DRY milano by vudafieri-saverino partners: the soul of a bar with the spirit of a restaurant

in the heart of milan, the second location of gourmet pizza and cocktail restaurant ‘DRY milano’ is conceived around the dynamic relationship among people, with an ambience strongly characterized by soul, spirit, and memories. vudafieri-saverino partners chose an aesthetic theme that eliminates the filter between those working and those being served, creating a non-hierarchical space distribution between customer and staff. classical aesthetic codes are turned upside down — a non-visible oven, art instead of sports videos, and non-homogeneity between functions and spaces. 

all images by nathalie krag

in the design of DRY milano, vudafieri-saverino partners sought to reconcile the soul of the bar, and that of the restaurant. the insertion of the bar, interrupting the central nave, forces visitors to move through the space in an S-shape, forming a relationship with different environments which change according to the time, people, and intensity of light. the architectural project reinterprets the original period-style in which the building was built in a contemporary way, where beauty does not come from a single element, but rather the ability to harmonize the pre-existing and the new.

the entrance to DRY milano on viale vittorio veneto is dominated by a cocktail station, while the second room is dedicated to the pizzeria and restaurant. decorative elements blend original and modern motifs, with a new wooden floor contrasting the building’s raw original walls. the design of the tables pays homage to the poetic aesthetic of aldo cibic. brass is the venue’s most significant material element, characterizing most of the furniture finishings and lighting. the lamps are either recycled incandescent bulbs, or twisted luminous garlands around simple bars. ‘extra dry’, the contemporary video art installation curated by paola clerico/case chiuse, further contributes to the restaurant’s urban atmosphere.