Bianco: Award-worthy Design with the Taste of Italy
Location: Bianco Italian Restaurant, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Project Type: countertop, backsplash, wall, table
Product: Natural stone marble in Carrara Gioia M702 3cm
Bianco is a gorgeous restaurant serving mouthwatering Italian cuisine in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Natural lighting shines in from floor to ceiling windows, industrial touches play off the concrete flooring, and stunning Daltile Carrara Gioia marble slabs create a seamless and uniquely elegant experience as the dressing for an exquisite dining experience.
A new addition to the downtown Edmonton scene, Bianco is nothing short of a labor of love. Every detail in the beautiful, Italian eatery is part of its thoughtful and intentional design. Every countertop, table top and serving area wall features beautiful Carrara Gioia marble slab from Daltile.
Sid Assaf of OCI Architecture, part of the design and architecture team behind Bianco, custom designed every aspect of the space from the windows, to the lighting, as well as suggestions for space utilization. “Bianco is one of the two newest and nicest spaces in Edmonton. Literally everything from A to Z was customized. I didn’t want someone to get cheated from seeing the room, so every single seat in the restaurant has a unique view and a different experience. I didn’t want the eating experience to be repetitive or for a patron to experience everything in one visit.”
Assaf was also in charge of the renovation of the tower in which Bianco is located. Assaf’s firm has moved their offices to the tower as well. “People are going to start accusing me of building this tower for myself, with all the beautiful features and delicious food nearby.”
Sid Assaf of OCI Architecture, part of the design and architecture team behind Bianco, custom designed every aspect of the space from the windows, to the lighting, as well as suggestions for space utilization. “Bianco is one of the two newest and nicest spaces in Edmonton. Literally everything from A to Z was customized. I didn’t want someone to get cheated from seeing the room, so every single seat in the restaurant has a unique view and a different experience. I didn’t want the eating experience to be repetitive or for a patron to experience everything in one visit.”
Assaf was also in charge of the renovation of the tower in which Bianco is located. Assaf’s firm has moved their offices to the tower as well. “People are going to start accusing me of building this tower for myself, with all the beautiful features and delicious food nearby.”
Joe Viana, co-owner of Bianco, knows a thing or two about good food and beautiful design. He has exclusively used Daltile products in his restaurants for the last 25 years. Sister restaurant to the acclaimed Rosso Pizzeria, Bianco has a special personality from his other establishments.
“When my brother first came to me, we initially talked about using a marbleized quartz. But when we talked application and where the product was going to be used, we decided to go with natural stone,” said Roy Viana, director of slab division for Daltile and Joe’s brother. “I’ve been in the natural stone/countertop business for more than twenty-five years. I essentially live and breathe countertop products.”
“When my brother first came to me, we initially talked about using a marbleized quartz. But when we talked application and where the product was going to be used, we decided to go with natural stone,” said Roy Viana, director of slab division for Daltile and Joe’s brother. “I’ve been in the natural stone/countertop business for more than twenty-five years. I essentially live and breathe countertop products.”
“My brother is very particular and has owned a few restaurants,” Roy continued, “but I knew this restaurant was going to be different just due to the number of questions he asked me relating to stone and countertops. In this particular case, the white Carrara Gioia was not just the best choice, but also the better cost option – although cost didn’t play a role in the decision. My brother was looking for a particular look and feel. All I did was walk him through certain products and how they perform. When he told me that some of the application areas would be interior and exterior walls, as well as feature areas, I suggested Carrara Gioia. He decided to use marble from Italy.”
“Obviously as an Italian restaurant, we wanted to make it feel very Italian, in addition to functional and clean. That’s why we used the Carrara Gioia,” Joe added. “The stone is really good for restaurants and we used it for every countertop - from the bar and pasta station to all the tables. In restaurants, three marble slabs is a lot. We used 26 slabs in this restaurant. Filippo Maiorana, who did the installation and has been working in the industry for 35 years, told me that this is the most marble he’s ever used in one fitting.”
