Luce Restaurant
Luce Restaurant is situated within the 16th-century Villa Panza in Varese, a FAI heritage site housing a preeminent collection of contemporary art. Led by chef Matteo Pisciotta, the kitchen integrates culinary research with local tradition. LS studio designed the visual identity, developing a system that responds to both the cultural and culinary context.
© Giorgio Majno
Villa Panza stands on Colle di Biumo, near Varese, originally built as a country residence in the late sixteenth century.
In the twentieth century, Giuseppe Panza profoundly redefined the estate by integrating contemporary artworks exploring light and color into its historic spaces.
Led by Matteo Pisciotta and Andrea Piantanida, the kitchen balances Varesine tradition with technical ‘avant-garde’ research. This philosophy is rooted in an on-site garden, cultivating seasonal, indigenous varieties within the Villa’s historical and ecological context.
The visual identity translates the Panza Collection’s focus on light into a typographic system. The split, slanted structure evokes the refraction of light, aligning the restaurant’s brand with the architectural and artistic heritage of the villa.
The visual identity draws inspiration from James Turrell’s perceptual experiments and Dan Flavin’s neon geometries, where light becomes a structural element. By fragmenting the typographic sign, the logo mimics the way light refracts across the Villa’s surfaces. This graphic intervention establishes a dialogue between the ‘avant-garde’ cuisine and the immersive environmental art of the collection.
Menù folder, cover & leaflet.
The wine list is organized using a radial logic, grouping wines by the distance between their production area and the restaurant. This geographical approach transcends national borders, pairing diverse labels by proximity and emphasizing the relationship between the table and its territory.
