Pop-up canteen with a difference

Designed by Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA)

International design and innovation firm CRA has completed the construction of Quisimangia (“Here we eat”), the new company canteen for Mutti, a global leader in tomato-based products, located in Montechiarugolo (Parma), in the heart of Italy’s Food Valley. 

The expansive, light-filled space was created by excavating a section of the site’s terrain and elevating it above ground level, to integrate the space with its natural surroundings. 

The canteen, operated by a culinary team renowned for its Michelin-starred restaurants, will serve both factory workers and external diners and function as a restaurant by night. 

The structure was created by excavating a section of the site’s terrain and elevating it above ground level to integrate the space with its natural surroundings. 

This project marks a continuation of the partnership between CRA and Mutti, which began with the masterplan for a new factory and production site and was followed by The Greenary, a private residence that has become one of CRA’s most awarded buildings.

This new project features a dining hall crowned by a green roof made from compacted earth sourced directly from the site. 

Diners, seated in a recessed glass structure, are fully immersed in the surrounding vegetation, eating at the same level as the exterior meadow. 

The design evokes the image of a clod of earth lifted from the ground – the soil is elevated up to 5m above ground, covering an indoor area of almost 500m² for a total area of 1200m².

Quisimangia will be managed by ViCook, the catering arm of brothers Chicco and Bobo Cerea, famed for their Michelin-starred Da Vittorio restaurants in Bergamo, St. Moritz, and Shanghai. 

It will be open to both Mutti employees and, in the near future, to the public. 

Adjacent to the new dining hall, an old tavern visible from the road has been renovated to serve as the canteen’s kitchen. 

The canteen will be an open space where people can meet in a friendly environment.

The gardens outside – a 1.1ha garden designed by Italian award-winning landscape architect Paolo Pejrone – showcase the bounty of the local region. 

The design reinterprets the 18th Century French concept of 'ha-ha', which means surprising the viewer by creating a vertical barrier while preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond from the other side, allowing guests to immerse themselves in nature.

his project illustrates our quest to merge the natural with the artificial, says Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA, professor at MIT, and curator of the Biennale Architettura 2025. 

“This clod of earth rising from the ground creates a constant dialogue with nature – instead of a ‘déjeuner sur l’herbe’ we could call it a ‘déjeuner sous l’herbe’, dining under the grass."

The Mutti Canteen is much more than a dining hall; it is an expression of our commitment to quality and sustainability, says Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti.

 “Integrating the natural beauty of our surroundings with cutting-edge design, we are offering an environment where our employees can connect with both the land and each other in a meaningful way.”

The principles of circularity are evident throughout the building’s design. 

The canteen also features a unique floor made from tomato skins – byproducts of Mutti’s production line. 

It is estimated that more than 3000kg of waste material were used to create this floor. 

The facility is equipped with advanced environmental control technologies to minimise energy consumption.

CRA’s designs emphasise the relationship between the natural and the artificial, pushing the boundaries of innovative construction materials. 

Story by: Trendsideas