There are cool bars, and there are cool bars, and the newly opened Bar Nico in Milan definitely falls in the latter category. Founded by Chiara Pino and Riccardo Ganelli, a young and in-the-know Milanese couple who worked in the fashion scene for many years, but decided it was high time to change careers and do something for themselves. The watering hole, cheekily named after their elegant Afghan hound, is part of a wave of happening new establishments that cater to the city’s savvy young crowd. Situated in Acquabella, an emerging area of town that’s arguably best known to non-Milanese as the home of the edgy SUNNEI boutique a few blocks away, Bar Nico is nestled on the ground floor of a 1930s apartment building, and whose previous occupants were a pasta factory and a tyre shop.
The crescent-shaped space sees an interior design by local architecture practice sagoma studio which pays homage to its industrial past. The premises have been entirely gutted, revealing structures and materials, which in turn, would inspire the interior design. Few and simple interventions define Bar Nico, creating an understated yet elegant and highly functional space. A kitchen unit and a counter of raw concrete and steel sit opposite a versatile seating area comprising a sturdy timber bench lining the wall, paired with small tables and classic wooden Thonet chairs. Bar Nico is concepted as a laid-back neighbourhood wine bar where to sit back and unwind solo or with friends over a glass of, yes indeed, wine – mind you, near the entrance stands a metal rack laden with bottles – and small bites from across the Mediterranean.
Bar Nico
Via Cesare Saldini 2 (Acquabella)
20133 Milan
Tue-Thu 6.30pm-12am
Sat-Sun 6.30pm-1am
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
