Public
New York City
Avro|KO

Inspired by civic order, a new restaurant offers warmth as well

© Michael Weber

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

Modern yet nostalgic, this project’s design pays homage to a utopian vision of society, where every object has its place and every institution provides a service for better living. Located in stylish NoLita, the restaurant’s main dining area features a decadent wine room, rich end-grain wood floors, and twelve-foot, softly lit vaulted brick ceilings. Mechanized pulleys and industrial concrete features mingle with comfortable seating areas and warm walnut surfaces, creating a charming intimacy amidst more municipal spaces. A library quarter stocks magazines and books from the 1940s-1950s that promote "good living" concepts, while classic bronze post office boxes serve as a chef's choice wine reserve for restaurant regulars.

The adjacent skylit lounge features fifteen-foot, wood-beamed ceilings and polished concrete floors that lend an industrial appeal to the already dramatic space. Machine-age glass lamps hang over a modern wood bar outfitted with cocktail mise-en-place stations to facilitate speedy service. Pre-war office doors lead to glass-tiled bathrooms filled with specially wrapped PUBLIC soap take-aways, a nod to the mass-production of personal grooming products. At the rear, a loading dock entrance overlooks a quiet community garden space.

Owned, envisioned, designed, and run by New York City-based design and concept firm AvroKO, this new restaurant gives fine dining a civic appeal. Sprinklings of industrial, modern, and old-fashioned elements, however, do away with any institutional rigidity.

Formal name of Project:
Public

Location:
New York City

Gross square footage:
6,800 sq. ft.

Owner:
Adam Farmerie, Dan Rafalin, Kristina O’Neal, William Harris, Greg Bradshaw

Architect:
Avro|KO
210 Elizabeth St.
NY NY 10012
P 212.343.7024
F 212.343.0918
avroko.com