The ICA Art Fair happened from November 21 to 23 at W High Street in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). This inaugural art fair was organized as a charity event for the benefit of the ICA Alumni Association Scholarship Foundation. “This one-of-a-kind charity event will feature a curated selection of leading contemporary artists, displaying works across […]
Michael Vincent Uy Shapes a New Era of Luxury in Design
Architecture often falls into the trap of conforming to tradition, bound by predictable norms that leave little room for surprise. Yet, in this landscape of convention, Michael Vincent Uy emerges as a quiet disruptor. As an architect unafraid to reimagine, transform, and breathe new life into spaces, his designs move beyond the expected. And by thriving and exceling on the global stage, he normalizes Filipino excellence as a powerful force in international design.
Michael’s approach is anything but conventional. Based in Milan, he discovered a city that mirrors his own approach to design: respectful of history yet unafraid to push boundaries. His masterful artistry found inspiration that would steer his legacy toward an innovative, forward-thinking design philosophy. A visionary who has a knack for subverting tradition, taking historical spaces and coaxing them into a new, contemporary life. This commitment to nuance and detail, nurtured during his years working in high fashion, sets him apart. Each project, infused with layers of refinement, feels tailored, bespoke, and yet, somehow familiar.
His journey spans continents and industries, from transforming historical spaces in Italy to designing luxury towers along Tel Aviv’s coast. And with each endeavor, he continues to challenge and reshape expectations, leaving behind a rigorous footprint that feels deeply personal and endlessly inspiring.
Manila to Milano
An exceptional education that merged creativity and technical knowledge shaped Michael’s experiences at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). He describes the training as “a very creative formation.” It encouraged him “to create [and] imagine things—almost to the point that sometimes we don’t really think it is buildable.” This freedom allowed him to explore ambitious ideas without limitations, a foundation that would become invaluable in his future projects.
Michael Vincent Uy finished top of his class and was named by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines. His stellar achievements earned him a full scholarship to Politecnico di Milano where he pursued his Master’s Degree in Architecture. The program further sharpened his creative concepts with a structured approach to the design process.
“Taking my master’s in Politecnico di Milano somehow strengthened my way of thinking, thought process, and at the same time the design concept of how you do things,” he explains. His studies introduced him to the formal methodologies and technical rigor necessary to bring imaginative designs to life.
“Immediately after my graduation in Milan, I was offered a job in Dubai,” he recalls. There, he worked on high-profile projects, including the Formula One hotel. It was just one of several fast-paced undertakings requiring meticulous attention to both detail and deadline. But just after two years, he made a conscious decision to return to Europe, prioritizing experience over a high salary. “In the long run, it’s really more important to gain a solid experience—a European experience with a heavily design-focused background,” he says.
His journey took him back to Milan, where he joined a prestigious studio, further refining his skills in materials and finishes, custom details and the intricacies of millwork production. “This experience taught me a lot about the different stages of design, which would serve as a foundation to excel in the highly competitive Italian market,” he reflects.
He was soon scouted by one of Italy’s most prestigious fashion houses, Dolce & Gabbana, to join their team as an in-house architect. This five-year tenure profoundly influenced a special approach to detail and luxury design.
A Design Career Shaped by Fashion
Michael hit the ground running. He went in knowing the company’s reputation for its “cutthroat, fast, and very demanding schedules”. By his third year, he was head of the Middle East and the Caribbean for all the projects. His time at Dolce & Gabbana deepened his knowledge in retail design, geo and visual merchandising, selling ceremonies, and all the related skills to making a “design that sells.” And it’s where he honed his “maniacal attention to detail.”
One of the most significant insights he gained is that products sell better if the architecture interacts with it. “In retail, it’s not the product being tailored to the architecture; it’s the architecture being tailored to the product,” he explained.
This approach to customization was crucial in the fashion industry, where each item must shine within its setting. Among his stand out projects at Dolce & Gabbana is the brand’s boutique in Tel Aviv. Known for its fast-paced and demanding market, Israel posed unique challenges.
