Chicken Archives

Arches of light warmly illuminate this Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York’s Flatiron district, designed by Rockwell Group.

Coqodaq is the brainchild of restauranteur Simon Kim’s Gracious Hospitality Management, the group behind the Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated COTE Korean Steakhouse.

Glass and bronze modules form an arch of light over a dining booth — At Cododaq, glass and bronze modules form arches of light over diners

The new restaurant offers an elevated take on traditional Korean-style fried chicken, encouraging diners to indulge in nuggets topped with caviar and to pair its “bucket” dishes with champagne.

“Designed by Rockwell Group as ‘the cathedral of fried chicken’, the restaurant design delivers a daring, yet refined dining experience that skillfully integrates Korean and American influences, placing them at the forefront of this enticing culinary adventure,” said the restaurant team.

Restaurant interior with moody material palette and warm lighting — The restaurant’s moody material palette and warm lighting set the tone for an elevated take on Korean fried chicken

To create the right atmosphere for this experience, Rockwell Group opted for a dark and moody interior of rich materials and low, warm lighting.

“Our goal was to capture the essence of this unique concept and innovative approach to fried chicken and translate it into a memorable dining experience,” said founder David Rockwell.

Booth seating with crackled plaster wall panels above — Plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect akin to fried chicken skin

Upon entry, guests are invited to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins, above which a row of pill-shaped light bands glow within a bronzed mirror that also wraps onto the side walls.

Past the host stand, an area with four high-top tables offers a space reserved for walk-ins in front of garage-style windows.

A long bar topped with black soapstone and fronted with tambour wood — The long bar is topped with black soapstone and fronted with tambour wood

The main dining area is formed by a series of green leather and dark walnut booths on either side of a central walkway.

A series of illuminated arches soar overhead, formed from rippled glass and bronze modules that resemble bubbling oil in a deep-fat fryer.

Champagne collection displayed in glass cases with bubble-like lighting — The restaurant’s extensive champagne collection is displayed in glass cases with bubble-like lighting

At the end of this procession, a mirrored wall reflects glowing arches and creates the illusion of doubled space. Meanwhile, plaster wall panels feature a crackled effect, nodding to the crispy skin of the fried chicken.

“The material palette was driven by a desire to surround diners in an envelope of warmth, creating a joyful place to be at any time,” Rockwell said.

Rockwell Group creates atmospheric interiors for Perelman Center in New York

Additional booth seating to one side is followed by the long bar, topped with black soapstone, fronted by tambour wood and backed by a luminous black liquor shelf.

The restaurant’s extensive champagne collection – which it claims is the largest in America – is displayed inside glass cabinets installed with globe-shaped lights that look like giant bubbles.

Area with high-top tables reserved for walk-in diners — At the front of the restaurant is an area with high-top tables reserved for walk-in diners

“Simon and I share the belief that the most important thing about restaurants is how they ritualise coming together for a shared, celebratory experience and Coqodaq provides the perfect template for that,” said Rockwell.

Since Tony Award-winning designer founded his eponymous firm in New York 40 years ago, the studio has grown to a 250-person operation with additional offices in Los Angeles and Madrid.

Hand-washing station with leathered soapstone basins and rings of light above — Upon arrival, guests are encouraged to wash their hands in leathered soapstone basins

Among Rockwell Group’s recent hospitality projects are the Metropolis restaurant and lobby spaces at the Perelman Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Zaytina inside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

We’ve featured a few fried chicken restaurants recently, including a 1960s-influenced spot in Los Angeles and a neon-illuminated eatery in Calgary.

The photography is by Jason Varney.

Reference

Canadian studio Amanda Hamilton Interior Design has used bold colour-blocking and neon lighting to give this Calgary chicken shop a “1990s meets Memphis” feel.

Strip Joint Chicken in the city’s East Village neighbourhood is a fast-casual restaurant that serves “chicken fingers with a twist”.

Midnight blue vestibule with neon strips across the walls and ceiling — A dark entrance vestibule sets the tone for Strip Joint Chicken’s dining space beyond

The brand is fun, playful and cheeky, so the interiors of its 2,200-square-foot (204-square-metre) space needed to reflect this.

Working with a return client, Amanda Hamilton Interior Design leant fully into the “offbeat” concept, creating an elevated interpretation of a seedy bar or nightclub that founder Amanda Hamilton described as “1990s meets Memphis”.

The words "Strip Joint" written on a wall in a striped typeface — A trio of colourful stripes is used to guide customers to the ordering area, and also spells out the brand’s name on the wall

“At times subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) design elements take a nod (or a big ol’ bow) playing to the restaurant’s name,” said the designer. “In a market saturated with options for fast casual, standing out was key.”

The main entrance vestibule is painted midnight blue and illuminated by vertical bands of neon lighting that connect wall-to-wall across the ceiling. This immersive passageway sets the tone for the main dining area, which is similarly lit with neon.

Fluorescent-blue neon tubes suspended above a service counter — Tangles of fluorescent-blue neon tubes are suspended above the service counter

Tangled fluorescent-blue tubes are positioned above the bar and service counter, while pink and yellow glow from LED strips within large colour-blocked arches that accommodate built-in seating for a row of dining tables.

“Coloured lighting is used extensively to feature architectural details, enhance volumetric space, ground the bar and highlight seating areas,” Hamilton said.

Pink arched niche with built-in seating and dining tables — LED strips illuminate colour-blocked arched niches, which accommodate bench seating

Part of a larger retail space that was divided into four units, the chicken shop is accessible from both sides of the building.

Therefore, close attention was paid to the flow of people through the space, and wayfinding tools were implemented to assist both dine-in and take-out customers.

A trio of arched niches lit up in pink and yellow — The arched niches provide space for dine-in guests to enjoy their chicken out the way of take-out customers

A trio of thin, coloured stripes are inlaid across floors to guide hungry patrons to the ordering area.

The same triple-line motif spells out the brand’s name in large letters across a wall, above a pink scallop-topped bench accompanied by small tables and terrazzo stools.

Custom-designed feathery wallpaper adorns the back of the central arch and inside the “tender neutral” bathrooms, which are tucked behind bright pink doors.

For guests wishing to stay longer, a private dining area named the Hens Den is obscured from view by gauzy drapery.

Bathroom interior with feathery wallpaper — Custom feathery wallpaper adorns the bathroom interiors

This monochromatic room features a brass pole in the centre of its dining table, around which a lazy susan for sharing food rotates.

“As an extension of the space, the predominately custom furniture is equal parts playful and sculptural, creating a conversation-worthy addition to the space,” Hamilton said.

Bathroom with feathery wallpaper and a bright pink door — Located behind bright pink doors, the bathrooms are designated as “tender neutral”

The designer founded her eponymous studio in Calgary, where she’s based, and also operates a second location out of Vancouver.

A trend for bright psychedelia in hospitality and entertainment spaces has been gaining pace recently, with other examples found in Seattle’s Supernova nightclub and the Resonant Head music venue in Oklahoma City.

The photography is by Joel Klassen.

Reference

Chicken

Neon lighting illuminates Strip Joint Chicken by Amanda Hamilton

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