Sandì | Parasite 2.0

"A key concept of our project is the integration of tradition and innovation. In a time when design languages increasingly tend to homogenize, we felt the need to construct a sort of personal alphabet — something capable of escaping the trap of fleeting trends. We looked at Milanese bars and restaurants from the 1990s, spaces that today are often completely renovated and stripped of their original identity. From there came the choice of materials such as green marine granite and dark woods. Our intention was to conceive a timeless, classic project — a hybrid condition where contemporaneity emerges through elements like metal details and polycarbonate, while tradition is expressed in the furniture selection, the counter design and its materials, the curtains, and the flooring".

Parasite 2.0

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Located in a historically rich space in Milan, previously home to a 1960s bakery, Sandì is a family-run restaurant conceived by Laura Santosuosso and Denny Mollica, combining culinary authenticity with aesthetic refinement. The design was developed in close collaboration between designers, owners, and craftsmen, aiming to enhance the original features of the space without excessive design intervention. Inspired by a "culinary recipe," the approach values local and functional elements, creating a solid foundation for potential future modifications. The restaurant features multiple character-defining design solutions. An emblematic example is the partial demolition of two walls: one that separated the dining room from the kitchen was transformed into a transparent filter of brushed steel and smoked polycarbonate, while the other was replaced by a curtain creating a private area around a large round table. The counter, the central element of the project, acts as a 'hinge' connecting the restaurant's spaces, combining functionality and aesthetics. Made of green marine granite, the counter integrates a staircase with a handrail and railing, providing visual harmony to all the designed elements.

Credits
Architecture Firm: Parasite 2.0
Lead Architects: Parasite 2.0

Team: Colombo Stefano, Colonnato Angelica, Cosentino Eugenio, Mammone Monica,
Marullo Luca, Tricarico Mariaclaudia, Utano Beatrice, Vrenozaj Sofia
Project Mediation: Bianca Felicori

Photography: Claudia Zalla
Photographer’s Website / IG / FB: https://www.claudiazalla.it/ ,
https://www.instagram.com/claudiazalla/?hl=it

Suppliers: Bianco67, Qubo Costruzioni Metalliche, Frigerio Tende.

[IT]

Situato in uno spazio storico di Milano, precedentemente sede di un forno negli anni '60, Sandì è un ristorante a conduzione familiare ideato da Laura Santosuosso e Denny Mollica, che coniuga autenticità culinaria e raffinatezza estetica. Il progetto è stato sviluppato in stretta collaborazione tra i designer, i proprietari e gli artigiani, con l’obiettivo di valorizzare le caratteristiche originali del luogo senza eccessivi interventi di design. L’approccio, ispirato a una “ricetta culinaria”, valorizza elementi locali e funzionali, creando una solida base per eventuali modifiche future. Un concetto chiave del progetto è l’integrazione tra tradizione e innovazione. In un’epoca in cui i linguaggi del design tendono a omogeneizzarsi, Parasite 2.0 aspira a creare un “alfabeto personale”, sfuggendo alla trappola dei trend passeggeri. Si sono ispirati ai bar e ristoranti milanesi degli anni '90 che spesso vengono ristrutturati completamente; da qui la scelta di materiali come il granito verde marina e i legni scuri. «Volevamo pensare un progetto classico, senza tempo», spiegano, «un ibrido tra contemporaneità, visibile in alcune scelte come l’uso dei metalli e del policarbonato, e tradizione espressa nella scelta del mobilio, nel disegno del bancone e i suoi materiali, nei tendaggi e pavimenti».