The 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurant Design has been awarded to Andre Kikoski Architect for its design of the Guggenheim's fine-dining restaurant the Wright. The James Beard Foundation Awards are among the highest honors for food and beverage professionals working in America, and recognize superior achievement in categories ranging from Best Chef and Outstanding Restaurateur to Cookbook of the Year and Multimedia Food Feature. The awards were announced on May 3 during a ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York.

The Wright opened to the public in December 2009 in conjunction with the Guggenheim’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. The 1,600-square-foot space features a curvilinear wall of walnut layered with illuminated fiber optics, a bar clad in innovative custom metalwork and topped with white Corian, and a sweeping banquette with blue leather seating. The modern American menu, which emphasizes seasonal, local, and sustainable ingredients, was created by David Bouley protégé Rodolfo Contreras. Reflecting the museum's modern and contemporary focus, renowned British artist Liam Gillick was commissioned for a site-specific work, titled The horizon produced by a factory once it had stopped producing views (2009). Conceived as a sculpture that can be expanded or contracted to fit any designated space, Gillick constructed a sequence of horizontal planks of powder-coated aluminum mounted to the walls and ceiling.

Along with this prestigious award, the Wright was nominated as part of Condé Nast Traveller’s fourth Innovation and Design Awards (I&DA) in the Gourmet category. The I&DA celebrates excellence across ten categories ranging from sustainability to communications technology, as researched by the Condé Nast Traveller team. A panel of judges, including Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate; acclaimed chef Heston Blumenthal; and the Observer’s architecture critic Rowan Moore selected the short list for each category.

For more information including hours and current menus, visit the Wright Web site.
Make reservations through Open Table or by calling 212 427 5690.

The Wright. Photo: David Heald