Under the ground, inside the landscape

An innovative canteen is born in the heart of the Food Valley: CRA designs for Mutti an architecture that emerges from the ground, blends nature and design, and transforms lunch break into an immersive experience among light, earth, and conviviality.

A volume born from the ground

In the new project Quisimangia, CRA–Carlo Ratti Associati envisions a space that appears to rise from the earth itself. The structure, created by excavating a portion of the site and raising it up, creates the powerful image of a clod lifted from the ground. The glass volume, nestled under a green roof shaped with soil taken from the site, allows diners to eat at the same level as the surrounding lawn. Here, architecture becomes landscape, showing how architectural projects can interact with and transform the topography into a place to live in.

An immersive gastronomic experience in the landscape

The canteen hosts a large and bright 500 sqm room protected by a thick layer of soil, while the entire area covers 1,200 sqm of surface. The result is an underground environment only in appearance: thanks to the perimeter entirely in glass, the space opens up towards the outside and allows the grass to visually penetrate inside. Managed by ViCook, the gastronomic team of the Cerea brothers - known for the Michelin-starred restaurants Da Vittorio - the space will be open to both Mutti employees and the public. Next to it, a renovated old tavern houses the kitchens, maintaining a connection with the history of the place.

The garden as a natural stage set

The landscape project, designed by Paolo Pejrone, reinvents the eighteenth-century concept of the ha-ha, creating an invisible barrier that ensures a continuous view of the 1.1-hectare garden. This scenographic device amplifies the sensation of immersion in nature, in a visual continuity between interior and exterior. Here, the boundary disappears, and the landscape becomes a constant presence, almost like an added ingredient in the daily life of those sitting at the table.

Circular Materials and Design Innovation

In line with Mutti's philosophy and CRA's experimental research, the new canteen integrates circular materials and low-impact solutions. The floor is made from tomato peels sourced from the company's production waste: over 3 tons of reclaimed material are given new life as an architectural surface. The building also features advanced technologies for environmental regulation, reducing energy consumption. Quisimangia thus fits into the path that CRA has been pursuing for years on the theme of material sustainability, from experimenting with mycelium in the Circular Garden to the projects of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2020.

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Carlo Ratti Associati

Corso Quintino Sella 26, 10131 Torino TO, Italia