Journey of refinement – Melbourne
400 Gradi is an Italian restaurant located in East Brunswick, Melbourne. It features an interior inspired by the rustic Italian heritage of the food and the venue, featuring terrazzo surfaces and concrete render textures. Dean Dyson Architects reimagined this existing industrial heritage interior into a modern version of refined rustic, creating and capturing the owner’s passion for Italian food and spaces for people to dine alone or in groups. To find an equilibrium between the heritage bones of the building and a redefined enlivened dining experience. Working within the existing framework of the building and ensuring that the industrial nature of the space that was previously embraced transitioned seamlessly with the new refined terrazzo, brass, and timber detailing.
The new restaurant design is a refined interpretation of rustic marries traditional Italian materiality with playful surfaces and textures. The combination of curved archways, mood lighting, subtle greenery and terrazzo surfaces encourages a journey into an authentic Italian style eatery. The terrazzo covered curved counter with upholstered bar stools evokes the nostalgia of an old-school espresso bar and is central to the unified dining experience within the restaurant. The new design manages to find an equilibrium between the heritage bones of the building and a redefined enlivened dining experience. The clients wanted a venue that reflected the journey and refinement of their long-standing brand with a restaurant that they would be proud to showcase as their flagship venue. The industrial nature of the space that was previously embraced has now transitioned seamlessly into a contemporary authentic representation of the brands values and it’s classic Italian ideals.
