Buddha-Bar New York / YOD Group

Curated by Paula Pintos

Architects: YOD Group
Area: 850 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs:Andriy Bezuglov
Manufacturers: Alphamesh, Bastion Sv, Billiani, Forestier, Laurameroni, Natura Interior, Postformula, Stalkon, Villa décor, Wood Studio
Lead Architects: Volodymyr Nepiyvoda, Dmytro Bonesko

Text description provided by the architects. Buddha-Bar New York is a two-story restaurant featuring Asian cuisine based in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan. The main idea of the project is reincarnation. We expressed it in the rebirth of materials, space, and the big brand that history had begun from the opening of the first Buddha Bar in Paris back in 1996.

Buddha-Bar New York / YOD Group - Exterior Photography, Table — © Andriy Bezuglov

Buddha-Bar New York / YOD Group - Interior Photography, Lighting — © Andriy Bezuglov

We placed a 15-foot (4,5 meters) high glass statue of Buddha next to the entrance in the most spacious hall. We stepped out from the idea of a deity made of some yellow metal to add some futuristic mood there. Our Buddha is a parametric sculpture from almost 1000 flat elements. The sidecut of the glass has a frosted texture that doesn’t allow the light from tree projectors to get inside of the sculpture. 3-dimensional digital art projection creates the illusion of the light hologram. You could assume that it is not the sculpture that weighs almost 15 tons (13,5 tonnes), but an empty vessel inside of which something is going on, and life is dawning. The value of this sculpture is a million dollars.

The large-scale metal pendant lights in the main dining room are French brand Forestier created by the design of Kateryna Sokolova. They have an oriental mood but at the same time resemble some drones from coming times that are silently hanging in the air.

The interior in grays, browns, blues colors blends modern design with the building’s original vibe. We expressed the reincarnation topic by the interior details. We used timber that aged 800-4000 years according to the expertise for tabletops and part of wall surfaces. The restaurant halls are embellished with dried plants. We left uncovered some typical loft spaces built at the beginning of ХХ century, cast-iron columns, and the building’s original beams. High screens made from steel bars also touch on the age of the industrial boom in New York.

We aimed to bring a new vision to the well-known brand, to keep its DNA and express it most authentically and insert it into the general context of New York. We had to dive into the city atmosphere and pass it through ourselves. We drastically changed the project after every visit to New York. You can’t knock out the New Yorkers because all the world comes to them with the best things. So there is no point in knocking out. It is better, to be honest, and authentic, – a co-founder of YOD Group Volodymyr Nepyivoda says.