Commissioned to design the first Alpine outpost of the upscale café-restaurant chain Sant Ambroeus in Aspen, Colorado, Italian interior designer Giampiero Tagliaferri eschewed the classic chalet vibe, embracing instead a retro-chic, mid-century-inflected aesthetic inspired as much by the brand’s Milanese origins as the Alpine modernism movement. Working between Milan and Los Angeles, Tagliaferri’s creative reinterpretation of 20th century Italian design and Californian modernism made him a good fit with Sant Ambroeus, a historic brand that first opened in Milan in 1936 before moving across the pond in the 1980s – the fact that he is also a regular of Sant Ambroeus in Milan and New York made the pairing all the more fitting.
Drawing inspiration from 20th century architects like Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini and Marcel Breuer who reimagined Alpine architecture through the lens of the Modernism movement – most famously in the ski resort of Flaine, Breuer’s 1960s Brutalist masterpiece that stands out for its striking design and innovative use of concrete – Tagliaferri used concrete throughout the space, from the sinuous counter that greets patrons as they step inside, to the flagstone floor, to the banquette seating that extends along one side.