New York studio Rockwell Group has unveiled interiors for a steakhouse inside a newly renovated office building on Park Avenue, featuring sumptuous red walls and strong geometry.
The restaurant is named La Tête d’Or after the city park in Lyon, France, where Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud was brought up.
Rockwell Group designed interiors that would bridge France and New York, similar to the cuisine, using a palette of rich blues, mirrored surfaces, dark marble, and wood and leather panelling.
The 13,500-square-foot (1,250-square-metre) eatery is located on ground floor of One Madison Avenue – part of the huge former Metropolitan Life Insurance Company campus facing Madison Square Park – which was recently overhauled and extended with a glass tower.
Five dining rooms serve occupants of the building above and the general public, who are enticed in from Park Avenue by atmospheric lighting.
“From its Park Avenue exterior, La Tête d’Or radiates an inviting glow through a wood-framed, double-height glass facade,” said Rockwell Group.
Italian two-toned black and charcoal stone flooring lines the entry vestibule, which then leads through a set of cream-coloured doors into a red-panelled lobby.
A chandelier comprising two frustum-shaped tiers sets the tone for the strong, angular geometry influenced by New York’s art deco architecture found throughout the restaurant.
The main dining space features a symmetrical layout and a tall high-gloss ceiling that’s stepped to accommodate warm cove lighting.
Pairs of curved banquettes lined with velvet-wrapped cushions sit back to back, bookended by circular marble tables positioned below four-column pendant lights.
Above the open kitchen is a hood featuring a geometric mural, based on a collage by Belgian artist Jesse Willems, which also takes shapes from New York’s art deco icons such as Rockefeller Center.
“Entirely fabricated by Italian manufacturer De Castelli, it employs five different metals, including hammered brass, patina brass, champagne metal, charcoal steel, and blue lacquered metal,” said Rockwell Group.
Two more intimate rooms north of the main dining area are separated by custom sliding doors inset with decorative textured glass.
One includes a “king’s table” within a grand wood-lined space, while the next door, a dedicated Wagyu Room features a horseshoe-shaped stone table that accommodates gueridon carts for table-side grilling.
There’s also a private dining room with a pre-function space for greeting guests and enjoying cocktails, before moving into the space flanked by abstract murals.
Silk-like wallpaper, blue-toned carpet and a custom ribbed glass pendant create a sophisticated atmosphere in this setting, which also has a view of the MetLife building through a north-facing window.
Founded by designer David Rockwell over four decades ago, Rockwell Group has completed a wide array of hospitality projects across New York City.
Recent examples include the revamp of a revolving restaurant above Times Square, the lobby and dining spaces at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, and a restaurant dubbed “the cathedral of fried chicken”.
The photography is by Jason Varney.