“One of the key features of this project was the continuous book-matching of the marble,” he conveys. Unlike typical book-matching, this was “infinite”—a design where the marble folds, opens, and flows seamlessly from floor to wall and up the stairs, creating a unified look.
He worked directly with quarries, cutting and numbering several blocks of marble for exact alignment. “It’s a very costly approach and very risky. If one piece breaks, you can’t just redo that piece. You’d have to redo the whole project.”
The success of this project showcased not only his attention to detail but also effectively managing the construction itself and fine tuning all the details that are usually overlooked. “I believe in a holistic approach to design, there is no back of the house for me. It is always front of the house.”
In a relatively short period of time, he rose to the role of Regional Manager, placing him on the path for the worldwide directorship. “I really love the brand and the designers themselves who I had the pleasure of working with directly,” he recalls.
Caught between staying or accepting offers from various luxury groups, he found himself at a crossroads, deeply reflecting on his next move. His inner voice strongly urged him to take a leap—to write new narratives and take his journey as a Filipino architect abroad to the next level.
His bold drive stems from his upbringing, shaped by supportive parents who instilled in him an unwavering belief in his potential. With resilience and purpose, he took the leap and founded his design firm, MVUY, marking an inspiring new chapter.
Teatro alla Scala: A Bold Debut
MVUY’s first project was no ordinary commission, tasked to renovate the Teatro alla Scala’s restaurant, Il Foyer. “This was really my first project—not bad for breaking into the Milan scene,” he muses. But as a Filipino architect taking on an iconic Italian site, he also faced resistance.
“For most people in Italy, this project was something they felt should be exclusively handled by a native-born Italian,” he recalls.
The theater awarded the Il Foyer project in January, with a tight deadline to open by Milan’s Salone del Mobile in April. With only a few months to complete permits and design, Michael leveraged his experience in fashion, where strict timelines are common. Beginning demolition even before finalizing the design, urgency drove innovative solutions to meet the pressing deadline.
The Teatro alla Scala Foundation requested that the restaurant design incorporate themes from the theater itself. “There has to be a connection,” he asserts. “When we talk about the theater, what do you think of? Red curtains, velvet seats, brass embellishments. This is something we tried to bring to the restaurant, to give it a feeling of an extension of the theater, but with a contemporary spin.”
Blending the rich red velvet hues with intricate detailing, MVUY maintained the heritage of Milan’s famed theater while bringing a contemporary, balanced aesthetic. The approach emphasized material integrity and a restrained eclecticism. This captured the theater’s grandeur through detailed design, retaining original architectural elements while adding contemporary touches like movable lighting and a hidden VIP entrance.
By innovating within tradition, the space remains historically resonant, preserving the character and charm of La Scala. At the same time, it embodies a distinctly modern sensibility, balancing classic elements with contemporary design to create a unique experience.
Although they faced initial skepticism, MVUY completed the project in time. His success at La Scala proved his ability to meet and exceed expectations. Moreover, this opened many new opportunities, especially private residence projects in VIP hotspots like Forte Dei Marmi, Milano, Luxembourg, and Munich. This included a client who, impressed by the restaurant, asked him to work on Villa Due Pesci in Lake Como.
Lake Como Villa: Framing the Beauty of Nature
By law, the historical villa’s facade was to remain untouched, and only the interior could be modified.
Inside, the focus was on framing views without overwhelming the space. Careful attention to details, finishes, and lighting were taken to accentuate the surrounding greens and blues outside. Bringing the exterior to the interior was central to the concept of a project like Due Pesci.
Architectural elements like the doors, windows, and the layout highlight the landscape’s details. Integrating local Beola stone added a subtle sparkle to the design. Each room offered an unobstructed, carefully composed view of Lake Como and its surroundings. Rather than competing with the natural beauty outside, the design allowed the scenery to become the focal point.
