andrea maffei architects clads milan’s DAV restaurant interior in pyramid wooden panelling

the new restaurant is located on the first floor of milan's allianz tower, designed by the late arata isozaki and andrea maffei architects.

sofia lekka angelopoulou January 6, 2023 4 min

DAV Restaurant in the Allianz tower in Milan

Located on the first floor of the Allianz Tower, designed by the late Arata Isozaki and Andrea Maffei Architects, DAV is a new restaurant overlooking Milan’s Citylife complex. Seeking to evoke the atmosphere of large metropolises such as New York, Tokyo or Shanghai, the restaurant is characerized by a single fluid layout that unfolds as it follows the client to the table. Andrea Maffei Architects has used the same architectural finishes in the design of all the spaces so as not to separate the areas. Long wooden paneling, composed of pyramids that rotate in various ways resembling fractals, becomes the leading theme of the project, extending consistently on one side of the restaurant and serving as a backdrop to the main room.

Andrea Maffei Architects’ elegant interior design

Andrea Maffei Architects converted the first floor of the Allianz Tower from an office space to the first Milanese venue of the three Michelin star restaurant Da Vittorio, designed for a younger, more metropolitan audience. The layout of DAV includes the restaurant kitchen on the north side, the guest reception on the south side, and the central space, which is devoted to the restaurant, starting with an initial cocktail bar and then following the long glazed facade to an outdoor terrace.

The Milanese architects clad the walls in pyramid wood panelling as the project’s leading theme, while the rest of the walls and floors are covered in Laminam’s Pietra piasentina stoneware in a light gray tone that defines a neutral, textural base. In addition to the bar counter, there is a hors d’oeuvres counter and a glassed-in pizza box where clients may see how food is prepared. Chefs are in full view as they create dishes and become a spectacle for customers. All counters are covered with light gray pleated Thala stone to continue the idea of a cold gray base on which the textural warmth of the cherry-colored paneling is set by contrast.

andrea maffei architects clads milan's DAV restaurant interior in pyramid wooden panelling - 1 — the restaurant overlooks Milan’s Citylife complex

The restaurant atmosphere evokes a softer and more metropolitan character, while the focus is on the tables and what they display. The ceiling design follows the pace of the facade windows and doors with long dark gray wood laths. A series of slanted laths defines the shape of sound-absorbing panels that can be easily removed to do maintenance. The laths are coupled at points where adjustable spotlights are provided for concentrated lighting on the tables.

The large outdoor terrace is the restaurant’s other backdrop, through the long windows of the Allianz Tower. It includes an additional cocktail and hors d’oeuvres bar in the center, with the same Thala stone finishes as those in the restaurant. Tables and seating are arranged around the bar, following the progression of the green pools that create the terrace landscape.