Craft Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia
The restaurant's location in a two-story modified Neoclassical structure, situated among the brash high-rises of Atlanta's Buckhead district, suggested a demure though direct response by the architects. And within this building, Tom Colicchio's straightforward approach to fine cooking — exploring the full flavor of each ingredient on his seasonal menus — inspired the architects to design with a limited set of materials, using the simplest and best craftsmanship to assemble them. Their goal was a texturally rich interior with a generosity of space that evoked Southern design traditions while simultaneously expressing the restraint of the chef's approach to food preparation. Entering from an automobile court shielded from the intense traffic of Peachtree Road, guests first encounter a wood-fired grill clad in copper and steel, which not only emphasizes the craft of cooking but acts as a symbolic hearth for the two-story volume. Past the grill, the three-inch-thick solid walnut top of the bar provides a warm contrast to the blackened steel and glass wine vault that screens an intimate lounge beyond. A grand staircase composed of continuous walnut planks rises to draw guests up to the second floor, the rooms of which overlook the activity of Peachtree Road and the courtyard of the tall hotel to which the restaurant is allied. The spatial compression and release of the several dining areas on the upper level provide varying degrees of intimacy while preserving the communal quality that the chef seeks in his restaurants. The interweaving of a distinctive palette of materials on both floors — walnut, steel, copper, oak, brick, cherry, leather, and muslin — recalls the character of historic domestic interiors, but in a distinctly modern manner. All furnishings and fittings — including cherry dining tables, walnut banquettes and sofas, and steel hardware — have been designed to celebrate their materials and the simple craftsmanship of assembling them. The absence of any protective coating on these materials intentionally promotes their ability to age naturally with grace. The restaurant design is pointedly related to the surrounding community and its key role in the identity of Atlanta. Its spaces are open to Peachtree Road on both first and second floors. Twelve-foot-high French doors on the street side of the casual bar area allow a direct visual and physical connection between the patrons inside and the activity outside. That ensures that the liveliness of the interior is immediately evident from the boulevard. This positive visual exchange improves the pedestrian experience of the district, which the City of Atlanta is actively seeking to promote.
130
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online