Diller + Scofidio - The Brasserie

Diller + Scofidio
The Brasserie
Seagram Building
New York City

Philip Johnson designed two restaurants in the Mies van der Rohe Seagram Building (1958); the Four Seasons and the Brasserie. After a fire ravaged the Brasserie in 1995 the owners selected Diller + Scofidio to redesign the space.

“The prospect of redesigning one of New York's legendary restaurants in one of the world's most distinguished modernist buildings was as inviting as it was daunting. The architecture of the new restaurant respectfully challenges many of the tenets of modernism”.
Diller + Scofidio

Photo: Michael Moran

After removing all traces of Philip Johnson’s interior, the rough concrete surfaces of the original space were relined with new skins of wood, terrazzo, tile, and glass. These thin "liners" often lift from their surfaces to become structural, spatial and functional components. For example, the madrone floor peels up while the pearwood ceiling peels down and is molded into seating as part of a continuous wrapper around the main dining space.
Pearwood skins in the rear dining room peel from the plaster ceiling and wall to become free-floating partitions which delaminate into illuminated veneers.

Photo: Michael Moran

While the Seagram Building is the premiere 20th century glass tower, the restaurant, lodged in the stone base of the building, is entirely without glass or view. This irony prompted a series of contemplation’s about glass and vision.

At the entry, a glass surrogate straddles the stone wall; a live video camera outside and a plasma monitor inside provide an electronic transparency to the street.

Photo: Michael Moran

In the rear dining room, a 48 foot long glass wall leans against a perimeter wall and sheaths a display of artifacts. The lenticular glass teases vision by blurring all but perpendicular views. The equation between glass and fragility is exploited as the tipped glass wall supports 24 seated diners along its length.

Photo: Michael Moran

The design emphasizes the social aspects of dining. Entrance from the street is transformed into the ritual of “making an entrance”. Initially, a sensor in the revolving entry door triggers a video snapshot that is added to a continuously changing display on over the bar, announcing every new patron.

Along the "video beam" composed of 15 side by side LCD monitors, the most recent portrait takes the first position and racks the previous 15 to the right, dropping away the oldest.

Photo: Michael Moran

Beyond, in a recall of the original Brasserie, the descent into the main dining room (several feet below street level), is theatricized: a stair in glass of unusually gradual proportions prolongs the descent of each new patron and puts him or her on display as they enter the space.

Photo: Michael Moran

Other features include: a slender space flanking the dining area that is sliced into private booths by a series of tall, upholstered slabs tipped up on end and propped on steel legs.

Photo: Michael Moran

Men's and women's bathrooms are separated physically yet connected visually by semi-transparent honeycomb panels and a cast resin sink spanning the both spaces with a single drain between.

Photo: Michael Moran

Dining tables of poured resin are formed around stainless steel structural supports that remain visible through the material; tripods steel supports that carry bar seats injected with medical gel.

Drawing courtesy Diller + Scofidio
The Brasserie Plan

Seagram Building

Project: The Brasserie
Address: Seagram Building, 100 E 53rd St, NY NY
Client: Restaurant Associates

Design Team:
Diller + Scofidio
Charles Renfro (Project Leader), Deane Simpson

Consultants/Collaborators:
Video Collaborator: Ben Rubin, Ear Studio
Structural Engineer: Alan Burden, Structured Environment
Lighting Design: Richard Shaver
Script for Entry Installation: Douglas Cooper
Curtain Design: Mary Bright
Graphics: 2X4
Artwork Casting: Z Corporation
Outcast Installation assisted by Matthew Johnson

Floor Area: 7,000 square feet (650 square meters)
Project initiation: 1998
Construction completed: January 2000

General Contractor: Construction By Design

Photo: Michael Moran

July 29, 2001

Diller + Scofidio arcspace features





				Features
		Diller + Scofidio The Brasserie Seagram Building New York City Philip Johnson designed two restaurants in the Mies van der Rohe Seagram Building (1958); the Four Seasons and the Brasserie. After a fire ravaged the Brasserie in 1995 the owners selected Diller + Scofidio to redesign the space. “The prospect of redesigning one of New York's legendary restaurants in one of the world's most distinguished modernist buildings was as inviting as it was daunting. The architecture of the new restaurant respectfully challenges many of the tenets of modernism”. Diller + Scofidio Photo: Michael Moran After removing all traces of Philip Johnson’s interior, the rough concrete surfaces of the original space were relined with new skins of wood, terrazzo, tile, and glass. These thin "liners" often lift from their surfaces to become structural, spatial and functional components. For example, the madrone floor peels up while the pearwood ceiling peels down and is molded into seating as part of a continuous wrapper around the main dining space. Pearwood skins in the rear dining room peel from the plaster ceiling and wall to become free-floating partitions which delaminate into illuminated veneers. Photo: Michael Moran While the Seagram Building is the premiere 20th century glass tower, the restaurant, lodged in the stone base of the building, is entirely without glass or view. This irony prompted a series of contemplation’s about glass and vision. At the entry, a glass surrogate straddles the stone wall; a live video camera outside and a plasma monitor inside provide an electronic transparency to the street. Photo: Michael Moran In the rear dining room, a 48 foot long glass wall leans against a perimeter wall and sheaths a display of artifacts. The lenticular glass teases vision by blurring all but perpendicular views. The equation between glass and fragility is exploited as the tipped glass wall supports 24 seated diners along its length. Photo: Michael Moran The design emphasizes the social aspects of dining. Entrance from the street is transformed into the ritual of “making an entrance”. Initially, a sensor in the revolving entry door triggers a video snapshot that is added to a continuously changing display on over the bar, announcing every new patron. Along the "video beam" composed of 15 side by side LCD monitors, the most recent portrait takes the first position and racks the previous 15 to the right, dropping away the oldest. Photo: Michael Moran Beyond, in a recall of the original Brasserie, the descent into the main dining room (several feet below street level), is theatricized: a stair in glass of unusually gradual proportions prolongs the descent of each new patron and puts him or her on display as they enter the space. Photo: Michael Moran Other features include: a slender space flanking the dining area that is sliced into private booths by a series of tall, upholstered slabs tipped up on end and propped on steel legs. Photo: Michael Moran Men's and women's bathrooms are separated physically yet connected visually by semi-transparent honeycomb panels and a cast resin sink spanning the both spaces with a single drain between. Photo: Michael Moran Dining tables of poured resin are formed around stainless steel structural supports that remain visible through the material; tripods steel supports that carry bar seats injected with medical gel. Drawing courtesy Diller + Scofidio The Brasserie Plan Seagram Building Project: The Brasserie Address: Seagram Building, 100 E 53rd St, NY NY Client: Restaurant Associates Design Team: Diller + Scofidio Charles Renfro (Project Leader), Deane Simpson Consultants/Collaborators: Video Collaborator: Ben Rubin, Ear Studio Structural Engineer: Alan Burden, Structured Environment Lighting Design: Richard Shaver Script for Entry Installation: Douglas Cooper Curtain Design: Mary Bright Graphics: 2X4 Artwork Casting: Z Corporation Outcast Installation assisted by Matthew Johnson Floor Area: 7,000 square feet (650 square meters) Project initiation: 1998 Construction completed: January 2000 General Contractor: Construction By Design Photo: Michael Moran July 29, 2001 Diller + Scofidio arcspace features