“The most important thing is not to over-clutter the design,” he explained, “but to frame everything properly and give it justice.” This principle captured the essence of the location and elevated the villa into a space that feels harmoniously integrated with its environment.
The villa’s standout feature, however, is the overhanging infinity pool that extends toward the lake. “Even George Clooney doesn’t have this!” he jokes. Inspired by the escapism of James Bond, this design element enhances the home’s iconic appeal. The design team also carefully calibrated the pool’s color to match Lake Como’s grayish-blue hue. This creates an optical illusion that makes the lake look intensely blue. The unique pool design doubles as a cover for the pier below, allowing access to the villa from the lake.
MVUY balanced history with the contemporary. “More than just historical decoration, we actively seek the curation of new details in our projects,” Michael notes.
By this time, the firm had earned a reputation for crafting highly luxurious spaces. And all of Michael Vincent Uy’s undertakings thus far culminated into his most ambitious venture yet: a commission for a 25-storey Mandarin Oriental beachfront residential tower in Tel Aviv.
Mandarin Oriental Residences: An Ambitious Undertaking
Established in Hong Kong, the Mandarin Oriental brand naturally merges Eastern and Western influences. MVUY understood that grounding the design in the brand’s founding heritage was essential to adding bespoke details.
Being Filipino Chinese, this naturally felt familiar to him. He applied this blend thoughtfully to avoid common, overused motifs. Having a local eye gave him a competitive edge to navigate details and choose appropriately what fits best to the intent. The approach took root from a cultural understanding, rather than tokenism, which is common for those whose knowledge of the culture is lifted off from Pinterest.
The firm set about designing 230 luxury apartments featuring private pools and gardens, a specialized gym, spa, cinema, and a full suite of high-end amenities. Inspired by the works of Italian masters Gio Ponti, Piero Portaluppi and Carlo Scarpa, Michael’s undeniable Italian approach to his details coupled with hints of his eastern roots informed his fresh and own authentic interpretation of the brand. “Finding balance is essential always to design,” he states.
MVUY drew on mid-century design principles, inspired by elegant, non-bulky furniture. He used materials like brass, cement, and wood in balanced measures, giving the space a refined, jewel-like quality. The incorporation of subtle hints of the Orient, vertical paneling, rhythmic textures, and a light beige color palette complemented the seaside setting.
Now, with the residences nearing completion, Uy reflects, “I believe we did our best to represent the developer and the brand.” Demonstrating a clear ability to handle high pressure and exceed expectations, MVUY is now working on the project’s second tower, scheduled for completion in a few years.
A Holistic Approach to Design
MVUY further demonstrates its exceptional expertise in product design, crafting pieces that embody artistry, precision, and functional beauty. For Michael Vincent Uy, creating a coherent space is about considering every element. Lighting, flooring, and furniture are all part of a unified whole.
For the Mandarin Oriental project, he designed several details in the residences. The idea is to curate the most frequently touched elements of the interior: doors, knobs, sockets and switches, shower doors, bathroom fixtures all the way to the touch lamps. “We touch them all the time, and I want them to be perfect and beautiful,” Michael shares.
“If you want to really represent something luxurious, you want to demonstrate control of your finishes, and at times, that means thoroughly matching them,” he asserts. “Not because everything is the same, but because it achieves a harmonious look.”
For example, the team developed a custom warm bronze tone specifically for the project. It was a fresh, timeless hue, bridging a gap in available tones. MVUY collaborated closely with five different luxury manufacturers like Olivari, Ekinex, Gessi, and Buzzi to achieve this consistency, ensuring that all metals matched across various elements. Getting the brands to agree on and approve his designs was an enormous challenge in itself. Such a level of customization and exacting attention to detail is rare in a usually mass-market driven residential tower project.
In addition, creating this finish uniformity wasn’t easy. Different metals like brass and aluminum require distinct coloring processes. It involves galvanizing, metal paint, and PVD, which made achieving a single color tone challenging. But Michael insists, “Nothing is so difficult if you really want it.”
