Lucia Restaurant & Bar
Agency
Role
Full Service Design:
Identity Design
Identity Systems
All Print Design
Packaging Design
Wayfinding
Placemaking
Art Procurement + Production
User Experience
Responsive Website Design
Website Development
Collaborators
Press
A modern mediteranean restaurant in South Melbourne serving European fare and a vault full of 400+ wines.
Blurr Bureau, Melbourne, AUS
Art Direction
Full Service Design:
Identity Design
Identity Systems
All Print Design
Packaging Design
Wayfinding
Placemaking
Art Procurement + Production
User Experience
Responsive Website Design
Website Development
Social Media Design
Client Handover
Naming, Tone of Voice & CD:
Jessica Dimcevski, Patrick Yovanov
Project Management:
Pauline Delit, Stephanie Dodds
Collage Art:
Simone Esterhuizen
Spatial Photography:
Arianna Leggiero
Context
The seasoned restauranteurs behind Nové Hospitality, with a knack for creating loyal regulars decided to create a restaurant dedicated to serving delicious Meditarranean fare to the inner city with their fourth restaurant, Lucia, with a ton of personality.
Lucia's story is mysterious, elusive and stanchly Italian. To capture the allure of Lucia, we created a brand world that would fold into every single touchpoint of the diner's experience – from signage to digital to print, from uniforms to wine glasses – every piece of the experience draws you in with mystery and leaves you craving more.

Lucia Restaurant & Bar
A modern mediteranean restaurant in South Melbourne serving European fare and a vault full of 400+ wines.
The seasoned restauranteurs behind Nové Hospitality, with a knack for creating loyal regulars decided to create a restaurant dedicated to serving delicious Meditarranean fare to the inner city with their fourth restaurant, Lucia, with a ton of personality. Lucia's story is mysterious, elusive and stanchly Italian. To capture the allure of Lucia, we created a brand world that would fold into every single touchpoint of the diner's experience – from signage to digital to print, from uniforms to wine glasses – every piece of the experience draws you in with mystery and leaves you craving more.
Agency
Blurr Bureau, Melbourne, AUS
Role
Art Direction
Full Service Design:
Identity Design
Identity Systems
All Print Design
Packaging Design
Wayfinding
Placemaking
Art Procurement + Production
User Experience
Responsive Website Design
Website Development
Social Media Design
Client Handover
Collaborators
Naming, Tone of Voice & CD:
Jessica Dimcevski, Patrick Yovanov
Project Management:
Pauline Delit, Stephanie Dodds
Collage Art:
Simone Esterhuizen
Spatial Photography:
Arianna Leggiero
Press
A wordmark crafted to mimic the drastic architectural curves of the building that houses Lucia.




A brand crest as an ode to Saint Lucia of Syracuse – whose name means "light".

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Approach
The seasoned restauranteurs behind the Nové Group set out to push the envelope with a warm space that encompasses both: fine-dining and corporate-events in their private dining room. Lucia Restaurant and Bar was to balance traditional European heritage with modern twists. We imagined Lucia as a mysterious persona who gets away with anything using her magnetic charm and impeccable taste. The brand identity unfolds across the entire dining experience with an appreciation for classic food and modern artistry that only a true Italian could believe in. Along with a crafted wordmark, the brand ID consists of a crest (to bring in tradition) of Saint Lucia of Syracuse – whose name means "light". It plays with the tensions between light vs. dark, traditional vs. modern, formal vs. extravagant.


Frames inspired by the traditional windows of Italy






The various forms of Saint Lucia






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The Dining Experience
The guests dining at the restaurant's spaces are immersed in Lucia's world through art on the walls, menus, coasters, and details across the printed matter. The space features custom collage art that captures her lore and features "the eyes" repeatedly to pay homage to St. Lucia's eyes on a plate symbolism. Collage artist: Simone Esterhuizen.








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Placemaking, Signage and Wayfinding
Lucia is located at the base of a newly constructed corporate building with extravagant architectural characteristics. For the placemaking and signage, we played with coppers and old-money metallics that act as an extension of the brand's personality while subtly matching the finishes of the building for cohesion.



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Digital Experience
For Lucia's digital experience, we adopted the textures and layers of the artwork created a playful digital landscape where customers can experience the personality of the brand and make reservations to dine in. With the client's lean website budget, I designed and developed a responsive site via readymag with custom elements and interactions to play with.


Akansha Kukreja
Operations
New York City, USA
Melbourne, Australia
Mumbai, India
©
2024. All Rights Reserved.
Akansha Kukreja
Operations
New York City, USA
Melbourne, Australia
Mumbai, India