Bar Chimera

New York, NY

Restaurant

Located on the ground floor of 550 Madison, Bar Chimera is a Midtown oasis offering three distinct bar experiences that together create an elegant and convivial environment. Rockwell Group designed the space around the idea of the extension of the public plaza, deepening the connection to the landmark building's garden and the surrounding neighborhood. Bar Chimera is one of Simon Kim’s three anchor restaurants at 550 Madison that also includes the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse Cote 550.

Client

Gracious Hospitality Management
Olayan Group

Project Category: Restaurant

Select Press

550 MADISON BAR CHIMERA EXTERIOR 046 FINAL Credit Jason Varney — Bar Chimera emanates a warm glow upon Madison Avenue through monumental sixty-foot windows. Café curtains create privacy from the street while still allowing light and movement to penetrate.

Three bars anchor the dining room; the whiskey, wine, and martini bars have unique identities and shared sensibilities. We envision this experience as a place of celebration, community gathering, and the opportunity to experience the art of mixology and vinification.

The wine bar has a more feminine palate with rosé tones. A polished pewter bar top and custom lava stone tile bar die in ivory elegantly complements the back bar, which features specialty textured pink mirror with a custom lava stone frame in terracotta. High top wine tables in pink marble form a serpentine-shaped bar ledge that allows for wine bucket integration.

550 MADISON BAR CHIMERA MARTINI BAR 025vf — The martini bar has a polished pewter bar top and features sage green accents, mirrored surfaces, a mirrored drink ledge, and the same bar die as the wine bar.

550 MADISON BAR CHIMERA WHISKEY BAR 063vf — The whiskey bar takes on a moodier tone, with cast amber glass, warm woods, leather and cognac colors, and a custom ladder with leather details to reach bottles of liquor. Custom bar lights with different colored leather stems provide a hint of visual consistency across all three bars.

The container for all three bars is a grand, 60-foot-tall space with a 16-foot datum of warm cerused oak with ceramic inlays that wraps the public realm, creating an inviting layer at the human scale within the lobby. We introduced two monumental but graceful arches out of hammered metallic-toned plaster and distressed leather (from Rockwell Group’s collection with Garrett Leather) with integrated lighting.

Three large, faceted globe pendants are suspended between the arches, made of textured and clear glass, inspired by iconic Midtown lights, the Theater District, and Tiffany glass craftsmanship, offering a landmark look with a modern twist.

550 MADISON BAR CHIMERA FOUNTAIN PORTRAIT 133 FINAL Credit Jason Varney