As the name suggests, the Deco Food + Drink takes its design cues from the Art Deco movement.

Throughout the design process, we consistently questioned how we can meld elements of the Art Deco movement with our existing design sensibility; we were never interested in simply replicating stylistic components of Art Deco. We kept the moves bit and dramatic, yet relatively simple by focusing on the geometry of Art Deco, without the fussy stuff.

When our Client took possession of the space, located in the McGraw Building, it was a series of 5 small, narrow retail stores that we combined into one 7,000 SF canvas. Built in 1906, as the home of the McGraw publishing company, our site was the first reinforced concrete concrete office building built in New York City and as such has a prominent column grid and a grand scale.

Inspired by the grand architecture and decorative scale of the Art Deco movement (and specifically its ties to the Viennese Secession), we sought to reinforce the visual prominence of the columns by anchoring the space with a large blue back-painted glass bar with brass detailing. The perimeter of the space is lined with food kiosks, which house a selection of food concepts from NYC's five boroughs.

The ceiling is a series of white, coffered steps which seek to simplify and modernize the ubiquitous "stepped" Art Deco geometry.

Influenced by the geometric blue and white tiled detailing of Otto Wagner's Wagner Villa - which is a mixture of exuberance and restraint - we sought to achieve patterning through materiality. Tiled blue exclamation points and "confetti columns" add a sense of playfulness and keep the space from feeling too stodgy or serious.