Incorporated by Simone Micheli into an extension of a 19th century glue factory, the new Acquadulza Bar and Restaurant looks out over Lake Maggiore from the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort in the Italian municipality of Maccagno, Lombardy.

Architect Micheli says his work on the project was inspired by the love of his wife Roberta, who grew up around the area.

Entering the Acquadulza, the first thing you notice is the black lacquered MDF tasting bar. The booth, in one of Micheli’s signature rounded freeform shapes, has a satin-finish, stainless steel interior created by Eledil, which is based in nearby Varese.

It is fitted out with its own sink, with tapware by Gessi and fridges for wine. The blackness of the bar is emphasised by the backdrop of stark, white walls.

The monochromatic theme is all-encompassing, with a white floor of metamorphic gneiss rock supplied by Iris Ceramica and a washed-out plasterboard ceiling. Taking inspiration from the ancient vaults of the Renaissance, Micheli cut holes in the walls, adding a contemporary twist by making them square and painting the insides black.

The illusion of added space is created by large, holed mirrors, again in traditional Micheli freeforms. These are backlit by blue LEDs from Targetti Sankey.

From the dining tables you can see the restaurant curving round behind the tasting bar through an arch. The chairs, covered in black ecoleather, were supplied by Sedie Friuli de Fonsarig.

The bar is separated from the restaurant by a long corridor that houses the ladies’ and gents’ toilets. The walls, ceilings and floors of the conveniences are covered in glossy silver ceramics with a cute goat motif, referencing the mountain surroundings.

The mirrored wall separating the Simas Aqua Space toilets from the vanity area also closes to reveal the sandblasted, ceiling-high silhouette of a goat.

A sliding glass door, sandblasted with geometric shapes, opens through to the 70m² bar area, which has white rock walls punctuated with lime-green shapes.

One of these is the MDF lacquered serving bar, which has stainless steel sides and bar stools. Sandblasted mirrors back the bar and extend to the ceiling, creating a feeling of disorientation, as if the space were endless.

The Acquadulza is an unexpected shock of modern design set atop ancient mountains, described by Micheli as ‘a story of the beauty of contrasting materials and lights’. And all this for the love of a good woman.