“Obviously as an Italian restaurant, we wanted to make it feel very Italian, in addition to functional and clean. That’s why we used the Carrara Gioia,” Joe added. “The stone is really good for restaurants and we used it for every countertop - from the bar and pasta station to all the tables. In restaurants, three marble slabs is a lot. We used 26 slabs in this restaurant. Filippo Maiorana, who did the installation and has been working in the industry for 35 years, told me that this is the most marble he’s ever used in one fitting.”
Maiorana describes himself as a stone purist, in the sense that he loves natural material - especially marble. “Marble is delicate and there is a different scope of parameters when working with such a beautiful, soft stone. In general, marble is tougher to install because it is more fragile and therefore more likely to break.”
“This was one of the more detailed and difficult projects undertaken by Maiorana Stone Inc. It happened in the dead of winter in -31°C. Joe (Viana) and Dave (Manna, co-owner of Bianco) had requested some of the slabs to be cut with sharp mitered corners so the pieces would fit together seamlessly. You have to have a lot of patience to complete a delivery like that without damaging any of the material. The hardest part was preparing the slabs for the main feature bar, which is U-shaped, and has this waterfall detail that wraps all the way around. It was an extensive process because there were so many pieces to line up and fit together,” Maiorana explained.
“This was one of the more detailed and difficult projects undertaken by Maiorana Stone Inc. It happened in the dead of winter in -31°C. Joe (Viana) and Dave (Manna, co-owner of Bianco) had requested some of the slabs to be cut with sharp mitered corners so the pieces would fit together seamlessly. You have to have a lot of patience to complete a delivery like that without damaging any of the material. The hardest part was preparing the slabs for the main feature bar, which is U-shaped, and has this waterfall detail that wraps all the way around. It was an extensive process because there were so many pieces to line up and fit together,” Maiorana explained.
“However, once we got the marble onsite, the installation process was a lot easier.” Maiorana continued. “The quality was excellent and very consistent. Every slab was consistent in hone and veining. It made the finished installations seamless and look like they were all cut from one block of marble. It looks very natural and planned. This is not always the case with Carrara, as it can vary from slab to slab. This product was excellent.”
“Have you ever been to Italy to see the statue of David?” Joe asked. “That’s Carrara. Carrara is exclusive to Italy. You can’t get white marble with that same look from anywhere else. When you see it, you know it’s Italian.”
“I had two goals in mind when designing this space,” said Assaf. “First, when I went into the space, I was struck by how stark and how prevalent concrete was. This space had belonged to another restaurant that had concrete ceilings, walls, and flooring and had been demolished 10 years prior. Nobody had used this space in a decade. Now, I love concrete, but I wanted to make the concrete feel warm, while keeping the renovation cost-effective. My second goal was to make it inviting enough that patrons would want to stay a long time.”
“Have you ever been to Italy to see the statue of David?” Joe asked. “That’s Carrara. Carrara is exclusive to Italy. You can’t get white marble with that same look from anywhere else. When you see it, you know it’s Italian.”
“I had two goals in mind when designing this space,” said Assaf. “First, when I went into the space, I was struck by how stark and how prevalent concrete was. This space had belonged to another restaurant that had concrete ceilings, walls, and flooring and had been demolished 10 years prior. Nobody had used this space in a decade. Now, I love concrete, but I wanted to make the concrete feel warm, while keeping the renovation cost-effective. My second goal was to make it inviting enough that patrons would want to stay a long time.”
Daltile has had a similar effect on Joe. “Twenty-five years ago, I started using Daltile products in my restaurants. Those products are still there today even in the ones I no longer own. My first experience was very good and the service from the people at the warehouse in Edmonton kept me coming back. Whenever I need help, I can just call the manager and say ‘Hey Tasha, I need 40 more square feet of the octagonal tile’. She will quickly order it from Calgary and it will be here in Edmonton just a few days later. It’s wonderful that Daltile has its very own stone division because I don’t have to deal with multiple suppliers; I can deal with just one person for the different areas and products I need in my restaurant.”
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