Montalgeto, a restaurant with Joyful collection

Cosimo Balestri

Firenze, 1987

Architetto

He studies and develops strategies and solutions for territory and brand identities, specialising in architecture, public space and graphic design.

In 2015 he founded the ECÒL and [chì-na] groups, with which he worked until 2020, obtaining numerous awards in Italy and abroad.

Since 2018 he has led the Temporary Devices in Urban Environments course at the IED in Florence, which looks at design in relation to its effects on specific urban and social contexts.

He has been a member of the Prato OAPPC (Order of Architects, Planners, Landscapers and Conservationists) since 2014.

What were your goals in the choice of covering (or flooring) materials?

The Montalgeto restaurant is inside a country house in the hills of Carmignano, a place where you are surrounded by the history and beauty of the Tuscan landscape and which in some ways is the direct consequence of the those who have created and cared for it over time.

Giulia and Alessio’s restaurant project speaks precisely of this everyday relationship between work, time, care and respect. I wanted to enhance the restaurant interior while preserving its character as a domestic space. I looked for a material that could fit with this context and add an additional material dimension and a new colour theme.

Why did you choose Tonalite products?

I needed a material that could transmit warmth and brightness and that would contrast with the shade and opacity of the terracotta tiled floor. Joyful Cherry tiles offered the perfect balance between size, colour and reflection.

What colours and combinations did you choose, and how did you use them?

I used Joyful Cherry 10×20 for the two restaurant rooms by covering a common bench and introducing new details.