The result is an unparalleled level of craftsmanship, which he believes gives buyers something really special; a unique touch created specifically for them. “This is something that really inspires us,” he says, proud of the project’s meticulous and distinctly MVUY aesthetic.
Not Just an Anomaly
Michael often encounters a train of thought that angles his success as a Filipino architect as an anomaly. He consistently pushes back on this, saying, “I don’t want it to look like it’s not normal for a Filipino to do this.” He explains, “I don’t want to come across as an anomaly. If anything, I want all my achievements to be a point of inspiration and to normalize Filipino excellence in the international community. I think we have come very far and it’s time to turn the pages of “proving” and “seeking validation” and pivot ourselves to a new narrative of Filipino Design.”
When he took on the Mandarin Oriental project at 34 years old, relatively young compared to the industry’s leaders, he faced questions about whether he could manage such high-stakes projects. While he understands these doubts, he also sees them as an invitation to prove himself. “Sometimes people’s doubt should be taken as an invite to really perform and show what you can do.”
Emphasizing that he is “just at the start” of his career, he expresses his excitement for future projects. “If I start my career with the Mandarin Oriental, imagine where I’ll be in my 50s, 60s, and 70s,” he remarks.
Looking forward, MVUY has ambitious plans, including a vision to establish a presence in Asia. Uy believes in Filipino craftsmanship and envisions blending its artistry with design sensibilities he developed in Milan. Design is more than just an idea; it is a merging of culture and technology. To fuse Eastern and Western design approaches is an extension of heritage alongside a global perspective. “I would like more international brands to dig deeper into local Filipino talents, as someone working closely with the suppliers and decision makers in design, I am happy to promote wider cross-cultural collaborations.”
Coming Full Circle: Milano to Manila
Michael Vincent Uy’s homecoming to the Philippines last month was years in the making. In 2023, BluPrint’s Editor-in-Chief, Geewel Fuster had the pleasure of connecting with Michael in Hong Kong, where they discussed potential collaborations. The two became fast friends. And, recognizing his exceptional talent, the magazine followed his rise to prominence.
BluPrint had the honor of being the first media platform to welcome him back to Manila. His return was made possible with the support of the Tile Gallery and the Hing family, who share his vision of elevating Filipino talent on the world stage. This BluPrint Perspective is also the first of its kind; no other publication has had the privilege to cover Michael’s career in depth. It underscores his admiration for the magazine as a platform that promotes Filipino architects and designers like himself.
The celebrated architect sees today’s architectural landscape as a vibrant mix of eclectic styles and maximalist tendencies. “Social media has really impacted architecture,” he observes, noting that people’s tastes have become “so much more demanding and varied.” This interconnectedness informs an era where architecture is about creating a distinctive, personal brand.
Michael views this shift positively, though he cautions that “everything must be done in moderation; it cannot be too excessive.” What excites him is the revival of historical styles and the emergence of cross-cultural influences. “I see a lot of Eastern motifs being borrowed in European projects,” he says. This merging of styles reflects an international mindset, with designers incorporating global inspirations into their work.
“We need to move forward and create our own [architectural] language for today,” he insists. With the resurgence of mid-century, Brutalist, Bauhaus, and modernist elements, he sees a “tasteful, nostalgic reinterpretation” of the past fused into contemporary design.
This philosophy positions MVUY as a forward-thinking studio, prepared to adapt to the evolving tastes and demands of a globalized world. Michael Vincent Uy’s own journey from Manila to Milan and beyond showcases a visionary who continually elevates his craft, inviting others to experience the spaces he so meticulously brings to life.
Read more: The Tile Gallery Opens Its New Showroom with a Celebration of Design Excellence
Sittings Editor: Geewel Fuster
Creative Direction: Jehd Francisco
Photographer: Excel Panlaque
Videographer: Jose Ramirez
Video Editor: Brylle Sarmiento Coniega
Hair & Makeup: Cats Del Rosario
Stylist: Gee Jocson Gumatay
Shoot coordination: Mae Talaid
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