A Journey Between Past and Present

In 2016, within the Meda (MB) railway station, Nord Express Café was born—a bar with a unique character, made possible through a concession by Trenord. Housed in a former railway storage facility located on the platform, the space was completely restored, unveiling the original wooden beams and restoring the building to its original height and spaciousness.

The interior evokes the charm of historic railway waiting rooms, with elegant wooden boiserie covering the walls, adding warmth and refinement to the atmosphere.

The Illusion of Travel Through Design and Scenic Details
The café’s most distinctive feature is its bar counter, crafted from backlit glass and decorated with a silk-screen print of railway tracks. This scenic design choice creates a captivating optical illusion, giving the impression of standing directly on the station’s platform.

Enhancing this effect further, a yellow floor line running parallel to the counter mimics the typical platform safety markings, transforming the space into a visual metaphor for travel.

A Balance of Modernity, Tradition, and Irony
Nord Express Café is a perfect example of how design can transform a historic space into a contemporary environment without losing its original soul. Every detail has been carefully designed to create an ongoing dialogue between past and present, functionality and storytelling, resulting in a welcoming, elegant, and subtly ironic space—where the journey begins even before boarding the train.