Design Courier

DAV Restaurant: a Milanese treat signed by Andrea Maffei Architects

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Located on the first floor of the Allianz Tower, the high rise designed by Arata Isozaki and Andrea Maffei in the Citylife district of Milan, where it boasts of being the skyscraper with the largest number of floors – fifty to be precise – the DAV restaurant is a real treat signed by Andrea Maffei Architects. In its primary stages the project was that of a conversion of intended use. In fact, it is a former office space destined to host the first Milanese model of the three-stars Da Vittorio restaurant in the new DAV formula, specifically designed for a young and urban clientele. The atmosphere that the re-design operation intends to evoke is that of metropolitan cities, such as Tokyo, Shanghai and New York. 

DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects <br /> Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects
Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects <br /> Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects
Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna

As for the project structure, the kitchen has been placed on the north side of the tower, on the south side there is the reception for guests and the large rectangle in the centre houses the restaurant itself. The physiognomy of the space starts from the cocktail bar of first reception to continue along the glazed facade in the direction of the outside terrace. Each of these areas is characterized by the same finishes, so as to give the idea of a single fluid space that accompanies the customer from the entrance to the table.

Coming to the specifics of interior design, the main architectural motif is that of a long wooden boiserie composed of pyramids that rotate in different directions suggesting the geometry of fractal calculations. This theme develops consistently along the entire wall of the main hall, offering a unique background to a moment of conviviality. Also the doors of the services and those of the storage rooms have been covered in wood so as to make them disappear behind the geometric design.

DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects <br /> Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects
Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects <br /> Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects
Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna

Particular attention was also paid to the lighting-technical aspects of the rooms. The sliding lights from above were designed to give, through shadows and reflections, greater relief to the geometrical theme, whose longitudinal development continues up to the kitchens. The choice of not providing the room with a uniform light, but rather to concentrate it on the walls and tables, was intentional. The outcome is a soft and metropolitan atmosphere, where the focus is on the tables. On the ceiling, a series of inclined transverse slats defines the shape of the sound-absorbing panels, doubled in correspondence to the table lighting spotlights. Acoustic comfort is indeed another of Andrea Maffei Architects’ prerogatives.

DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects <br /> Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects
Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects <br /> Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna
DAV Restaurant, Milan, Italy, Andrea Maffei Architects
Image copyright: @Andrea Martiradonna

As for the floors and walls of the remaining parts of the restaurant, these are covered in porcelain stoneware with a Piasentina stone effect in a light grey colour, which defines a neutral and material base. In addition to the already mentioned bar counter, we also find an appetizer bar and a glass pizza box that offers customers the opportunity to see the dishes being prepared. The chefs can be seen while creating their dishes, thus proposing to the customers a real live cooking show. The colour choice for the counters was that of the light grey Thala stone, in order to give continuity to the idea of a cold toned base on which the warmth of the cherry wood panelling material develops in contrast. 

Coming to the last highlight, the large outdoor space corresponding to the terrace offers a second significant backdrop to the restaurant through the windows of Torre Allianz. There is an additional cocktail bar and a hors d’oeuvres counter in the centre, featuring the same Thala stone finishes as the restaurant. Around the counter we find tables and chairs distributed according to the shape of the green pools that make up the landscape of the terrace.

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