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Four Twenty Five is a Jean Georges Restaurant by Foster + Partners that has opened inside 425 Park Avenue, a new commercial office tower in New York City. The inclusion of a restaurant/bar at the base of the building was a direct response to the need to create a vibrant and active streetscape at the base of the building. The restaurant features a cocktail lounge, private dining room, and mezzanine-level main dining space with a glass-enclosed kitchen and custom lighting. The use of dark walnut and bronze along with a rich vibrant wall covering creates a sophisticated and intimate experience with a nod to such venues as the Grill Room and the “power venues” of Park Avenue.
The existing structure of the building imposed the split-level program on the restaurant and the decision was taken to place the bar at the lower level adjacent to the street marrying the vibrancy and activity of the bar with the adjacent Park Avenue sidewalk. While the more intimate and sedate dining experience is elevated to the second floor affording views up/down Park Avenue. Guests enter through the bespoke bar and lounge area before proceeding up a grand staircase to the timber-panelled dining level, which floats above Park Avenue. The Private Dining Room which requires no connectivity with the outside is housed behind the bar. A strong part of the concept is the introduction of artwork, particularly the Larry Poons that sits above the bar.
The design addresses the challenge of creating an intimate dining experience in a bustling city environment. This is achieved by cantilevering the timber-panelled dining level over the cocktail lounge, creating a more enclosed and intimate environment. A shear curtain creates a separation between the bar and the street with half-views and a hint of what’s going on in the bar seen through the curtain.
Sustainability and minimisation of waste were key considerations in the project. A whole-life carbon assessment was conducted during the project planning phase to ensure the building’s sustainability. This assessment helped to shape the project’s strategies for waste minimisation, energy efficiency, and carbon footprint reduction.
Split across two stories within a larger atrium-like space, Four Twenty Five includes a cocktail lounge, private dining room and a mezzanine dining level, with a glass-enclosed show kitchen and bespoke lighting installation.
Diners enter the restaurant via a cocktail lounge on the first floor of the building and ascend to the mezzanine dining level, via a sweeping bronze staircase. The timber-panelled dining level cantilevers over the lounge to create an intimate environment for the bar below. A 24-foot painting by the celebrated American artist, Larry Poons, spans the full length of the backbar, animating the space with colour and movement. Adjacent to the lounge, a private dining room creates a separate area for parties and events. The dining room is flexible and can be easily divided into two smaller spaces or opened to create one larger event space.
The mezzanine dining level provides 80 covers and features a glass fronted show kitchen, allowing diners to watch their food being prepared. A bespoke collection of furniture, the NF Collection, is used throughout the space. The collection includes a chair, bar stool, lounge chair and sofa, made in walnut and burgundy leather for Four Twenty Five. Sharing the same distinctive smooth and organic form, each item has been manufactured by Karimoku’s state-of-the-art woodworking machines and hand-finished meticulously by artisan craftsmen.
Situated at the prestigious address of 425 Park Avenue in an L&L Holding office tower, Four Twenty Five boasts a remarkable design by the esteemed Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, a recipient of the prestigious Pritzker Prize. Four Twenty Five delivers extraordinary experiences on both its Mezzanine and Street levels. The captivating cocktail lounge and bar downstairs feature 45-foot-high ceilings, complemented by a 24-foot painting created by artist Larry Poons and stunning staircase.
Foster + Partners is a global studio for architecture, urbanism and design, rooted in sustainability, which was founded over fifty years ago in 1967 by Lord Foster. Since then, the practice has established an international reputation for thoughtful and pioneering design, working as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse. The studio integrates the skills of architecture with engineering, both structural and environmental, urbanism, interior and industrial design, model and film making and many more – the collegiate working environment is similar to a compact university. These diverse skills make Foster + Partners capable of tackling a wide range of projects, particularly those of considerable complexity and scale. Design is at the core of everything the practice does, from products and buildings to cities, always maintaining a commitment to listening, questioning, and innovation.
