Morgan’s Hotel Group opened their new chapter in the penthouse suite, world-class restaurant, prime event destination business. Their latest hotel, Mondrian SOHO, hit the uncontested fashion district capital of The States recently, and brought with it the expert design stylings that make the area famous. To take a walk through the neighborhood is like leafing through the pages of W, or being invited into the luxury home of a friend’s wealthy aunt.No streetcorner, shop window, or fire escape is left to its own devices in this district that screams, Hip! Modern! Nostalgia! Luxe! Resourceful! in the same breath without irony.
It makes perfect sense, both aesthetically and philosophically, that the original work of one of the premier modern artists working in glass is featured prominently in the Mondrian’s highly anticipated, upscale seafood restaurant, Imperial No. 9. Beth Lipman has created a giant centerpiece for the restaurant, comprised of familiar feast-day objects, but rendered entirely in colorless glass. This mode of expression is something for which she is most famous, as she has spent much of her career exploring the Dutch art of still life. By transforming familiar, almost passé centerpieces into glass, she morphs them into something a bit more absurd, crafty and playful while at the same time enhancing their delicacy.
The restaurant sits under an entirely glass roof, reminding the clientele that outside is happening, something that’s extremely easy to forget in theNew York City nightlife. In an interview for the Daily News, Sam Talbot, Imperial’s executive celebrity chef, said proudly of the space, “So many places in New York are cramped and crowded, I like that you can breathe in here.” Yet the space is warmly decorated, plush and posh, not by any means the austere minimalist space that his summation of the interior implies. This is largely attributed to the healthy dose of transparent glass as a decorative tool. In the same way glass panels open up Apple storefronts, alleviating the otherwise claustrophobic atmosphere, Imperial’s glass ceilings seem to allow the air to circulate. An enormous centerpiece could instantly overwhelm a room, but in the case of Lipman’s work, the dining room is instantly calmed down. Her artistic statement attests to this unobtrusive trick glass can play on the human eye; “The absence of color captures the essence of an object and offers a counterpoint to trumpe l’oeil (deception of the eye) found in still life paintings.”
The Mondrian celebrates the coolly exhibited virtuosity of the glass artist in their latest venture, proving once again that the medium simultaneously represents the modern and the classic much like SOHO itself. Lipman currently has three major shows running all across the United States, making the Mondrian’s decision to showcase her work not only an astute design move, but a culturally sound decision.
To eat the sustainable seafood and gawk at Beth Lipman’s artistic prowess, head to 9 Crosby St. New York, NY 10013. In the meantime, visit http://www.mondriansoho.com/en-us/#/explore/?id=/mondrian-soho-imperial-no-nine/ for a breathtaking photo gallery.