'la grande boucherie' restaurant in new york references ornamental art nouveau style

created by designer julien legeard and owner emil stefkov, ‘la grande boucherie’ restaurant intends to be one of the most authentic french dining destinations in manhattan. the brasserie is inspired by the elegant and ornamental art nouveau style, which evokes optimism from the turn of the century, transported to present-day new york.

all images by melissa hom

upon entering ‘la grande boucherie’ by julien legeard (the prestige group) through the main arcade entrance, one is greeted with a spectacle of ornament and art nouveau revival. central to the entrance is the main bar, above which is integrated an antique, 150-year-old decorative ceiling. this ceiling is incorporated into an undulating system of archways that embellish the ceiling throughout the space. this vaulted ceiling is the culmination of a design process using multi-disciplinary fabrication and incorporating both traditional methods of craftsmanship and modern parametric technology.

the north and south side of the restaurant incorporates a brasserie-style oyster bar, subway tile-clad walls, and artwork reflective of the joie de vivre era of 1920’s paris. by contrast, the right side of the restaurant incorporates a charcuterie bar, oak clad walls and floors, integrated booth seating, and artwork reflective of the more refined and formal aspects of the belle époque era. the floors throughout the interior adopt organic forms, taking inspiration from the masters of art nouveau like victor horta and antoni gaudi.

the extraordinary vaulted ceiling is serves as a symbol of the legendary great cafes of the ‘belle époque’. the bouquets of ferns attached to the arches are all hand-sculpted and cast in plaster which embraces molding beams and columns. the plastered ceiling was hand finished with a custom gold patina effect which brings authenticity to the look and a warm feeling. adapted to the architecture of the building, and to all of the oak cladded columns, over a hundred custom lamps and chandelier infuse the room with its harmonious champagne color. 

the glass skylight – a 150 year old piece directly coming from the famous ‘les puces’, flea market in paris. this ornamental composition used to belong to a private estate next to the opera garnier and was salvaged before demolition to now have a second life at la grande boucherie. each piece of the antic glass is hand-painted. the design composition of the acanthus leaf and organic elements like the ferns can be also found in other areas of the restaurant.

project info:

name: la grande boucherie restaurant
designer: julien legeard from the prestige group
location: manhattan, new york

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edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom