Urban regeneration often starts with a small, concrete gesture. A venue that changes its face can become the point from which an entire neighbourhood starts to live again. The story of Luppoleria in Piacenza tells exactly this, and years later it proves it in practice.
A project born in Quartiere Roma
Piacenza’s Quartiere Roma started from a difficult position. On the edge of the city centre and right next to the railway station, for years it made the news more often than it served as a meeting place. Yet it is a cultural and social melting pot that, in a provincial city like Piacenza, has rare value. We at VANDA live and work right here, and we feel it growing every day. When the challenge of working on Luppoleria came along, we took it on straight away.
Gustavo’s pizza | vista sopra
From the first venue to the expansion
The first Luppoleria project has carried our signature since 2016. In 2018 we came back to expand it, adding a new section and opening the renovated venue on 22 June. On that occasion our role grew: for the first time we handled the architectural renovation, the interior furnishing and also the launch of the new space on social media. A total project, from the walls to the communication.
Gustavo’s pizza | sala sotto | bottigliera
The interior design
We designed all the new furniture to measure and combined it with vintage pieces found here and there, like the large sharing table in the entrance hall. One wall was clad in reclaimed cement tiles, to tie memory and material together. The expansion brought a new room with an additional bar counter connected to the pizzeria, and a tavern with a huge bottle rack made of iron rods, also completely custom. Luppoleria’s style is deliberately eclectic, a direct response to a multi-ethnic neighbourhood where colours, habits and customs mix. From this mix comes an innovative and unique space, able to speak to everyone without belonging to anyone in particular.
The strategic communication plan
While rethinking the space, we kept in mind a set of values that we then carried into the communication. Luppoleria was to become the neighbourhood pub: a point of reference, an example, a social and cultural gathering place. We shared this vision with Edo Balordi, the graphic designer commissioned to create the new logo, so that visual identity and space would tell the same story.
Design as a tool for regeneration
A well-designed venue works on two levels at once. On one side it welcomes people, with a space that is carefully considered in its materials, its light and the rhythm of its rooms. On the other it sends a signal to the neighbourhood: things are changing here. We designed Luppoleria to be a place able to attract different people and make them stay, turning passing through into presence, and presence into community.
What happened next
Years later, the result speaks for itself. Luppoleria has established itself as a landmark of the neighbourhood and keeps running at full capacity. Its presence revitalised the area, drove away those with bad intentions and filled the surrounding gardens with children and families again. One venue acted as the trigger, and the whole neighbourhood reaped the rewards.
A lesson we carry with us
Luppoleria taught us that design has a responsibility that goes beyond the built space. Designing a venue also means designing the relationships that will take place around it. It is a conviction that guides the way we work today, from food retail to larger regeneration projects.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Luppoleria? In Piacenza’s Quartiere Roma, near the railway station.
What did VANDA design for Luppoleria? The first venue in 2016 and the expansion in 2018: architectural renovation, custom furniture combined with vintage pieces, a tavern with a large custom bottle rack and the launch on social media.
What impact did it have on the neighbourhood? The venue became a landmark, revitalised the area and brought children and families back to the surrounding gardens.
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