Moleskine Café

WORDS Cheri Morris IMAGES Michele Morosi via designweek.co.uk

Classic stationery brand Moleskine has partnered with Interbrand to bring creatives a three-dimensional version of the Moleskine notebook in the form of a café in the heart of Milan’s Brera Design District.

The double-level café offers a creative space for architects, illustrators, designers, film directors and creatives alike to make a contemporary reinterpretation of the Parisian “café littéraire” – a place where people meet to discuss literature and exchange ideas while drinking fine coffee.

Brews from Milan-based coffee connoisseurs Sevengrams accompany a sumptuous range of gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups and rich breakfast/brunch selections to ensure that not only the minds of the creatives are well-fed. You can even purchase their coffee beans in Moleskine packaging.

The first of its kind in Milan, this creative space serves as a café, art gallery, Moleskine store and library. The design is based on the style of the classic Moleskine notebook with clean aesthetics and a contemporary palette of neutral colours.

The ground floor offers an open-plan space with shared seating to encourage the exchange of ideas and sharing of work, while the mezzanine level offers a quieter more private space with separate seating and sofa space, ideal for reading and reflecting. There is also an experience table where customers can feel different grades of paper and try out various Moleskine products, including the new Moleskine smart notebook.

The dedicated exhibition space is set to host a range of work by artists, illustrators and architects throughout the month and offers an expressive space for people to sketch, doodle and make notes.