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You wanted to convey a different, contemporary idea of Japan.
What does that mean?
I found myself thinking about how, often, in restaurants inspired
by a specific cuisine, there’s an effort to recreate the atmosphere
of that certain country. The outcome is necessarily a fake, not just
because the original style is moulded to our taste, but because we
live in a society that is so contaminated that cultures, tastes and
influences mix constantly. This happens in cooking as well as in
architecture. With IYO Aalto, I knew I didn’t want to design a set. I
asked myself: what is it that we associate with Japan, at a deep-
er level? A gentle touch, gracefulness, attention to detail, natural
materials. So that was what I worked on and though I never spoke
with the chef, it turned out I was on the right path: his philosophy in
the kitchen is the same. The sushi counter was a different story: it
explicitly reproduces the model of Tokyo’s Edomae sushi.
How did you organize the interiors?
The organization was dictated by the restaurant’s floor plan, made
of two separate areas connected by a corridor, by workplace reg-
ulations and study of the workflow. One area is almost entirely
taken up by the 40 m2 open kitchen, the other by the actual dining
area, comprising the sushi counter and the 38 cover fine dining
restaurant. I didn’t want to use blind partitions between the bar and
the dining room, so I went for a modular glass system to divide the
space. I liked the idea of a fluid environment, where the eye is free
to wander without seeing what’s on the other side.
I played with volumes on an emotional level: when you walk into the
restaurant, the space seems compact, then it appears to expand
thanks to the hanging float glass panels. Once you enter the dining
area, the ceiling looks higher. But it’s an optical illusion, the ceiling
is actually the same height throughout.
How did you design the lighting and what’s the relationship
between natural and artificial light?
This project, unlike many others, wasn’t about sensational lighting
at all costs. Light comes from below or is aimed at the centre of
the table, the stage upon which the act of eating is played out.
The big windows overlooking the city let in plenty of natural light:
sliding black walnut panelling acts as brise soleil, allowing to filter
the light from outside depending on the moment or the occasion.
Canaletto walnut, brass, leather, Trentino porphyry: why did
you choose these materials and what is their role?
Eating in a fine dining restaurant is an all-encompassing experi-
ence: as a client, you don’t just want to be comfortable; you want
to take everything in – the materials, the details. I chose natural
materials because they are what we most deeply associate with
an Oriental aesthetic: because of the small size of the premises I
could only pick one type of wood – so I went for canaletto walnut.
But rather than on the materials, I would say I focused more on
the details, which I curated almost obsessively. Even the screws
in the furnishings are custom made.
What’s the restaurant’s relationship with the city?
IYO Aalto’s extraordinary location, on the first floor of the Solaria
Tower, in the middle of the Porta Nuova axis, is key. I think this is
the most interesting urban development of the last few years. It’s a
cosmopolitan and contemporary neighbourhood, a new business
centre. As well as being the only place in Milan from where you
can see the sky.
What do you think of the new Milan?
Milan has experienced a magical transformation, which has coin-
cided with the rethinking of the Porta Nuova area. The final, great
step will be the completion of the refurbishment of the Galfa Tower,
led by the architect Maurice Kanah.
What was Poliform Contract’s contribution to the project?
Poliform Contract’s contribution was vital: if I looked at the plan,
I would struggle to point out things they didn’t do. Tables, seating,
carpenting, glass and stone work – they took care of everything.
Poliform Contract and I were the “craftsmen” of this project.
