Lavazza, an Italian coffee maker famous for its espresso and coffee blends, is serving Italy’s penchant for the robust beverage with its latest store concept, Espression by Lavazza. The design, by Milan-based Crea Intl., is reminiscent of the Italian 1950s, yet with a contemporary twist. It’s a nod to the slow nature in which Italy’s populace enjoys coffee and also to the drink itself – a sensory experience based on the balance between sweet and bitter, strong and light, thick and smooth.

Large graphics with an ethereal, ’50s-style quality surround the walls and illustrate people drinking Lavazza espresso. The lighting is warm, glowing from oblong ivory pendants decorated in the shop’s signature red “scribble” pattern. That scribble, which designers say expresses the company’s creativity, adds a modern feel to tables and walls.

Steel, stone and a briar-root veneer material make up the ordering counter. The vintage-inspired furniture, all selected from Italian companies, encourages coffee drinkers to relax.

Client: Lavazza, Turin, Italy

Design: Crea Intl., Milan, Italy — Maurizio Favetta, creative director; Massimo Fabbro, client leader; Chung Yi Yang, design director

General Contractor: Maligno, Cuneo, Italy

Fixtures: Maligno, Cuneo, Italy

Furniture: Maligno, Cuneo, Italy; Tonon, Udine, Italy; Max Design, Udine, Italy; Sintesi, Florence, Italy; Tacchini, Milan, Italy; Driade, Piacenza, Italy; Segis, Siens, Italy

Lighting: Philips/Ansorg, Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany

Signage/Graphics/Wallcoverings/Materials: Maligno, Cuneo, Italy; 3M, Milan, Italy

Photography: Giacomo Giannini, Milan, Italy