Bar Luce

Bar Luce is a coffee shop/cocktail bar inside the recently opened multidisciplinary art space called Fondazione Prada in Milan.

The Fondazione was transformed from its roots as an early 20th century distillery by Dutch industrial architect Rem Koolhaasis. Its predominantly minimalist characteristics are in stark contrast to the mix of baby pink and pastel green marking the interior, which exudes a retro 1950s feel and mimics the atmosphere of a typical Milanese cafe.

The interior in its current state was designed by Wes Anderson himself, believe it or not. While his movies often favor similarly-arranged spaces, he reportedly feels that there is no ideal angle to use it as a movie set for one of his films.

“It is for real life, and ought to have numerous good spots for eating, drinking, talking, reading, etc. While I do think it would make a pretty good movie set, I think it would be an even better place to write a movie. I tried to make it a bar I would want to spend my own non-fictional afternoons in.”

Some architectural and decorative details from the original structure have been preserved. The arched ceiling is a miniature version of the vaulted glass roof of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele: one of Milan’s most easily recognizable buildings.

The bar can be accessed directly from the popular Via Orobia hotel and is meant to function as a neighborhood hangout where locals can congregate and socialize.