Look to the skyline

Studio hellobarrio has designed a new identity and a range of printed materials for Cafè Gianduja, a Piedmontese bar and gelateria that has been operating in the small town of Murazzano in north-west Italy since 1984.

The new identity for the cafe references two of the medieval town’s most well known buildings: the Torre di Murazzano, a thirteenth-century hilltop tower situated in a public garden, and the bell tower of the church of San Lorenzo. In this way the identity ‘leverages the history of the town and brings back the skyline,’ says hellobarrio’s Andrea Viberti.

The red-and-white check pattern, which is used across everything from cafe menus to merchandise, harks back to ‘the checkered tablecloths typical of Italian – but above all Piedmontese – taverns, bars and trattorias,’ he adds.

‘We rethought the identity of a typical Italian bar and tried to play with contrast: Italian idioms with minimal and current graphics. Few words, few colours like a small, quick espresso at the counter. We had fun breaking with the past and thinking about making a small place of worship in the Langhe.’

While the identity has been rolled out across a range of printed materials including business cards, menus and posters, it also has a significant digital presence. ‘Obviously we have only used recycled Fedrigoni papers, but always with a view to paperless design,’ says Viberti. ‘Excellent paper, but only when needed.’