operation.
For our Francophones, don't miss this interview with Carlo, where he tackles pressing questions about future materials, the free market and regulation, and whether he prefers funky Rio de Janeiro or charming Paris.
Check out The Plan's feature on our renovation of Palazzo Micca, where the project's dual goals are highlighted: sustainably revitalizing existing structures and transforming unused office spaces into vibrant public areas!
Curious about what can be revealed ahead of the Biennale Architettura 2025 opening next spring? Check out this feature in Wallpaper for a sneak peak at the exciting developments taking shape.
CRA is hiring! We are looking for new talents for our offices in Turin and New York. To discover all the vacancies and send in your application, visit our JOBSpage. Are you an experienced architect? We are looking for senior architects to join the team!
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Yet another inspiration from Carlo Ratti Associati architecture studio.
Let’s measure responsive environments, hybrid architecture aspirations against such work… !
