alberto caiola designs shanghai’s 'momenti' restaurant as an evolving environment of color

situated in shanghai‘s xintiandi district, alberto caiola has created an eye-catching display of color to the ‘momenti’ restaurant. the main concept behind the project focuses on the notion of ‘morning to night’, and attempts to recreate this natural rhythm by forming an ‘evolving environment’ that takes patrons from breakfast to late night drinks. focusing also on bringing italian authenticity to the design, the scheme incorporates key elements from the culture of italian dining to contemporary chinese diners.

all images dirk weiblen

benefiting from a prime position on xintiandi’s pedestrian streets with large windows on the façade and part of the ceiling formed in glazing, ‘momenti’ is designed by caiola to be appealing to passers-by and form a relationship between the indoor and outdoor context. upon entering, guests are met by the polished bronze counter of the bar, contrasting against the exposed brickwork walls. the high stools that populate the bar area invite people to enjoy a coffee or cocktail, in keeping with italian food and drinking culture.

the rest of the interior is filled with small tables and chairs, with a large, solid red marble table commanding the space, offering a place for a large group to enjoy the conviviality of italian dining. in addition to being designed for sharing experiences over food, the project also centers around the bright lights that bring a spectrum of color to the restaurant. troffer fixtures, the most common type of light system used in commercial office spaces are here redesigned to accomodate rgb led tubes and arranged in a continuous carpet of light, unfolding to deliver an evolving narrative. throughout the day, momenti’s shifting menu of experiences is accompanied by subtle changes in light, moving from bright white, to warm yellow and orange, before relaxing into a night-sky blue.

project info:

project name: ‘momenti’

location: xintiandi, shanghai, china

design: alberto caiola

photography: dirk weiblen

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom