The fifth façade: designing the new vertical city

The fifth façade: designing the new vertical city

Designed by interior architecture studio Velvet Lab, the underlying principles of the La Pista restaurant on the rooftop of Turin’s Lingotto combine the location’s architectural beauty and heritage with the concept of luxury and sustainability. These aspects are linked by the use of eco-compatible materials and coverings, including GlamPure, The Organic Wallcovering.

As architect Gianluca Bocchetta explains, this fibrous European linen wallcovering responds to the needs of the design project thanks to its organic nature and the sophisticated designs of the Komorebi Collection.

How did you develop the design for the new La Pista restaurant? What was the design brief from the client?
The building was the main Fiat factory in the 1930s and we wanted to respect the immense architectural and cultural value of the space, which in recent times has developed its social dimension with a focus on sustainability and technology.
Our client asked us to design a restaurant that was luxurious but also accessible, both in terms of style and experience. We therefore decided to interpret the spaces with authentic materials that meant something and with sustainable shapes and finishes so we could create a concept that reconciled heritage and a global spirit.

GlamPure is a natural wallcovering that is compostable and eco-compatible. In terms of technical and functional advantages, how has it benefited you working with this material within a restaurant setting?
La Pista is part of a wider project driven by an ambitious mission: to promote a design approach in which sustainability is a key element. GlamPure is a perfect addition to this and allows us to combine respect for the environment with the stylistic need to create a glamourous location. It creates an essential harmony between references to the natural world and the setting’s architectural heritage.


Temps Perdu has been used in the dining hall by the large panoramic windows. How does this create a dialogue with the interior and the exterior? What type of experience did you seek to create?
We wanted the client to feel that the walls all around them had a sense of texture that was almost sartorial in nature. Like they were in the midst of a garden suspended in time. The design of the wallcovering evokes long grasses and this creates a link between the restaurant interior and the garden outside.

Komorebi Collection on GlamPure has been designed for interior solutions that focus on the holistic wellbeing of the individual. How is this principle linked to the design concept?
With La Pista we didn’t want to just design an interior. We wanted to provide a relaxation experience far away from the hectic city streets below. We emphasised this concept using Komorebi Collection on GlamPure, which really brings to mind the comfort of home when placed within this glorious setting.

Velvet Lab