Portfolio: LoSurdo’s Fresh Food Market, Sydney

TRADITIONAL STREET-FOOD markets, with their buzzy energy and boundless stalls of brilliant produce, were the inspiration behind the newly opened LoSurdo’s Fresh Food Market in Sydney’s Chatswood Chase shopping center. The more than 15,000-square-foot, family-owned flagship offers an uncomplicated and uncluttered shopping experience where the food is the hero. Every visit, from a weekly grocery trip to an aisle-by-aisle hunt for unfamiliar recipe ingredients, is meant to evoke a sensorial and emotional experience. The market should bring joy, says Mark Landini, Creative Director at Landini Associates (Sydney), which partnered with the premium grocer for the flagship’s design. (The design of the original LoSurdo’s location was one of the Australian design studio’s founding food projects 30 years ago.)

“When it comes to local markets, the design should be invisible,” Landini says. “It’s all about the merchandise – how it’s presented, lit and experienced by customers. Our new design for LoSurdo’s reflects this philosophy, something that taps into the psyche of customers all over the world, offering a vibrant marketplace where produce, fresh food and connection take center stage while promoting operational efficiency for the business.”

Inside the store, the in-house bakery, butcher, live seafood counter and deli showcase the retailer’s commitment to craftsmanship with on-hand experts at the ready. The counters recall traditional food markets with unique signage that features hanging cured meats or wheels of cheese stacked high overhead. Within the locally sourced produce area, angled ceiling mirrors reflect the colorful fruits and veggies, amplifying their abundance while also spotlighting the bold, oversized Italian terrazzo flooring underfoot.

PHOTO GALLERY (16 IMAGES)

PHOTOS: Trevor Mein, Melbourne, Australia