4.5-meter-tall glass-hewn buddha sculpture decorates restaurant interior in new york

YOD group has designed the two-story ‘buddha-bar’ restaurant in manhattan, new york, with a 4.5-meter-tall glass-hewn buddha sculpture decorating its interior. seeking to explore the topic of reincarnation, the design incorporated a series of details, including aged timber, dried plants, as well as a color palette of gray, brown, and blue tones. as a result, the project revolutionizes the brand identity but still highlights the rich history of the ‘buddha-bar’, which first opened in paris back in 1996.

all images courtesy of andriy bezuglov

right next to the entrance of the restaurant, in its most spacious hall, YOD group placed the tall glass statue of buddha, stepping out from the idea of a deity made of some yellow metal and thus adding a futuristic touch to the interior. the parametric sculpture is composed of almost 1000 flat elements, while the sidecut of the glass has a frosted texture that doesn’t allow the light to permeate it. therefore, the piece appears as an empty vessel, inside of which ‘something is going on, and life is dawning,’ as the designers mention. the value of this impressive sculpture is a million dollars.

large-scale metal pendant lights are installed in the main dining room, adding an oriental mood to the restaurant. at the same time, the fixtures resemble drones from coming times that are silently hanging in the air. the interior showcases an arrangement of grays, browns, and blues, blending modern design with the building’s original vibe. as far as the detailing is concerned, the designers used 800 to 4000-year-old timber to form the tabletops and part of the wall surfaces. in addition, the halls are embellished with dried plants.

the design team chose to preserve some pre-existing loft spaces, which were built at the beginning of XX century, along with some cast-iron columns, and the building’s original beams. high screens made from steel bars also touch on the age of the industrial boom in new york. ‘we aimed to bring a new vision to the well-known brand, to keep its DNA and express it most authentically and insert it into the general context of new york. we had to dive into the city atmosphere and pass it through ourselves,’ – co-founder of YOD group volodymyr nepyivoda shares.

project info:

name: buddha-bar new york
designers: YOD group
sculpture light solutions and digital art: expolight
graphic design: pravda design 
pendant lights design: kateryna sokolova for forestier
location: 62 thomas street, new york, the US
area: 850 sqm (9149 sqft)
photography: andriy bezuglov

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom