CIRCOLO POPULARE
London, 2019
Studio Kiki for Big Mamma Group
"The hottest place in town." — Jimi Famurewa, Evening Standard
Circolo Populare arrived as Big Mamma Group's most ambitious London statement yet - a 280-cover Sicilian-inspired trattoria in the heart of Fitzrovia, nearly double the size of their celebrated debut, Gloria.
As one of two designers on the project, I led concept development and detailing from initial brief through to post-opening snagging. The creative challenge was specific: to create a space that felt genuinely, unself-consciously Italian — not a pastiche — while delivering something visually arresting enough to define the brand's next chapter. The result was a maximalist interior of floor-to-ceiling spirit bottles, fairy-lit hanging botanicals and layered texture that has become one of London's most recognised dining rooms.
