Brasserie 8 ½ is a luxury restaurant in the lower level spaces of the iconic Gordon Bunshaft building on 57th Street in Manhattan, just off 5th Avenue. The client wanted to get an elegant space that would be used by the business crowd at lunch time and for fine upscale dining in the evening. The grand half-circular staircase covered with bright orange carpet, the owner’s signature color, leads from the street level to a round cocktail lounge and bar creating a strong presence of the restaurant at the street. The entrance tactfully blends with the existing modernist lobby of the building filled with art from the owner’s private collection. To minimize the feeling of being underground, the dining room has a large light fixture/glass sculpture in the ceiling and a backlit stained glass panel that screens the kitchen entrance as a focal point.

Location: Manhattan, NY

Status: Completed

This project was designed by Marina Himanen while at Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates Architects.

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