Luigi Rosselli Architects

Osteria Balla Manfredi

OSTERIA BALLA MANFREDI

Luigi Rosselli

Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander
Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander

ARCHITECTS
Luigi Rosselli

PHOTOGRAPHS
Justin Alexander

AREA
600.0 m2

LOCATION
Sydney NSW, Australia

CATEGORY
Restaurant

Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander

Renowned Chef Stefano Manfredi and Architect Luigi Rosselli have in common a Milanese origin. The Milano of Stefano and Luigi is the once industrial earth of Italy, its industrial architecture, space, honest and cognizant of the quality of materials. BALLA is a transposition of the life along Milan’s Navigli canals to the shores of Sydney’s harbor.

Osteria BALLA’s namesake was the Milanese Futurist artist Giacomo Balla who co-signed the Futurist Movement Manifesto in 1909.

Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander
Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander

The Manifesto is an ode to industry and machines, one hundred years later the machines and industry have left Milano but the Architecture remains, proud and beautiful.

The kitchen and bar are raised up from the main floor level and are framed by concrete trusses referencing the bridges that span over the Milano’s Navigli canal.

Osteria Balla Manfredi
Osteria Balla Manfredi

Mild steel with visible weldings and fixings are used throughout the fit-out referencing the steel industry of past Milano, and the wine storage inspired from factory floor pigeon-hole racks.

The waterfront side of the restaurant has come to be known as "The Avenue". The Avenue is the connection between the inside of the restaurant and the larger waterfront landscape beyond the facade. Its rhythm is set by the large structural columns located inside the operable glazing facade.

Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander
Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander

The columns are important links between the internal landscape of the restaurant, and the natural harbor side landscape.

The columns are architectural trees, clad with a modern floral mosaic tile, and branched with industrial Lingotto light fittings designed by Renzo Piano. Arranged in a Futurist inspired geometry, the multi-colored ceiling panels above form a canopy of “foliage” and “sky”.

Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander
Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander

Luigi has connected his childhood memories of the first “Futurist”, Leonardo da Vinci’s painted ceiling and walls of the Salla Delle Asse at Milan’s Sforza Castle, and the Sydney landscape in a most unexpected combination.

Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander
Osteria Balla Manfredi
© Justin Alexander


Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Dinning Room
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Revised Kitchen
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Revised Bar
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Revised Function


Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Revised Main View
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Booths
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Wine Display
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Antipasto
Osteria Balla Manfredi
Sketch: Revised Booth


Osteria Balla Manfredi
Floor Plan

Luigi Rosselli Architects
T +61 2 92811498
Luigi Rosselli Architects
122 Buckingham St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia