Cielo Boca Raton, Florida
The Italian word “cielo” can mean both sky and heaven. It is an apt name for the “jewel-in-the-crown” at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, a North American showcase for the chefs Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett. Located on the top floor of the resort’s 27-story tower, the restaurant offers nearly 360-degree views of the ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Florida hinterland. The full-floor space, previously occupied by another restaurant, was redesigned to take greater advantage of its lofty views. To this end, the architects raised the level of the 27th-floor elevator stop so they could create a two-level environment. Arriving guests, those at the bar and at platform-level tables, look outward across the lower dining spaces lining the near-continuous windows. The ambiguous boundaries and predominant whites and blues of the restaurant reinforce the suggestion of both sky and heaven. Variously reflective and louvered ceilings make the spaces seem taller than their actual dimensions. The ceiling panels reflect light coming up from the ocean surface and reproduce some of its shimmer. In contrast to the white of ceilings, curtains, and furniture, the floors and walls are dark, muted blue, a hue that virtually disappears in juxtaposition to the panoramic views, both day and night. After dark, the ceilings reflect the light of candles at each table, creating the impression of a starry sky. Along with its strong orientation to the views, the restaurant design organizes the components such as the bar, chef’s table, and alcoves around the tower in such a way that these spaces are both separate and connected, giving the diners a sense of calming stasis and spatial fluidity. This is especially important in such a restaurant, where the experience of “community” is as important as the privacy of the individual diners. With similar aspiration to render a sense of community and shared experience, the architects laid out the seating at the point of entry so that incoming patrons present themselves to the audience seated in the bar area. The human energy concentrated on the “proscenium” through which they pass is palpable. From this point — marked by a glowing onyx greeter station — guests promenade to the dining areas around the core, proceeding along the upper and lower tiers of seating. The wall-length artwork “Split Sky” by Per Fronth recapitulates the rippled reflections of the sea outside, making the experience even more celestial.
138
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online