In the fourth iteration
of BOA Steakhouse, Tag Front expanded on the themes evident in the design of
the original restaurant located nearby.
The design team used elements prominent in the original design as
accents to maintain a continuity of design vision; however the newest space has
its own feel and provides the ambiance necessary as the flagship location. Located on the street level of a recently
renovated high-rise, the challenges facing Tag Front included creating a unique
restaurant that maintained its own identity while complementing the existing
building.
The interleaving of
unique textures, colors and themes – coupled with a stimulating use of space –
resonates throughout the restaurant. The
main areas of the space include a dining room, a private dining room, an extensive
patio dining area, a bar and lounge area.
The 10,000 square-foot
space is located on Sunset Boulevard and can easily be spotted from the street
due to a critically-designed exterior space featuring two asymmetrical, 20-foot
high cantilevering sculptural canopies. The canopies define and cover most of
the patio dining area and help to differentiate the restaurant from the existing
building. The patio dining area beneath
the canopies, one of which features a circular opening, allows diners unobstructed
views of the sky above. In order to
reinforce the indoor/outdoor relationship of the space, Tag Front included
three, interior-lit, 17-foot high glass volumes wrapped with translucent tree
imagery. The addition of several fire
elements creates a warm atmosphere for year-round dining.
The main dining room
features a cantilevering L-shaped element made of leather panels that hover
below an array of acoustical panels. The back-lit leather panels defines the
center of the room featuring circular leather banquettes separated by two-large
scaled custom light fixtures used in all the iterations of the restaurant. The
north side of the room takes advantage of the views of Sunset Boulevard, while
the south side features a hyper textural felt tulip wall. The L-shaped element separates the main
dining area from the private dining area, and is open to the wine room.
An amber-glowing
sculptural element, the wine room is clad in undulating anodized aluminum fins.
As a prominent sculpture in the space, the large wine room serves as the focal
point of the entry area and it also separates the main dining room from the bar
and lounge area.
The private dining
room features custom resin pendants that play on the custom wall and ceiling
floral walnut element. The floral
element grows on the wall and ceilings over honey onyx wall panels with the
pendants extending and scattering out. Reflective ceramic wall tiles and steel
rods add texture, depth and separate the area from the main dining room.
Custom walnut with red
leather interior light fixtures along with hanging resin pendants define the
bar area. Rising up from the floor and wrapping to create the bar top, a xango-brazilian
red quartzite bar anchors one side of the bar area. The north and east sides of the bar are open
to Sunset Boulevard and the patio respectively while the back leads to the
lounge area. The floor features areas
defined by faux-wood ceramic tiles and round colored-glass mosaic tiles.
The use of multiple
divisions of backlit coco bolo in a herringbone pattern creates a more intimate
space in the lounge area. Aluminum
boxes with a red leather fill are used as displays to showcase various alcohol
bottles. A cupped ceramic tiled wall further adds texture to the space and
along with hanging steel rods provides separation from the bar.