{"id":1710,"date":"2025-08-10T16:01:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T16:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2025-08-11T10:18:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T10:18:03","slug":"inside-this-milan-wine-bar-studiomille-creates-a-cozy-gathering-space-rooted-in-filipino-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/2025\/08\/10\/inside-this-milan-wine-bar-studiomille-creates-a-cozy-gathering-space-rooted-in-filipino-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"inside this milan wine bar, studiomille creates a cozy gathering space rooted in filipino culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

wine bar in milan blends filipino heritage with a lived-in ambiance<\/h2>\n

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Earthy-toned curtains drape over the storefront of Balay, a wine bar<\/strong><\/a> on lively Via Maiocchi in Milan<\/strong><\/a>, designed by architectural practice Studiomille. This bar, whose name means ‘home’ in several Filipino languages, acts as a cozy spot for the neighborhood, offering natural wines and small plates influenced by Mediterranean and Filipino cuisine that come together under owner Ray Ibarra\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

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The designers preserve many of the original elements of the space, including patterned tiled floors and distressed plaster walls that provide a textured base for their additions. Dark woods and warm textiles alongside raw metals and rough finishes reflect the richness of traditional Filipino interiors, evoking the heterogeneous urban environment of Manila.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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all images by Delfino Sisto Legnani \/ DLS Studio<\/a><\/p>\n

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balay feels like stepping inside a neighbor’s home<\/h2>\n

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Led by Daniele Dematt\u00e8 and Luca Cozzani, the team<\/strong><\/a> at Studiomille organizes the interior around a conceptual horizontal split that divides the height into two distinct visual zones, guiding movement and sight lines throughout Balay.<\/p>\n

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A shelving system that displays Ray\u2019s personal collection of objects lines one of the walls, while at the center, a large multifunctional counter serves as a communal table, bar surface, and platform for events such as DJ sets. The curtain next to the bar’s<\/a><\/strong> entrance filters the city noise, inviting passersby to feel welcome as if stepping into a neighbor\u2019s home. The pendant light hanging above the bar references the geometric patterns found in traditional capiz shell windows, using reclaimed lighting optics salvaged from old office fixtures framed in dark wood. Opposite the bar, slender walnut shelves are mounted on a metal track system, so they can be moved and adjusted, while the street-facing shelves expose\u00a0their plasterboard structure, lit to show off the raw material that is usually hidden.<\/p>\n

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Outside, the long curtains appear as sculptural forms during the day, and at night they glow from the light inside. Preserved surfaces, varied materials, and flexible furnishings make Balay feel personal and shared, like a welcoming home that brings memories of the Philippines.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Balay means \u2018home\u2019 in several Filipino languages<\/p>\n

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a cozy spot for the neighborhood, offering natural wines and small plates<\/p>\n

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a shelving system displays the owner’s personal collection of objects<\/p>\n

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evoking the heterogeneous urban environment of Manila<\/p>\n

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\t\t\"milan-wine-bar-studiomille-home-gathering-space-filipino-culture-designboom-large01\"<\/p>\n

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Studiomille organizes the interior around a conceptual horizontal split<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

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a large counter serves as a communal table, bar surface, and platform for events such as DJ sets<\/p>\n

\"\"
the pendant light hanging above the bar references the geometric patterns found in capiz shell windows<\/p>\n

\t<\/p>\n

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\t\t\"milan-wine-bar-studiomille-home-gathering-space-filipino-culture-designboom-large02\"<\/p>\n

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dividing the height into two distinct visual zones<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

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the long curtains appear as sculptural forms during the day<\/p>\n

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plastic crates repurposed as outdoor seating<\/p>\n

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at night the curtains glow from the light inside<\/p>\n

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project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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name:<\/strong> Balay | @__balay<\/a><\/p>\n

architect:<\/strong> Studiomille | @millestudiomille<\/a><\/p>\n

location:<\/strong> Via Maiocchi 26, Milan, Italy<\/p>\n

owner:<\/strong> Ray Ibarra<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

creative direction:<\/strong> Oneplus + Emanuele Abbondanza<\/p>\n

visual identity:<\/strong> Oneplus<\/p>\n

uniform design:<\/strong> Ascend Beyond<\/p>\n

technical support:<\/strong> Pareschi Studio<\/p>\n

sound system:<\/strong> Marco Livietti<\/p>\n

photographer: <\/strong>Delfino Sisto Legnani \/ DLS Studio<\/a><\/p>\n

The post inside this milan wine bar, studiomille creates a cozy gathering space rooted in filipino culture<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

wine bar in milan blends filipino heritage with a lived-in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1710"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1723,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions\/1723"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}