Delicious custom-made solutions in Berlin

Since 1998, the Caffè e Gelato ice cream parlour in Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz has been offering its customers a unique and delicious taste of Italy. The enduring appeal of artisanal ice cream is reflected in a recent restyling project completed in 2022 by Milan-based firm Azzolini Tinuper, who used a mixture of warm colours to create a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere. The first step in the project involved designing a customised logo consisting of a circle inscribed in a square. The same motif was adopted as an important decorative element on the floors, mirror surfaces, seats and walls thanks to cooperation between the Milanese design team and the company ABK chosen to supply the interior tiles, a collaboration that also involved making bespoke cuts of certain tile sizes.
Inside the ice cream parlour, customers can choose between five different seating areas, each inspired by an Italian city.
White and coffee tones dominate the Milan area in a tribute to the busy, industrious city and Italy’s design capital, while the Rome area features the colours cream and gold alongside the large street-facing windows. The central Venice area references the idea of a piazza, while the Florence area offers a close-up view of the food preparation area. Finally, in the Naples area, the colours green and blue have been added to the palette.
The Eco Chic porcelain tile collection with its perfect reproduction of the warmth and aesthetics of wood plays an important role in the interior design project. The Avana coloured 10×60 cm plank was specially cut and installed to create an orthogonal, geometric grid motif coordinated with the other surfaces. A custom-made pattern in a 60×60 cm size was also created according to the design firm’s specifications.
Finally, the walls of the open food preparation areas, one for ice-cream production and the other for fruit and small pastries, are decorated with Sand coloured brick format tiles (Crossroad collection) installed vertically.
“The overall success of the project owes much to the cooperation of the Italian companies which produced the tailor-made furnishings and surface coverings,” explain Paola Azzolini and Paola Tinuper. “We were familiar with the potential of ABK and ceramic digital printing technology because a few years ago we designed the Brera decorative tile for the company’s Wide&Style collection. During the development stage of the Caffè e Gelato project in Berlin, ABK proved to be an excellent partner. It took on board all the solutions we had developed and adapted its products and technology to our design requirements. The resultant material, porcelain stoneware, combines a unique and exclusive aesthetic with guaranteed versatility of use and technical performance.”