Six — Milan, Italy

Behind a large doorway on via Scaldasole, just up the road from Milan’s port district of Darsena, Six is the brainchild of Mauro Orlandelli, head of bespoke interior design studio, Forest, who set out to create a ‘holistic container’ that was ‘superior to the sum of its parts’. For this, read ‘concept store’ and for Six, think three, for it is comprised of a gallery, a bistro – called Sixième, naturellement – and what is mystifyingly referred to as a ‘green design boutique’ by Irene Cuzzaniti and which turns out to be a cross between a florists, a ‘conceptual backdrop’ and a shop.
To do so, Orlandelli turned to David Lopez Quincoces and Fanny Bauer Grung, head architects at Milan-based studio, Quincoces-Dragò & Partners (and which is now based in the building). In turn, they worked with that now apparently indispensable architectural accessory, an art director, to come up with the logo and name, as well as with two members of local ‘supergroup’, Nic Cester & The Milano Elettrica, creators of a cocktail bar in nearby Navigli, who here are responsible for the bistro.
Breathlessness aside, Six is a class act. Quincoces and Grung’s industrial, atmospheric approach to the interiors treats indoor and courtyard spaces – both open air and glass-roofed – as a series of spectacular rooms, transforming a space that in the 16th century was a monastery, into a contemporary cross between a museum and a apeakeasy.
While their vision flirts with the austere – think smoke-grey walls, exposed brick and concrete floors – it sets off the scattered design pieces, a mix of the famous and the anonymous, much of which is for sale, as well as Cuzzaniti’s lush swathes of greenery to such perfection, that the final, sophisticated result is far more seductive than its original inhabitants might appreciate.
ADDRESS
Via Scaldasole 7
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Middle East Editor
-
Tuneshine is a new way of bringing back the lost art of the album cover
The compact Tuneshine screen uses LED tech to illuminate the artwork of whatever you’re currently streaming
-
Inside the new theatre at Jacob’s Pillow and its ‘magic box’, part of a pioneering complex designed for dance
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes the reborn Doris Duke Theatre by Mecanoo, a new space that has just opened in the beloved Berkshires cultural hub for the summer season
-
What to see at Rencontres d’Arles 2025, questioning power structures in the state and family
Suppressed memories resurface in sharply considered photography at Rencontres d'Arles 2025. Here are some standout photographers to see
-
Il Sereno’s new Listening Suite is what phonophiles’ dreams are made of
Designed by Patricia Urquiola and Il Sereno founder and audiophile Luis Contreras, the new Lake Como-facing suite unites Japanese listening culture with Italian design
-
Inside Belmond’s most exclusive holiday villa yet, a lavish Ligurian palazzo
Once the theatre of lavish parties, Villa Beatrice is now a palatial haven of seclusion with easy access to Portofino’s Splendido, a Belmond hotel
-
The most stylish hotel takeovers to pop up at this summer
From Capri to Ibiza, luxury fashion brands are taking over seaside resorts with exclusive boutique pop-ups and bespoke poolside accessories
-
Detour Discotheque is bringing ‘the world’s dreamiest party’ to Puglia
The pop-up event, La Dolce Vita Disco, promises dancing, good food and sunshine in a 16th-century Italian farmhouse
-
Five tranquil suites by Patricia Urquiola suspend visitors ‘between sea and sky’ in Capri
Patricia Urquiola dreams up a study in contrast and tradition for the next chapter of Jumeirah Capri Palace
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in spring
Dreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
Everything you need to know about Italy's Lake Maggiore, according to Formafantasma
From baroque gardens to panoramic views, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin show us around this Italian escape
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Romeo Roma: a new hotel that’s one of Zaha Hadid’s last projects
Located within Rome’s Tridente, Romeo Roma is a palimpsest of periods in which the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid left her avant-garde mark