Eleven Madison Park

Lighting Designer: HLB Lighting Design
Architect: Allied Works Architecture
Photographer: Eric Piasecki / OTTO

Precision and Hospitality Under Cool Color Temperatures

The Client
In spring of 2017, New York City’s Eleven Madison Park earned the No. 1 spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. In the summer, just after being named number 1, Humm and restauranteur partner, Will Guidara made a bold move to close their doors for a grand renovation project that created a great deal of industry buzz on an international level. The world’s finest restaurant earned its highly esteemed notoriety by creating a personal experience that is on par with the creativity in its contemporary food and were ready for an updated transformation that retained the old-world charm with new age illumination. The renovation included the kitchen, which had not been renovated in 20 years.

The Challenge
The client’s vision for the interior renovation called for elegance, tranquility, and class. In preparation for the project, Brad Cloepfil, principal of NYC-based architecture firm Allied Works, toured luxury European kitchens and restaurants for inspiration. The architect returned with the intent to extend the hospitality experience and environment into the kitchen rather than creating another typical commercial operation. It was time for the back of the house to present itself as the hidden gem where the genius begins. A place where patrons can tour and observe how fanciful creations are plated.

The old kitchen was utilitarian with 2’x2’ and 2’x4’ cool, white, fluorescent lights. “To modernize and make the space more hospitality-oriented, we wanted to clean up the ceilings with snap-in custom silver-grey metal panels and implement a simple downlight strategy with good color rendering and small apertures in comparison to the former layout,” explains Bradley Sisenwain, associate and project manager at HLB New York. The project called for exceptional lighting to reach into every nook and cranny, allowing for the completion of tasks with the utmost meticulous detail, in every section of the bustling kitchen. To propose the perfect lighting option, Sisenwain created a capabilities chart for every downlight manufacturer.

The Solution
USAI Lighting’s BeveLED 2.1 led recessed downlights met every aesthetic and technical requirement, offering multiple trim options, various beam spreads, shallow housing, and color rendering technology. Color rendering capabilities increases accuracy in color discrimination, which could provide an additional edge in this environment.

Originally, the proposed lighting design suggested matching the warmth from the dining area into the kitchen. Chefs and sous chefs working in the competitive realm of the world’s finest restaurants rely heavily on their astute ability to evaluate their culinary creations at every stage. Changes in lighting color temperature or degree of warmth, coolness and brightness in color, can alter the eye’s perception and judgement. In a high-stakes dining institution, having razor sharp accuracy is imperative to remain in the top echelon. Choosing the right lighting conditions was an important detail for Humm. After spending over a decade cooking at Eleven Madison Park, Humm knew exactly what he needed in the new plans. Sisenwain presented various light mock ups and Humm chose the coolest temperature available in USAI’s classic white light – ensuring the most ideal lighting environment for the constant tasking and culinary critiquing that wins countless awards.

In the end, Chef Daniel Humm and his talented staff received a gorgeous kitchen with all of the fine details necessary to continuously create, refine and redefine fine dining. On October 8, 2017, Eleven Madison Park re-opened with a revised menu and a revitalized “Art Deco Sanctuary”. Both retained distinguished elements from the past and added a new contemporary interpretation.