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As the birthplace of the contemporary espresso brew, Milan is the natural home for Starbucks’ new high-end café and roastery concept. The first in Europe under the brand’s upscale Reserve Roastery umbrella, the space is a celebration of the city’s coffee traditions, and combines an elegant tasting room with a state-of-the-art Roastery.
Located in Piazza Cordusio, in the heart of Milan, Starbucks' new space is an upscale ‘theatre of coffee’, offering an immersive experience that takes customers on a journey spanning the bean roasting process, together with the grinding and brewing methods.
The café and Roastery were conceived as a luxury Willy Wonka-inspired coffee factory, articulated around the copper-clad roasting cask, a stunning piece of industrial engineering. The bespoke design and high-quality finishes and materials are a tribute to Italian design and craftsmanship.
Exposed transparent pipes convey top-quality coffee beans from the bean silos to the cask, then feed the freshly roasted batches back to the main bars. Freshly baked goods from Italian artisan baker Rocco Princi complete the experience, together with a packaging and retail area, making up an innovative retail space with a respectful nod to tradition.
Working under a global framework with the client, Arup provided architecture, project management and all the engineering services, as well as permit consultancy and statutory roles - all from inception to final delivery.
Project Summary
1st Starbucks Roastery in Europe
2 year turnaround
2,500m2total area
Industrial tribute to Milan’s coffee heritage
Symbolically located at the historical heart of the city’s business district, the reserve roastery - the first of its kind in Europe - sits within a turn-of-the-century-palazzo, formerly the city’s old stock exchange. The key technical challenge of this project was the installation of Starbucks’ proprietary state-of-the art roastery within the magnificent, protected historical building.
Our sensitive approach to incorporating Starbucks’ bespoke industrial roaster won the approval of the municipality and heritage commission. The design respects the building’s original character, with three painstakingly restored floors and a mezzanine level which will be open to the public. The project covers a total area of 2,500 m² of which 900 m² are front of house.
“We worked with Starbucks to bring elegance, beauty and life to their vision of a Roastery in Milan, the city where design and coffee flow in the blood ”
James Finestone Director Talk to James
Turnkey services: from inception to delivery
Arup was instrumental in providing everything from fast-track due diligence and strategic project delivery advice to the timely completion of the construction phase through to the design development and procurement support. Specific services include Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Structural Engineering, Acoustic Consulting, BIM coordination and Project Management. On site, Arup was also in charge of the Site Supervision and the Statutory Roles.
One of the biggest challenges was coordinating the landlord’s shell and core works in the former Palazzo delle Poste, together with the tenant’s multidisciplinary design development. In order to coordinate all the disciplines and professionals involved, we used Building Information Modelling and Common Data Environment through all phases of the project and during the construction phases.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan is an outstanding example of Arup’s approach to total design, seamlessly integrating architecture, interior design and engineering, visible in every single detail of this stunning space.
