The Wright, the Guggenheim’s new fine-dining restaurant designed by Andre Kikoski Architect, has won a Best of the Year Award from Interior Design Magazine, it was announced on December 2, 2010, during a ceremony at the IAC Building in New York. The fifth annual design competition recognized superior interior design projects and products in more than 70 categories. Cindy Allen, editor-in-chief of the magazine, described the achievement as “a perfect trifecta” of honors for Andre Kikoski Architect, whose 2010 distinctions for the Wright also include the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant Design and the Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design.

Since opening in December 2009, the Wright, named for the Guggenheim’s famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, has received numerous accolades for its innovative design. 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.

Other recent honors for the Wright include an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects, a Lumen Award for lighting, and finalist distinctions for design awards from Condé Nast Traveller and Travel and Leisure. The restaurant was also recently named to the shortlist for the London-based Restaurant and Bar Design Awards in the International Restaurant category, to be announced in June 2011.

Visit the Wright website for current menus and hours.
Make reservations through Open Table or bycalling 212 427 5690.

The Wright. Photo: David Heald