Metrazur Restaurant
Metrazur Restaurant, Grand Central Station
New York , NY
Tsao & McKown designed a respectful insertion of a new restaurant in Grand Central’s main hall, while simultaneously ensuring its removability without leaving a mark on this public treasure.
Additions within Grand Central Station could easily have treated it as a shrine. However, the Metrazur Restaurant, occupying the restored east balcony, has become part of the procession of the terminal. From exclusive clientele who can reserve a private dining hall, to commuters in for a quick sandwich, the restaurant works to understand and uphold Grand Central’s inherent flow. A reflection of such movement, each dining option proceeds into the next seamlessly. Likewise, not even the kitchen is sealed off from the rest. From the main dining room, patrons have a clear view of the food preparation area, which is demarcated by a sinuous, counter-high element. This same element then extends outwards to widen into a seating area for a separate service bar. Such clean, modernist elements were born from classical considerations, and it is this counterbalancing of the contemporary with the historical that will help ensure the vitality, not just the iconography of this living landmark.
