Riverpark New York, New York
Situated in the new Alexandria Center for Life Sciences building within the equally new East River Science Park, Riverpark provides a culinary destination with spectacular river views in the largely restaurant-free Bellevue Hospital area of Manhattan. The design had to effectively serve the tenants of the building (pharmaceutical companies, healthcare- related start-up companies, and related firms) while appealing to the mix of residents and workers in the neighborhood. The goal was a welcoming series of both public and private dining spaces that would capitalize on the stunning views, with a bar/lounge accommodating 30, public dining for 120, private dining for 150, with the flexibility to combine all areas for parties of up to 300. Since the restaurant was to be operated by the chef Tom Colicchio, the design also responds to the simplicity and directness that have been hallmarks of his food service. Accordingly, the architects chose durable and ageless materials such as bronze, limestone, cork, walnut, and oak. While floor-to-ceiling windows along the eastern edge of the space allow patrons near them to enjoy the riverfront panorama, the depth of the space limits outward views for those seated farther inside. A raised platform at the center of the space both improves sight lines for those seated there and defines its own territory. To underscore the platform's central role, a bronze lattice dotted with crystalline lights is suspended above it, and its perimeter is delineated with fixed leather and walnut banquettes. The bronze and limestone bar defines one edge, under a hammered bronze ceiling whose reflective surface recalls the dimpled surface of the river outside. A prime design challenge was to provide for readily separating or combining the restaurant's two private dining areas -- and for opening the entire interior for larger events. To accomplish this, the architects flanked the main public dining area with two 15-foot-high, 40-foot-long glass partitions that can slide out of sight on tracks with a robust mechanism normally found in aerospace facilities. Laminated between the glass surfaces of these partitions — and making them translucent — are commissioned wall-sized artworks by the Dutch artist and graphic designer Karel Martens. Entitled "Clouds," these works — equally viewable from both sides — are composed of innumerable small circular figures, their colors subtly calibrated so that from a distance they read as images of cloud formations. The same kind of laminated panels continue the art installation by Martens in the translucent partitions between the restaurant and the building lobby.
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