Our client, inspired by his youth in Italy and holidays on the Tuscan coast, sought to recreate the essence of Italian dining in a contemporary setting. Key to the restaurant’s huge success is its elegant and welcoming atmosphere, with an interior that works for a high-end evening meal as much as it does for a casual weekend brunch. Modern Italian food is served within an interior made with the values and materials of its namesake Tuscan seaside town, Forte dei Marmi.

Set inside a 1938 Mediterranean Revival building in South Beach, we have made a sensitive restoration of the Modernist-influenced exterior, and completely refurbished its interior. Designing every dimension of the experience—from its planning and materials to the cutlery and concepts for events—we have brought the spirit of Italian lifestyle and cuisine to South Beach. 

We sourced Italian travertine from Tuscany, and referenced design elements from Adalberto Libera’s 1937 masterpiece, the Villa Malaparte in Capri. Landscape architect Enzo Enea used Italian oleander in the gardens, and we designed an enormous marble buffet table for weekend brunches. Upstairs, a social club and salon provides a flexible venue for dining, art installations, and intimate musical performances.

With absolute focus on every space, detail, and nuance, we realized an interior with sensitivity and romance. Forte dei Marmi attracts patrons not only for its memorable food and wine, but also for this distillation of the Italian spirit and reminder of the languid pace of the coast—be it Tuscany or South Beach.