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The New Museum, currently undergoing a massive renovation and 60,000-square-foot building expansion, will (finally!) be home to its first-ever on-site restaurant when it reopens this fall. Helmed by chef and author Julia Sherman, the eatery will be a partnership with the Oberon Group designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu.
According to an official press release, the still-unnamed, 100-seat restaurant will incorporate sustainable materials and practices in both its menu and design. For starters, the space will be a zero-waste destination serving vegetable-based dishes and local seafood, "drawing inspiration from local purveyors and growers and focusing on ingredients from the Hudson Valley."
Art will play a big part in it all: the dishes to be delicious, sure, but also visually striking.
"Diners can expect bright colors and playful eating," reads the release.
Drink-wise, the classic cocktail program—martinis! Spritzes!—will be complemented by the sort of botanical non-alcoholic selections that have caught on with New Yorkers in recent years. There will be wine on offer as well, mostly natural selections of back vintages predominantly sourced from regenerative wine growers (basically, folks who use organic farming practices to restore soil health and the environment).
Although the space—designed with the vibrant energy of downtown New York in mind—will be accessible through the museum's lobby on the ground floor, patrons will also be able to walk in after-hours through a special entrance on Freeman Alley.
"We imagined the restaurant both as part of and independent from the Museum," said Shohei Shigematsu, OMA partner, in an official statement. "Conceived as a freestanding box inserted into the ground floor lobby, it will be accessible from the building’s front and back, day to night. Inside, a large dining room and fixed pockets of seating will offer space to gather or retreat. Organic, tactile material finishes complementing the New Museum’s polished lightness will create a warm and comforting environment."
And since we’re in a museum, let’s talk art: the Oberon Group has commissioned two exciting new works to grace the space. First, an immersive installation by artist Ian Cheng, which will serve as the striking centerpiece of the bar, and second, custom furnishings by the talented designer Minjae Kim.
The New Museum also recently announced details about its inaugural exhibition: "New Humans: Memories of the Future." Spanning the entire museum, the show will trace the history of art of the 20th and 21st centuries through the work of over 150 international artists, filmmakers, writers, scientists, architects and more.
Big things are happening at the New Museum in upcoming months—and we cannot wait to experience them all.