Chicho Gelato Production Lab

Designer: Bosske Architecture

Photographer: Traianos Pakioufakis

The new HQ of Chicho Gelato encapsulates the best of the Mount Lawley and its
quintessential style that, while nuanced, has a distinctive and instantly recognisable
design aesthetic. As a suburb deeply-rooted in the migrant community of Perth,
today it vibrates with a blend of exuberance, electricity, and a splash of neon against
an Art Deco backdrop. Chicho Gelato’s newly opened retail gelateria features a
therefore befittingly bold décor, with a state-of-the-art kitchen facility that has been
purpose-built to expand the flavour exploration of its ice cream empire.

Hailing from Italian and Greek backgrounds, Carly and Cesare “Chez” De Bartolo,
are proud to amplify their European roots and infuse it through their business with a
modern Australian twist. “From the start we considered this build as a destination –
high on personality and integral to the neighbourhood,” says Carly. “The space has a
rich colour palette and hones in on the Australian migrant home in the suburbs with
elements like the vaulted corrugated ceilings, stucco plaster, patterned tiles, concrete
lion at the entrance and Pilbara dolomite stone.”

While at a practical level the project’s purpose was to increase production space,
lending itself to better efficiencies and the opportunity to be spread their creative
wings in a competitive market, Chez says the design is really about transparency.
“We’re putting our love for the creative process of gelato and design on show for the
public,” he says. “The spaces respond to our passion for design and considers the
palette of our other stores, so it acknowledges the journey we have been on whilst
adding a new chapter.”

The production area dictated the groundwork for the rest of the design, and the front
of house gelateria fell evolved from that. Caroline Hickey of Bosske Architecture
drew on material and an aesthetic that felt authentic to the location. “Mount Lawley’s
Art Deco architecture, post war housing, terracotta tiles, and renovated Italian
modernism find a home in many aspects of the scheme, providing colour, texture,
materials and forms,” Chez says.

A clever design solution unlocked a raft of issues with the existing building – once
home to the iconic Indian institution Gogo’s – lending the workable space required
but it also creating design intrigue. (think this needs rewording) “What’s most unique
about 556 Beaufort St is the sneaky laneway entry and the fact that the interiors are
lower than pavement level,” says Carly. “Entry to the building takes you down a set
of steps ramped laneway and thenwhere you enter from the side, which creates an
opportunity for a unique arrival sequence; alfresco area, universal access and a
reorientation of the planning of the building.”

Additionally, glimpses of the interiors can be captured from street. “The layering of
the internal program along the footpath sees the kitchen, shop and courtyard run in
parallel, perpendicular to the street,” says Chez. “Consequently, from footpath level
you peek into rooms and their operations, you see each space connected and
working together – we love the honesty and transparency of this.”
Inside, the store offers direct line-of-sight so customers feel connected with the
activity across the gelateria – witnessing the process from making, to serving, to
consuming.

Bosske Architecture followed through with all aspects of the design, architecture,
interiors and signage, while engineering was by Forth Consulting and building work
by Assemble.

Reconfiguring the old Gogo’s into something functional and cohesive that was fit for
purpose proved challenging. “We needed to do a lot more work to the building shell
to upgrade services and meet building code requirements than we had initially
thought,” Carly explains. “In order to accommodate our equipment and workflow
requirements, it ended up only a few main structural walls remained.”
The space has proved their largest and most complex project to get up and running,
with the Mount Lawley premises being the duo’s third gelateria, joining their
Northbridge and Fremantle shopfronts. “We’ve had many long nights of researching
the building and commissioning phases,” says Carly.” It is very exciting to see what
we can create in our new space which offers our customers a look inside Nonna's
home to our daily gelato production from all angles.”
Ten years ago, Carly and Chez began selling authentic gelato out of imported
Sicilian ice cream carts at markets and festivals. “Chez saw an article in a Monocle
magazine about Carpigiani Gelato University in Italy,” says Carly. “We enrolled to see
what it was all about and we haven't stopped thinking about milk, cream and fruit and
their different combinations since!”

“We are more creative with our collaborations and specials,
yet always endeavour to stay true to the authentic gelato making process, and use
the best ingredients we can find locally or abroad.”

The team say the secret is in ensuring each flavour is well balanced, clean and true
to the focused ingredients. “It can’t be masked by sweetness or ambushed by too
many additions or chunks,”

Chicho are about to embark on a new series of desserts or products where they ask
local home cooks to come and show their skills and specialties in-house, with the
first being honey dough balls known as struffoli or pignolata in southern Italy. They
are also planning to begin weekend “kitchen takeovers” where a chef comes in to
cook whatever they dream up, which offers an exciting experience for patrons to not
only taste but witness the process.

Chez and Carly say that while their business has evolved their goal has remained
steadfast – to serve the best gelato and sorbet in Perth and challenge themselves in
the process. “We see Chicho as connected to the past, creative in the present and
invested in the future,” Chez says. “That’s really what this new facility enables, and
we’re really excited about being part of the Perth cultural scene.”

Mount Lawley → 556 Beaufort St
Fremantle → 1 Cantonment St
Northbridge → 180 William St

We look forward to seeing you at Chicho Gelato Production Lab!

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