Restaurant Torre is located on the sixth floor of the tower at Fondazione Prada’s Milan venue, designed by Rem Koolhaas in 2018. The presence of works of art and design furniture makes the atmosphere of the restaurant and bar unique. Its terrace and large windows reveal an unprecedented view of the city of Milan.
Torre’s menu is authentically Italian, the new chef Lorenzo Lunghi develops an original gastronomic offer drawn on the best Italian regional traditions, starting from his Tuscan roots. A prestigious selection of wines from Italian and international labels completes the offer.
Architectural project
Torre occupies an area of 215 m² divided into two parts: the bar and the restaurant. It appears, according to Koolhaas’s definition, as “a collage of pre-existing themes and elements”. The two spaces are characterized by a contrast between the large floor-to-ceiling windows and the warm tones of the parquet, of the walnut carpentry work and the hemp panels that cover the walls.
The bar has a central counter, with a suspended bottle rack containing spirits and international liqueurs. On the left is a fireplace surrounded by Soviet armchairs and Eero Saarinen’s Tulip tables. This space hosts two works of—Cappa per caminetto (1949) and Testa di medusa (1948-54)—by Lucio Fontana, while the polychrome ceramic Pilastro (1947) by the same artist introduces guests to the restaurant itself.
The restaurant has seating for 84 guests and is arranged on three levels slightly offset from each other to recreate an ideal viewpoint. The first two are furnished with wooden tables and Executive chairs by Eero Saarinen and feature a selection of paintings by William N. Copley, Jeff Koons, Goshka Macuga and John Wesley. The third level features original furnishings from New York’s “Four Seasons Restaurant” designed by Philip Johnson in 1958 and elements from Carsten Höller’s installation The Double Club (2008-2009). Inspired by the tradition of Italian restaurants, the walls feature artist’s plates created especially for the restaurant by John Baldessari, Thomas Demand, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Elmgreen & Dragset, Joep Van Lieshout, Goshka Macuga, Mariko Mori, Tobias Rehberger, Andreas Slominski, Francesco Vezzoli and John Wesley; forming a series open to new contributions.
The triangular outdoor terrace overlooks the urban space and features the typical porphyry paving and metal grills characteristic of Fondazione Prada’s exteriors. The 125 m² area is divided into a restaurant area seating 20 on bistro-style folding tables and chairs and a bar area where sliding tables along the parapet can be combined or separated according to need.
Care’s Chef Under 30
“CARE’s Chef Under 30” is a project realised in collaboration with three-times Michelin starred chef Norbert Niederkofler and Paolo Ferretti, both founders of “CARE’s – The Ethical Chef Days”.
International chefs under 30 are invited, for two weeks each, to present a five-course menu inspired by the gastronomic identity of their own country. Through discussions on the concepts of sustainability, caring for the local area and environmental protection, the restaurant Torre attempts to create a link between different cultures, to share conscious gastronomic knowledge and promote ethically-sustainable cuisine.
