architect and chef team up to design bucolic garden restaurant 'le pavillon'

a lush new york oasis, ‘le pavillon’

isay weinfeld celebrates the opening of his green restaurant oasis in new york ‘le pavillon,’ designed together with internationally renowned chef daniel boulud. the collaboration between the brazilian architect and french chef is vital — at once highlighting the serene garden atmosphere envisioned by the architect and the technical precision required by the chef and his team. the space is nestled within the heart of midtown manhattan along the second floor of skyscraper one vanderbilt — a bustling corner of the city where such a lush natural environment is much needed.

images by eunji paula kim photo | @eunjipaulakim

a garden in midtown

architect isay weinfeld and chef daniel boulud design new york’s ‘le pavillon’ to gradually unfold through lush olive trees and picturesque flora. a winding footpath meanders around the dining tables, recalling a rambling walk through the countryside. with its narrow width, towering ceiling height, and grand window walls, the light-filled restaurant almost suggests an open-air terrace.

chef daniel boulud describes the namesake of ‘le pavillon,’ an homage to that which was opened in 1941 by henri soulé and was long celebrated as a new york institution. while the intention is not to replicate the former le pavillon, chef daniel boulud honors its name by memorializing a bygone era of french classic restaurants in this new millennium.

conversation with the architect and chef

designboom (DB): can you speak about the collaboration between the architect and the chef in creating this restaurant? chef daniel has contributed to the design process of the space, yes?

isay weinfeld (IW): it’s obvious! it’s not designed for myself — it’s not just it’s not my restaurant, it’s his restaurant. I have to understand him and to try to translate what he does into architecture. but everything comes from him, not from me. this is very important. I am just the translator. but this is easier for an architect when you have a man like him that knows his work. and this is fundamental, if you work with people that does not know, you have some space that has no meaning.

DB: on the other hand if he said, ‘just design me anything,’

chef daniel boulud (CDB): this is terrible for me, I could not do it!

IW: there is always a direction, that conversation, that direction that goes back and forth. because for example, for me, it’s all about the flow. it’s all about the efficiency of a design. a restaurant, if it’s not efficient, doesn’t work. and I think that constant back and forth conversation, to really understand each other — on the practical or technical side for me, and then on the design side. how can we make that work because daniel? while still retaining all the element of creativity and design he wants to keep that’s very important.

chef daniel’s french cuisine is rooted in tradition with a contemporary new york-spirit