giorgia longoni channels japanese jazz cafés for sound bar in milan

mogo fuses japanese jazz culture with industrial milanese edge

Giorgia Longoni Studio centers MOGO — a new bar and dining concept in the Isola district — around a handcrafted, 360-degree sound station. Wrapped in steel, velvet, and carved wood, this grounding feature draws on the communal concept and retro aesthetics of the popular Japanese Jazz Kissa listening cafés which emerged postwar in the mid-20th century.

Embracing the contrasts of their layered materiality and their atmosphere of analog intimacy that brings people together, the design team reinterprets these influences through Milan’s own material language, infusing industrial finishes and tactile, contemporary details. Above, a luminous ceiling shifts color and tone throughout the day, casting bright light across the interiors before warming into amber hues at night.

all images courtesy of Giorgia Longoni Studio

giorgia longoni studio fosters togetherness around the bar

The venue derives its name from ‘Mmogo’, the Sotho (South Africa) word for ‘together’. ‘This term encapsulates the soul of venue,’ shares the design team. ‘It is a gathering place where people can share unique moments over good food, excellent cocktails, and refined sounds.’ The listening bar creates a natural space that draws people in to gather over a drink or music, positioned as both a social core and a spatial anchor. Giorgia Longoni Studio also carves out more intimate spaces, as with the private relaxation room veiled behind moss-green curtains inviting people in for barefoot relaxation.

While the material palette layers warmth, texture, and contrast, the color scheme follows suit. Terracotta tones wind through and reference both the earth and the venue’s Japanese influences, while aquamarine extends across floors and walls to evoke fluidity and add a contemporary edge. These are paired with natural textures — carved wood fixtures, custom tapestries by Andrea Corvino, and washi paper accents — that soften the industrial framework and lend the space a tactile, lived-in quality.

anchored by a 360-degree sound bar