Project summary 200-500 words On the concourse level of Rockefeller Center, adjacent to the famous rink and Titan Promethus Statue, is the recently opened second location for Tribeca’s beloved Smith & Mills. The design was a collaboration of Matt Abramck and Akiva Elstein of Neighborhood Projects and Krista Ninivaggi of Woods Bagot. The client’s deep understanding of their audience and brand allowed the W-B team to act as design guides, helping them to draw out their best ideas to create the experience they were striving for and translating it for their new space.
The guest experience upon entering the space was created with intentionality, drawing people in from the bright bustling flow within Rockefeller Center into a softly lit space in which to get lost. Guests are greeted by the host in a cozy vestibule surrounded by dark tones, dim lighting, and vintage wrought iron elevator cab panels. The panels are a nod to the celebrated elevator cab restroom in the original location. The minimal host stands in front of skinny wood paneling with a deep bevel, the texture of which is emphasized with two-tone gloss paint. The paneling and a black zellige tile are the primary wall finishes throughout the space. Window treatments are a moody take on the traditional bistro curtain. Stepping past the entrance and into the restaurant, the main event is the zinc and walnut wrapped oval island bar which sits on a tiled black stone floor. The columns that punctuate the space in between two directional wall panels are clad in zellige tile with inset mirrors.
The walls opposite the storefront have large mirrors, custom to the space, but designed to feel antique and industrial, a nod to the mix of old and new aesthetic of the original location. Banquette seating lines the perimeter of the dining room and frames the central island bar. The banquettes are wrapped in complimentary oxblood velvet and leather and are detailed with piping used for legs, another nod to the original location. The white marble tables have a brass band detail and are paired with bistro chairs. A variety of lighting types are used, including pendants, sconces, picture lights, and architectural ceiling strip lighting. The pendants at the front of the bar are based on a 1930s original and constructed of cast aluminum and cast bronze with a hand-blown diffuser.
The patina black painted pendants at the back of the bar are by Christian Dell and date back to the 1930s. Original artwork by Yelena Yemchuk is a nod to the Art Deco design of Rockefeller Center and contributes to “an atmosphere that transports guests somewhere else” according to co-owner Akiva Elstein. A private dining room is clad in handmade red zellige tiles made in Morocco and transitions to a wall covering above featuring a botanical print. Seating in the space is flexible and is furnished with found pieces.
Smith & Mills
Woods Bagot
Bronze

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Arthur Guimarães
Chief Executive Officer
at Arthur Guimarães Architects
6
8
7
6
6.75

Mark Eric Magno
Principal
at Aedas Interiors
5
7
6
6
6

Jessica Adkins
Brand Experience Design Lead Europe
at M Moser Associates
6
7.5
6.5
6
6.5

Xuechen Chen
Architectural Designer
at X.C Studio
6.5
8
7
6
6.88

Josse Popma
Partner
at Popma ter Steege Architects
Consequent in each detail. Wonderfu...
7
9
9
6
7.75

Zizhao Li
Cofounder and Chief Designer
at DSC · Design
5
6.5
5
7
5.88

Pooja Shah-Mulani
Partner and Design Director
at LW Design
6
6
6.5
5
5.88

Burton Baldridge
Founder
at Baldridge Architects
This project has a method... it kno...
7
8
7
6
7

Suvi Saloniemi
Head of Exhibitions
at Finnish Museum of Architecture and Design Museum
6
6
7
5
6

Serhii Makhno
Founder
at MAKHNO Studio
6
7
7
7
6.75

Wenqing Zhou
Founder
at Add Culture & Creative Development
5
7.5
6
6
6.13

Mike McGirr
Managing Partner and Design Principal
at red design
6.21
7.11
6.57
6.3
6.55

Katie Mitchell
Managing Director
at Seen Studios
6
8
7
5
6.5
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Harkaran Singh Boparai
Founder
at Space 5
6
8
7
6
6.75

Yan Zhang
Cofounder
at say architects
7.95
7.64
7.54
7.64
7.69

Anna Gitelman
Associate Professor
at Suffolk University
6.5
8
7
6
6.88

Jianan Shan
Cofounder
at say architects
6.4
6.4
5
5
5.7
Designer
Client
Smith & Mills
Floor area
177 ㎡
Completion
2023
Artwork
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