Rockwell Group designs art deco-influenced Manhattan restaurant

New York studio Rockwell Group has unveiled interiors for a steakhouse inside a newly renovated office building on Park Avenue, featuring sumptuous red walls and strong geometry.

The restaurant is named La Tête d'Or after the city park in Lyon, France, where Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud was brought up.

Restaurant lobby with low lighting and red-panelled walls — Guests arriving at La Tête d'Or are greeted in a lobby lined with red-panelled walls

Rockwell Group designed interiors that would bridge France and New York, similar to the cuisine, using a palette of rich blues, mirrored surfaces, dark marble, and wood and leather panelling.

The 13,500-square-foot (1,250-square-metre) eatery is located on ground floor of One Madison Avenue – part of the huge former Metropolitan Life Insurance Company campus facing Madison Square Park – which was recently overhauled and extended with a glass tower.

Bar area marble flooring and leather walls — Marble flooring and leather walls set the mood in the bar area

Five dining rooms serve occupants of the building above and the general public, who are enticed in from Park Avenue by atmospheric lighting.

"From its Park Avenue exterior, La Tête d'Or radiates an inviting glow through a wood-framed, double-height glass facade," said Rockwell Group.

Bar area with tall ceiling and low lighting — The interiors borrow many references from New York's art deco architecture

Italian two-toned black and charcoal stone flooring lines the entry vestibule, which then leads through a set of cream-coloured doors into a red-panelled lobby.

A chandelier comprising two frustum-shaped tiers sets the tone for the strong, angular geometry influenced by New York's art deco architecture found throughout the restaurant.

The main dining room with a symmetrical layout and tall stepped ceilings — The main dining room has a symmetrical layout and tall stepped ceilings

The main dining space features a symmetrical layout and a tall high-gloss ceiling that's stepped to accommodate warm cove lighting.

Pairs of curved banquettes lined with velvet-wrapped cushions sit back to back, bookended by circular marble tables positioned below four-column pendant lights.

Open kitchen below a custom, art deco-influenced metal hood — Above the open kitchen is a custom metal hood, patterned based on a mural by artist Jesse Willems

Above the open kitchen is a hood featuring a geometric mural, based on a collage by Belgian artist Jesse Willems, which also takes shapes from New York's art deco icons such as Rockefeller Center.

"Entirely fabricated by Italian manufacturer De Castelli, it employs five different metals, including hammered brass, patina brass, champagne metal, charcoal steel, and blue lacquered metal," said Rockwell Group.

Two more intimate rooms north of the main dining area are separated by custom sliding doors inset with decorative textured glass.

One includes a "king's table" within a grand wood-lined space, while the next door, a dedicated Wagyu Room features a horseshoe-shaped stone table that accommodates gueridon carts for table-side grilling.

A private dining room featuring abstract murals at each end — A private dining room features abstract murals at each end

There's also a private dining room with a pre-function space for greeting guests and enjoying cocktails, before moving into the space flanked by abstract murals.

Silk-like wallpaper, blue-toned carpet and a custom ribbed glass pendant create a sophisticated atmosphere in this setting, which also has a view of the MetLife building through a north-facing window.