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Nobu Downtown

New York, NY

Nobu Downtown NY 2017 (53)

Restaurant

Rockwell Group’s collaboration with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa began with one small restaurant in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. 23 years later, we redesigned Nobu in a new downtown location—the former AT&T building in the financial district. There we continued to explore Japanese craft, this time the art of Japanese calligraphy and Peruvian folk traditions, while respecting the monumental beauty of the landmarked interior.

Client
Nobu
Project Category
Restaurant
Selected Press
Nobu Downtown bar sits below large organically shaped sculpture.
Nobu Downtown NY 2017 (9)

The ground floor features a bar, lounge, and dining area. The 4,500 SF space is framed by heroic Botticino marble columns. A delicate ash wood sculpture depicts a swirl of watery sumi-e ink suspended above the bar.

Nobu Downtown NY 2017 (85)
Plush banquette seating upholstered in custom fabrics with Japanese patterns in rich Peruvian colors define the main dining room. A river rock wall by the stair nods to Nobu’s original Tribeca location.

“The original Nobu restaurant was of its moment. This one had to be too.”

David Rockwell
Nobu NYC 2017 Preview (4)
Nobu Downtown NY 2017 (80)
An intimate private dining room has shelves filled with handmade ceramic sake carafes.
Nobu Downtown NY 2017 (49)

Maker Space

Rockwell Group collaborated with several artists and craftspeople to help us conceive of some inventive details. Ceramic artist Pascale Girardin created sake vessels and two ceramic murals. Designer John Houshmand helped us bring the ash sculpture to life.