Monkey Bar, New York

SITE: A speakeasy from the Depression era at the infamous Hotel Elysee located in midtown Manhattan.

BRIEF: The client group wished to renovate the run-down speakeasy and restore its place as the center of the literary, arts and cultural scene. The original murals were to be restored and maintained as a defining feature of the main bar area. The interior scheme had to celebrate the history and character of the earlier era.

DESIGN: The careful restoration and new build-outs resulted in an interior environment that is a mixture of 1930s glamor bar and refined café restaurant. With red leather upholstered banquettes and custom-made light fixtures casting a cozy glow, the bar is a glamorous watering hole for the present age of creatives, writers, and members of the media. Winner of the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller Innovation and Design Award.