ROCKWELL GROUP UNVEILS INTERIORS FOR DIN TAI FUNG NYC

Images courtesy of Rockwell Group

Putting the Taiwanese establishment centre stage of the theatre district

Rockwell Group has revealed the new Din Tai Fung NYC restaurant, aiming to showcase tradition and authenticity in a 2323m2 flagship space. The design, led by Rockwell Group Partners David Rockwell and Shawn Sullivan, draws inspiration from the Theatre District’s vibrancy. Each section is styled like a stage, featuring bold shapes, colors, and lighting. The aim is to create a theatrical experience with intricate details like a decorative ceiling. The traditional color palette of red, jade, green, and gold adds grandeur to the space.

The design process for Din Tai Fung restaurants began with a warm-toned color palette and a focus on key features like the dumpling show kitchen. Each location ties into these elements to create a unique design concept, telling its own story.

The main entrance at 51st Street and Broadway is a modern glass cube with a wooden and metal curtain enclosing a staircase, where a custom chandelier hangs. A curved passageway with stone-like tiles leads to the host stand, creating anticipation for the dining experience. Decorated with glass tubes, wood, and lanterns, the passageway resembles an abstract forest, leading to a Moon Gate artwork symbolizing interconnectedness and the cyclical nature of life seen throughout the restaurant.

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Din Tai Fung’s main bar area in NYC is designed to be warm and welcoming, reflecting the restaurant’s family-oriented hospitality. The bar is a focal point, while the dumpling kitchen serves as the centerpiece on the opposite end. The Rockwell Group has relocated the dumpling kitchen to the dining area to showcase the brand’s commitment to excellence in food, service, and atmosphere.

The ceiling, resembling a tapestry, connects the two spaces with its draped effect and oversized calligraphy wallcovering. The two dining rooms, inspired by residential courtyards, can accommodate up to 450 guests and are decorated in green and red jade color palettes. Various design elements like dark flooring, light flooring, dining pods, metal screens, and custom pendants enhance the ambiance of the space, creating a garden-like atmosphere.

Rockwell Group updated the aesthetic of Din Tai Fung by incorporating retractable privacy curtains leading to private dining rooms decorated with blue-toned wallcoverings featuring Chinese pavilion murals by Maya Romanoff. Half-round openings in the walls provide “borrowed views” of the restaurant. The restrooms feature a dark palette with stones on the corridor walls, reminiscent of traditional meditative gardens. Founder Bing-Yi Yang established Din Tai Fung in 1958 as a cooking oil shop before transitioning to a dumpling business in 1974. The restaurant gained global recognition in 1993 when named one of the top ten restaurants by The New York Times. Today, Din Tai Fung has over 170 locations worldwide.