Concrete expression of an ideal, a virtuous project completed, a real bridge linking "in here" with "out there" for the first time: InGalera is Italy’s first restaurant open to the public located inside a prison, the one in Milano Bollate, known for its emphasis on prisoner rehabilitation, offering an excellent example of synergy between the public and private sectors which not only provides inmates with training and work experience that will be useful to them in the outside world but offers everyone an opportunity to experience the inside of a prison and reflect on the meaning of incarceration.

Restaurant InGalera - Bollate (MI)
Restaurant InGalera - Bollate (MI)

The interiors, designed by architect Augusta Comi, are the product of her interpretation of the simple, severe lines characteristic of prisons: places where function definitely prevails over aesthetic and formal considerations. Use of pastel hues and geometric shapes on the walls and in the furnishings picks up on the theme of the window frames on the walls, giving the space a light, elegant sobriety.

Restaurant InGalera - Bollate (MI)
Restaurant InGalera - Bollate (MI)

Pedrali's furnishings fit harmoniously with the restaurant’s happy mood and cosy atmosphere: the thin, linear form and "light" image of the polypropylene Volt chair, with and without armrests, in white and beige, designed by Claudio Dondoli and Marco Pocci, goes perfectly with the simplicity of the square stainless steel tables with painted white bases and wooden table tops.