In Milan’s Isola district, Section80Bar, designed by studio wok architetti associati, takes shape as a hybrid urban device capable of merging functions, languages, and diverse audiences within a single, fluid space. Located on the ground floor of a building with a distinctive piano-tail shape, the project stems from the idea of dissolving the boundaries between interior and exterior, reinterpreting the venue as a contemporary urban underpass where the city enters the space and the space, in turn, flows back into the city.
The interiors are designed to flexibly accommodate and manage the venue’s multiple identities: a wine bar with kitchen, a listening bar equipped with a state-of-the-art cinematic LED wall, and a library area developed in collaboration with Edicola 518. Different functions coexist within a unified system conceived to adapt to various uses, times, and audiences.
Stylistic and material choices respond to a precise design intent: to create a space oriented toward the urban dimension, where the notion of domesticity deliberately takes a back seat in favor of a rougher, metropolitan aesthetic. The black cement terrazzo flooring establishes a direct dialogue with the surrounding asphalt sidewalks, while furnishings and interior elements are made from industrial materials typically used outdoors, such as galvanized steel and façade plaster, which covers all interior walls. Building systems and technological components are not concealed but rather openly displayed and emphasized for their functional and aesthetic language, fully consistent with the project’s overall approach.
Along the glazed façade facing Via Farini, a continuous system integrates display elements toward the exterior and black rubber-clad stepped seating toward the interior, reinforcing the idea of a threshold space between street and venue. Thanks to two movable bleachers and a set of custom-made modular tables, the space can be easily reconfigured to accommodate different uses and scenarios, from events and collective listening sessions to informal gatherings.
In the main hall, acoustic comfort becomes an integral part of the design: the ceiling is clad with pyramidal sound-absorbing panels, conceived to enhance the audio system. Lighting relies on a repeated linear graphic element that defines a new visual horizon and allows modulation of light intensity and color, creating ever-changing atmospheres within the space.
The room dedicated to the library is conceived as a neutral and luminous environment, characterized by a display system made of sheet metal shelves and a wall composed of galvanized spiral ducts, commonly used for air-conditioning systems. Here, the industrial element is reinterpreted as a decorative feature, seamlessly integrated into the project’s overall design language.
Attention to detail further contributes to the identity of the space: custom-designed handles featuring a pop language inspired by street art, black-painted plywood stools, and stackable stainless-steel carts in the library area all reinforce the informal and urban character of the venue.
Outdoors, the dehor completes the experience with a long bench made of galvanized tubular profiles, onto which circular metal tables are attached. A natural extension of the venue toward the street, conceived as a place for pause, encounter, and observation of urban life.
For more information, visit www.studiowok.com
CREDITS
Project: Section80Bar
Studio: studio wok architetti associati
Location: Milan, Italy
Year: 2024
Photography: Federico Villa
