Wagamama, an asian-food restaurant chain founded in London in 1992 and present in 22 countries with over 190 restaurants, has opened its second venue in Milan in the renowned setting of the CityLife Shopping District, renewing its collaboration with Imoon – leading player in the international market for commercial lighting in Food & Fashion Retail – choosing the Makris brand custom lighting solution for the 635 sqm space.
Inspired by typical Japanese Ramen bars and managed in Italy by C&P, (Chef Express & Percassi) – a company specialised in casual dining – the concept is a real meeting place between Pan-Asian culinary culture and the Italian aesthetic taste. The result is an environment of extraordinary simplicity and elegance welcoming customers in an atmosphere of conviviality. Colours, aromas, spices and flavours: each dish is prepared to nourish both body and soul, respecting the highest quality standards and following the “Kaizen” philosophy aimed at constant improvement, something which Imoon and Makris have been able to interpret through their unique solutions. The Makris designed Dart and Ciclopica models, already included in the first restaurant’s format in via San Pietro all’Orto, and the new Frost suspension developed specifically for CityLife, enhance both the large tables and the more reserved corners, merging in perfect harmony with the architecture and furnishings of the venue.
Carefully selecting the colours of the lighting sources gives an elegant reminder of the materials chosen: light wood, marble and raw iron. In detail, Dart’s linear form and the cylindrical geometry of Ciclopica are distinguished by the balanced contrast between the external black coating and the internal orange finish. Furthermore, to bring the exposed brick wall back to life, Ciclopica, positioned near it, has been created in a version with a copper-coloured cover, a theme also proposed for the Frost suspension’s metal supports. The product has been specially designed to give a touch of originality to the space, thanks to the double light source: a lower one serving to illuminate the delicacies and an upper one which recreates a suffused lantern effect. The latter is accentuated by the satin poly-carbonate material used, which makes the lamp even brighter.
The project is completed by the lighting solution designed by the Imoon team, which has transformed the ceiling into a choreography of intertwining of lines of light, dedicated to the venue’s general lighting. The suspended ceiling in particular, designed to define height, is made with bars from the Alpha Erre Led range positioned above the suspensions like a freehand drawing, giving an effect of simulated randomness, clearly visible even from the outside thanks to the restaurant’s large windows.
“After the success of the first installation, we are proud to renew our collaboration with C&P for the opening of the second Wagamama restaurant in Italy” comments Massimiliano Giussani, Imoon’s Italian Sales Director and General Director of Makris, who continues, “It’s an ambitious goal: on the one hand responding to the functional needs dictated by the height of the structure and on the other, enhancing through lighting the attractiveness and personality of the place, making it distinctive within the food hall of CityLife Shopping District.” He concludes: “it’s a delight for the eyes as well as for the palate“.
Founded in 2010, Imoon is a leading player in the design and production of lighting solutions, completely Made in Italy, within the Food & Fashion Retail. The company, based in Milan, is known on the market as a Partner able to provide its customers with a complete service, following each phase of the design: from preliminary studies, to lighting simulations and energy performance models, fine-tuning and after-sale assistance. Imoon solutions are present in more than 40 countries worldwide, and the company completes around 400 projects every year, boasting partnerships with the most important names within Food Retail: Carrefour, Coop, Conad, Auchan, E.Leclerc, Migros, Silpo, Globus, Booths Supermarkets and Warner’s Budgens.
