For 50 years we have applied our expertise to implementing exclusive projects made to measure to overcome architectural restrictions and find optimum solutions to meet our clients’ needs.
We have used this approach to create important kitchen equipment for the Hotel Brunelleschi, a boutique hotel and prestigious 4* structure in the heart of Florence. The building occupied by the hotel is located in the city’s Renaissance district and is the most ancient tower in the Tuscan city.
The elegant location comprises 96 rooms, including suites, all provided with every comfort. Some of the accommodation enjoys an exclusive view of Florence’s Duomo.
The Hotel Brunelleschi hosts two eating venues. The first is a traditional restaurant that specialises in flavourful Tuscan cuisine. The second is a gourmet address that achieved its first two star acknowledgement at last November’s Michelin Guide Awards 2021.
The prestigious two-star restaurant is the Santa Elisabetta, run by Chef Rocco De Santis. It is a gourmet address situated on the first floor of the Byzantine Torre Pagliazza, a location unique in the world that enjoys a perfect view of Brunelleschi’s dome, the symbol of Florence. The tower is the only one in the city with a circular base, and it dates back to Roman times. Over the centuries it has also been a female prison and the bell tower of a medieval church.
Designing kitchen equipment in an area featuring such architectural restrictions turned out to be a complex project, which we successfully completed thanks to our technical know-how underpinned by 50 years of experience and competence in producing customised professional kitchens.
The restaurant’s kitchen space was particularly limited, with a non-linear perimeter and an area of less than 20 ㎡. Due to the history of the building hosting the Santa Elisabetta, it was not possible to do anything with the tower’s original structure, so it was necessary to make use of every centimetre of the space available, using entirely tailor-made solutions for this fine dining restaurant.
For this project GICO designed, planned and implemented a totally customised layout, organising the space in the best way possible and optimising the work flow in the kitchen.
The project comprises three different cooking areas, three zones for preparation, preservation and a hot pass, and notwithstanding the limited space, there is everything a top quality kitchen must have. This was made possible by combining different GICO solutions at the planning stage: single Fusion tops, drop-in elements and several 100% tailor made series and dimensions, all our own production.
Customisation of our equipment extends not only to kitchen layout, but also to the individual appliances included in the project. For the Ristorante Santa Elisabetta** we combined:
• gas appliances, such as the classical open burners and solid tops, with the latest in electrical technology for induction cooking;
• hot, cold and neutral elements, distributed in the three different kitchen zones, as required by the proprietor;
• electronic warmer drawers fitted under the worktop, useful for holding food at a set temperature and humidity, and for low-temperature cooking, another of Chef Rocco De Santis’ requests.
All this in kitchen equipment that guarantees excellent performance, precision in cooking and consumption limited to what’s necessary during use.
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