GRACE RESTAURANT
Grace is located in the restaurant row of the west loop of Chicago. The design takes an approach towards material and construction inspired by Chef Duffy's approach to cuisine. Exotic culinary technique is secondary to the honest expression of each ingredient's natural flavor. Brown ash, honed stone, undyed wool & leather, oil-rubbed bronze, and patinaed steel present their individual character in a natural, minimally finished state. These materials combine at key moments along the entry sequence, creating functionally articulated elements. After passing thru the translucent glass and perforated steel entrance vestibule, the host desk top descends from a shift in the ceiling planes, to meet the base which sprouts from the floor. A ramping passage wrapped in patinaed panels ascends to the lofty dining room, where each table's individual decanter stand cradles a wine bottle and decanter, carved to fit their shape. The kitchen overlaps the dining room, a glass box with glossy white and stainless steel interiors visible within.