Written by: Andrea Shockling Wednesday, March 6th, 2013 .
How do you combine the aesthetics of two very unique cities like New York and Paris into one cohesive restaurant design? First, take a minute and imagine some of the most iconic landmarks and features from both cities. Are you picturing ironwork from the Eiffel Tower? Bright lights from Broadway in Times Square? Those images and others inspired some of the features in the new upscale burger restaurant, Paris New York, designed by French studio Cut Architectures.
Cut is known for its museum design as well as its civic and retail sustainable redevelopment projects. In the case of Paris New York, the studio spent seven months creating the interior of this two-story hot spot in the 10th arrondissement in Paris. This is no ordinary burger joint, either: Paris New York is one of several upscale hamburger eateries in the area, so an eye-catching design and “curb appeal” was important to set PNY apart from the stiff competition.
Paris New York’s design pays tribute to the culture and spirit of its two namesakes while mostly avoiding tired cliché in either case. The exterior marquee is a playful nod to New York’s most popular tourist destination but the stark line and minimal signage reads as fresh and modern.
Inside, the two floors are divided by an open staircase with exposed steel supports reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. Despite two such significant landmarks vying for patrons’ attention, neither of these references feels heavy handed because they are never too literal. The steel itself is balanced by the shinier chrome of the bar, which according to the designers was inspired by classic American Airstream trailers.
The metallic detail is a strong design choice, especially with the bare bulb fixtures that run the length of the downstairs. Reflective surfaces pick up the stark light, and Cut reinforces that balance with the black and white Parisian tile floor and monochromatic color palate on both levels. We hope that PNY has a different plan for lighting in the evening, because while those theater bulbs are a fun feature during the day, they certainly bring a very bright ambience to the entire interior of the restaurant.
Paris New York succeeds in paying homage to two cities with very distinctive tastes. Paris may be the city of lights and New York may be the city that never sleeps, but together they’ve inspired a fun, fresh design. It would have been easy for Cut to simply fill PNY with artifacts or photographs from both cities, but the materials and contrasting colors elevate this burger joint to something much more classy.
Image source: cut-architectures.com
