-By Danine Alati, Photography by David Joseph

project: Delicatessen
client: Mark Thomas Amadei
location: New York
designer: Nema Workshop


"Voyeuristic chic" is what restaurateur Mark Thomas Amadei was seeking when he hired Anurag Nema of New York-based firm Nema Workshop to design "a reinvented delicatessen with a 1940s vibe that was neither vintage nor aggressively modern." Having collaborated 10 years ago on another New York restaurant, Cafeteria, the designer and client share a rapport conducive to a productive design process and enjoyed their second project together on Delicatessen, which opened in downtown Manhattan this past summer. "We worked extremely closely, and the design was a true collaboration," Amadei says. "I would be in Paris, get an idea, and call Anurag, and within a few hours he would e-mail me the new renderings. It was a great experience."

Tasked with creating a stylish, contemporary restaurant that also evokes the feel of a comfortable diner without mimicking a period atmosphere, Nema apportioned the space into three unique settings: Delicatessen, the casual, modern main dining area; minibar, the sexy, lover-level lounge; and macbar, serving take out macaroni and cheese (slated to open in February). "We wanted something that feels authentic and responds to its location," the designer notes. "We loved the richness the location had to provide—New York City, a busy street corner in Nolita, and a very interesting, historic, old apartment building—and wanted to make sure that the experience in the finished space connected to them strongly."

Nema achieved this desired aesthetic by opening up the eatery to its surroundings via an open façade wrapping around the main dining area and stainless-steel and glass garage doors that retract and disappear into the ceiling when open. A skylight tops the courtyard lounge, offering views of neighboring buildings, and a large-scale mural by local artist Juan José Heredia further anchors the restaurant in its New York City setting.

"We enjoyed the intervention of the new spaces into the old building and discovering the leftover spaces in the basement of the old building. These additional sub-terrain areas (courtyard lounge and minibar) unfold as the guests go deeper into the restaurant, ending at the minibar," Nema says, adding that material selection helped "to achieve the balance between new and old, unique and familiar, cold and warm. It was an experiment with juxtaposing the elements—rough versus smooth, rich leather subway tiles next to rough reclaimed barn wood." Poured cream terrazzo flooring sets a neutral backdrop against which other materials and furnishings—like fine, Italian custom leather banquettes with polished stainless-steel legs, a Danish butcher block-topped bar, and Eames molded plywood dining chairs in a rich walnut finish—can pop.

And while Nema cites strategizing exactly how to completely conceal the garage doors—"Essentially, we had to design two layers of ceilings to create the pockets where garage doors could park when open," he notes—Amadei sees that design element as the greatest success of the project. "The glow is the best part," he says. " When you look at the space from across the street it has this sexy amber glow that draws you in...with the garage doors up or down its like moths to a flame."


jury comment:

"Its relationship to the street is simply terrific, and the carving of the space into vast and intimate spaces is just what a large scale restaurant needs. The openness of this façade is intoxicating. The social power of the restaurant is clear, and the energy flowing from the space into the street is wonderful. A skillful integration of theming and art."

what
Project: Delicatessen. Client: Delicatessen Group. Architect: RKT&B Architecture & Urban Design. Interior designer: NEMA Workshop. Structural engineer: John D. Nakrosis Jr. Building Design. Mechanical/electrical engineer: TSF Engineering. Lighting designer: Dusti S. Helms. Photographer: David Joseph.

what
Wallcoverings: Reclaimed Barnwood Planks by The Antique Wood Co., Leather Wall Tiles by Edelman Leather. Paint: Ralph Lauren. Flooring: Kris Stone. Lighting fixtures: Lightology, RSA Lighting. Doors:  Custom Stainless Steel Garage Doors by Vigilant Design. Door hardware: Custom. Dining chairs: Eames Molded Plywood Dining Chair by Herman Miller. Dining tables: Custom Tables by Colber International. Lounge/cocktail seating/table, banquette/built-in seating:: Custom Tables by Colber International. Upholstery: Leather by Colber International. Architectural woodworking: Miscellaneous Millwork By Define USA. Cabinetmaking: Steel Bar Shelving by Matt Zalla. Butcher Block Bar Top by Spekva. Signage: Big Apple Visual Group. Artwork: Mural Artwork by Juan Jose Heredia. Bathroom Wall and Floor Tiles: Mont Blanc Slabs by Coverings Etc. Bathroom Fixtures: Toto, Alape, Hansgrohe.

where
Location: New York, NY. Total floor area: 4,700 sq. ft. No. of floors: 2. Average floor size: 3,300 sq. ft. (street level), 1,400 sq. ft. (lower level). Total capacity by tables or guests: 129 seats.