Piccolina Gelateria by Hecker Guthrie References 1950s Southern Italy.

Hecker Guthrie have created a new flagship for Melbourne gelateria, Piccolina. Positioned on the Collingwood side of Smith Street, the new shop is layered with rich accents of emerald green and pistachio, and clad in forest-coloured, square-cut Italian tiles. A sweeping five-metre-long pozetti gelato bench displays Piccolina’s 20 gelato flavours, as well as its rotating specials, and four kinds of granita.

Owner Sandra Fonti wanted the space to echo 1950s Southern Italy—from the colourways through to the theatre of gelato, and the idea of home cooking and gathering around the kitchen. Coats of green are intended to reference the Italian flag, as is Projects of Imagination’s red, white, and green logo and packaging.

The green is also a nod to the building’s earlier occupancy. During the site’s renovation Hecker Guthrie exposed original architectural features, and worked only lightly to shape the new space. When the interior brickwork was exposed, pre-existing layers of paint in shades of green, cream, and brown were uncovered and became the foundation of the overall colour palette. Other restored original features include a pressed metal ceiling, terrazzo floor, and stone archway.

At 250 square metres, it’s about five times the footprint of the original Piccolina outpost in Hawthorn, with room for a new, larger commercial kitchen. A long bar overlooking the kitchen and pastry chefs allows patrons and gelato-enthusiasts to observe gelato and gelato cakes in the making. Adding to the theatre of the space are a set of low hanging moon-shaped pendants from Schoolhouse Electric, which run the length of the store.

See more from Hecker Guthrie on Yellowtrace.

[Images courtesy of Hecker Guthrie. Photography by Shannon McGrath.]