26-10-2015

Dining on food sourced on the spot: Erba Brusca by rgastudio

Milan,

Photography,

Raffaele Azzarelli and Giuliano Iamere, the architects behind Milan-based firm rgastudio have created a really green, magical spot in the heart of this Italian metropolis - the Erba Brusca restaurant.



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Dining on food sourced on the spot: Erba Brusca by rgastudio Raffaele Azzarelli and Giuliano Iamere, the architects behind Milan-based firm rgastudio have created a really green, magical spot in the heart of this Italian metropolis - the Erba Brusca restaurant. The kitchen garden is the star here - it's no coincidence that their project is called “Orto con cucina” or kitchen garden with kitchen.



The kind of restaurant that Livegreenblog adores: friendly, the use of simple materials, lots of green (particularly the edible variety) and a location on a rise at the end of the Naviglio Pavese, on the outskirts where the city of Milan gives over to farmland.
Erba Brusca (rumex acetosa), or sorrel, is a clear reference to the perennial herb with often crimson leaves and that grows in uncontaminated humid zones, a bit of a tough ask nowadays. And a statement of intent of the owners - Alice Delcourt, Cesare Battisti and Danilo Ingannamorte - for this venue with a glorious local past, which they have taken over.





The project by rgastudio is based on the position of this restaurant right on the borderline between countryside and city, and takes advantage of a nearby irrigation canal to create a large vegetable garden in the sun-drenched part of the courtyard - a substantial green element not only when it comes to the architectural composition of the refurbished restaurant, but also as a primary source of vegetables and herbs on the spot.



The outdoor patio is composed of two verandas, one large one overlooking the garden and a small shaded one of bamboo. The shape of the pergola proposed by the rgastudio architects recalls Meccano construction sets and thus references the idea of creating and building. 





The two indoor dining rooms are dominated by a large larch shelving unit, which in many ways resembles old vegetable crates. 
For the furnishings, Raffaele Azzarelli and Giuliano Iamere opted to go with local history, and used coloured cables hanging over well pulleys and old wine jugs for the lights. The counter and wainscoting are made from zinc-plated iron, drawing on farming tradition yet again.



“Erba Brusca”, the kitchen garden with kitchen, proposes real “green design” for a calm, collected and welcoming venue that has taken the environment to heart and where you can eat food sourced on the spot - and all of this in Milan! A city that is rediscovering its green heart, as we have already seen with initiatives like GreenCity (link), to our great joy and delight.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: rgastudio http://www.rgastudio.it/  Raffaele Azzarelli and Giuliano Iamere
Link Erba Brusca http://www.erbabrusca.it/
Location: Milan, Italy
Year: 2015
Photography: Michele Nastasi

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