When we began working on the Gelateria Ghignoni, our first priority was to go there, meet Palmiro Bruschi and observe his work up close. For us, this is the most important step. Before we can even begin to imagine a space, we need to understand the people who inhabit it, how it functions, what takes place there each day, and where its needs and challenges have emerged over time.
The first on-site inspection gave us the opportunity to experience first-hand what it means to run a gelateria. We checked out the workshop, listened to Palmiro’s enthusiastic account of his work, helping us to get a clearer picture of the critical issues and above all, its potential. It proved to be a very direct, tangible encounter that helped us to design the project based on real-life understanding rather than an abstract idea.
Soon after, we had the opportunity to taste Palmiro’s artisan gelato. This simple gesture proved to be a decisive moment for us. In addition to the pleasure of tasting the gelato, it also told us a lot about his approach: his focus, creativity, technique and ongoing research. Behind every flavour, I detected a distinct sensibility, a desire to surprise without losing authenticity, to offer something new while remaining true to a long-standing tradition.
Palmiro is, in fact, an artisan who has grown up in the world of gelato. He has known it all his life; he studies, reviews, and pursues it with curiosity and intelligence. We were struck by the way he spoke about his work: he was never interested in settling for a tried-and-tested formula. Rather, he always sought out a different solution, an extra detail, an idea that could elicit a smile, spark curiosity, as if to create a dream when entering the gelateria. He also, however, never lost sight of the ties to his origins in all of this. Tradition for him has never been a end point, but rather a solid base from which to restart.
Our interior design project stemmed from the same approach. During our meetings, he frequently mentioned the Republic of Cospaia which is part of the history of this area and, above all, embodies a distinctive idea: one of independence, freedom, and independence built around work and the ability to choose. However, we did not want to turn this homage into an explicit reference or a decorative element; we were much more interested in letting its meaning transpire, without making it overly straightforward.
From a design point of view, we opted for pared-back, down-to-earth choices: authentic materials, solid surfaces, details capable of conjuring up a sense of practicality, rather than nostalgia. The overall idea was to create a space that could naturally convey the craftsmanship, while adding value and honouring the work with a suitable setting.
The gelateria, in this sense, was not designed as a simple showcase. What we aimed for was to have the workshop express — and the customer perceive — the presence of a genuine process, focused on meticulous attention to detail and carefully repeated gestures. The layout of the spaces also stemmed from this: from the desire to make everyday work more fluid, the process more understandable, and the relationship between the person producing the gelato and those looking on, choosing and tasting it more immediate.
ISA’s contribution was fundamental in achieving this balance. When we talk about display cases, storage, technology and refrigeration, we mean the tools that directly influence the end result, how the product is presented and even how it is perceived. Working together was important because it allowed us to transform practical needs into coherent solutions, without losing sight of the overall complexity of the project.
What satisfies us most about the final result is the sense of coherence that runs through the gelateria, even more so than its image. Everything seems to stem from the same concept, the same attention to detail and the same approach to the work. Indeed, the design is not intended to surprise or overshadow the customer’s experience; rather, every decision stems from a desire to use the space to reflect the character of the people who occupy it.
This is perhaps the most compelling aspect of the project: creating something that tells the story of Palmiro — his work, his vision, and the journey that shaped his life.
