Tano Cucina Italiana

Hyatt Regency, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Italian culture and gastronomy have been a big part of Brazilian life ever since the first Genoese sailors and merchants set foot there during the Renaissance. The Studio Arthur Casas team built on this heritage for their design of the Rio Grand Hyatt’s Italian restaurant Tano Cucina Italiana.

Solid wood

“The restaurant was a wide open space and we had decided on minimalist, modern furniture. That’s why we needed to create some fixed partition to make it more intimate and cozy”, says Arthur Casas. “To that end we created solid wood shelves, displaying selected objects that bring to mind the greengrocers or grocery stores typical of the Italian colony in Brazil.”

The environment influences the diners’ perception of the food served. In that regard, this design reinforces the quality of the dishes served in Tano Cucina Italiana.

Italian references

The chosen textures and colours reference the old country too. Casas: “The green and earth colours of the hydraulic tiles and fabrics are explicit references to the colours of the Italian flag. But there are subtler hints as well, such as the choice for an open kitchen, where you see the chef and his team prepare fresh pasta. It gives the place a warm feel.”

The most important thing about any design is that it gives its user a sensation of comfort.

Brazilian spirit

Studio Arthur Casas is well-known for merging a Brazilian spirit with outside influences. “In Tano Cucina Italiana we used of a lot of solid wood, a common material throughout preindustrial Europe as well as in colonial Brazil. The natural character of Hakwood’s flooring resonates strongly with that theme.”