The Perfect Ingredient

The scientific pastry school of the globally recognised guru Leonardo Di Carlo is a space with a twofold function: Leonardo runs courses here for pastry chefs who come from all over the world, and it is also where he carries out research and development for major companies. In both cases, lighting design becomes an essential part of the project, both for function and for comfort: to aid mental concentration, a cool, even light was designed, which can also be adjusted over the course of the day as needed to maximise people's wellbeing. The flexibility of the space and the ways it can be used is another important feature, since there are times when the room is used with its workbenches in place and others when, for operational reasons, they have to be absent, so all the furniture is movable on integrated castors. The flooring has a warm, soft colouring to echo the colours of pastry-making, such as cream and flour, and the end wall is used as a communicative medium for a founding concept in Di Carlo's work: passion. The hierarchy of the space is also fundamental in a place like this, since it allows people to orient themselves more naturally and effectively, which is why Leonardo's workbench was made in black, different from all the others.