Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 80

perspectives

trends

fast-casual dining

3. A rendering of
Omaha's Flagship
Commons, marked by
reclaimed barn wood
and various seating
options, set to open late
this year.
4. Suspended metal
wires create the look
of noodles drying
overhead in the Noodle
Rack in Changsha,
China.

3
clusters of grazing cattle, all hang beneath a
teal ceiling installation, which is "symbolic of a
grassy pasture," Alvarez says.

Riverside Food Court

Located at Brisbane's business hub, Riverside
Food Court is a trendier alternative to the
classic food court experience. Instead of
generic brands and plastic chairs in a bland
environment, designer Patricia Szonert of local
MMO Interiors chose resort-style furniture
and reworked seating arrangements for a more
flexible experience.
Circles, a motif throughout the Harry
Seidler-designed Riverside Centre skyscraper
that's iconic to the Australian city, are
referenced "in our signage, lighting design,
and graphics." It's a highlight, she says, that
"reinvigorates the previously tired space."
Szonert opted to bring in natural light (also
usually missing from food courts) by removing
existing glass balustrades and heavy blocks
of marble. By doing so, the views overlooking
the Story Bridge came into focus, creating "a
strong visual link to the Brisbane River through
corridors between each pod."
But those pods also proved challenging.
Each one is individually tenanted, "and we
weren't in control of the design," she says, "so
we consulted [with the owners] on some design
details," while also highlighting the features
that make each food spot unique, streamlining
the overall look. Raw yet simple and luxurious
materials like timber, concrete, and marble
complement the freshness of the food choices,
while the carefully considered placement of
copper creates a canopy of connecting elements
that "act as way to tie the place together," she
says, while the copper lighting systems heighten
the experience of walking through the space.

Noodle Rack

Often hawked in outdoor fast food stalls, in

080

October 2015 hospitalitydesign.com

Asia, noodle soups are usually eaten as a snack
with customers drawn to quality over the
establishment's design. But Christina Luk of
Shanghai-based Lukstudio hopes to change that
with the Noodle Rack, a roughly 540-squarefoot diner in Changsha, the capital of Hunan
province in south central China.
Located in an outdoor commercial strip,
"there is absolutely no storefront design
coordination, resulting in a mix of bold logos
and kitsch motifs everywhere," says Luk. "We
focused on a subdued storefront with a hidden
surprise in the interiors."
Divided into three zones, the restaurant's
foyer contains the order and cash counter, as
well as a waiting area for takeout. Behind it is a
tiny kitchen. The third zone is the dining area,
which includes a central communal table with
benches for two, a banquette running the length
of the back wall, and a couple of tables along the
façade. Bifolding doors with glass insets allow
for semi al fresco dining on warm days.
Composed in vertical bamboo-patterned
cast concrete, the façade is interrupted with two
weathered steel boxes that function as openings
for the entry and dining area, respectively. The
pattern is reiterated inside on the counter's front,
while a rustic architrave outlining the dining
area outside transforms into an architectural
grid with suspended metal wires and hanging
bulbs inside. Wooden crates in various sizes are
inserted into the grid to highlight decorative
porcelain wares. The overall effect is like sitting
underneath a swath of noodles as they are
spread out to dry.
"It was not easy to fit different programs and
types of seating comfortably in a small plan,"
acknowledges Luk. "However, the high ceiling
was definitely welcome as it allowed us to play
with layers and raise the dining area for better
definition. As it's an open design, you can still
see through all the layers to the black-painted
ceiling and ducting."

4
Flagship Commons

Omaha may not be widely regarded for its
culinary scene but a new fast-casual concept is
seeking to diversify it. "There isn't anything like
Flagship Commons anywhere in the Midwest,"
says Tom Allisma, president and founder of
Flagship Restaurant Group, "so right now is the
perfect time for a food hall in Omaha." Allisma
is also a licensed architect and manages all
design and construction for the locally based
company, which was approached for the project,
opening this fall inside Westroads Mall, by
General Growth Properties.
The hall is housed in an existing,
21,000-square-foot traditional food court space,
which Allisma is reimagining with locally
based interior designer Alley Poyner Macchietto
Architects. Each stall-including a coffeehouse,
sushi, pizza, and falafel stands, and a Germanstyle beer venue that offers a full-service and
quick-dining option-will have a different look.
"We purposely designed the space this way as
we want each concept to be independent from
the others," Allisma says.
In the main dining area, polished concrete
floors, 16,000 lineal square feet of reclaimed
barn wood, LED Edison bulb lighting, and white
subway tiles come together for a "rustic-modern
look," he says. There's also a variety of seating-
banquettes, booths, hightop communal tables,
counter seating, and more traditional two- and
four-top tables-while a central bar will be
available for guests to grab a drink and relax
by an oversized fireplace surrounded by lounge
seating. hd

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Hospitality Design - October 2015

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