One of the world’s top restaurants will shutter next year, African designers set the scene for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Tao Group might get a new owner. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Noma, rated the World’s Best Restaurant, is closing
Chef René Redzepi; photo by Ditte Isager
Since opening in 2003, Noma has received highest honors—named the world’s best restaurant five years and earning three Michelin stars. But beneath the luster of its prestige, Noma was plagued by reports of grueling 85-hour work weeks, a practice of using unpaid intern labor (rectified in October after persistent criticism), and a pressure cooker-like culture. According to The New York Times, Noma will shutter its dining room and become Noma 3.0, a full-time food laboratory, open only for pop-up experiences. Chef René Redzepi, referring to the fine dining model of exclusivity and exacting standards he helped proliferate, says, “It’s unsustainable. Financially and emotionally, as an employer and as a human being, it just doesn’t work.” Noma is also widely believed to be the inspiration for Hawthorne, the fictional restaurant in the 2022 black comedy film The Menu, which excoriates fine dining culture and follows a chef who, like Redzepi, feels pushed to the limit to outdo himself regularly.
Meet the Black designers who made Black Panther: Wakanda Forever possible
Jomo Tariku’s Mukecha stool
To bring Wakanda, the fictional African nation that serves as the setting of Marvel’s Black Panther films, to fruition, production designer Hannah Beachler started by drafting a 515-page manual. Taking references from Black Panther comics, Afrofuturism, and traditional African designs, Artnet reports that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came to life in the hands of Black designers including Jomo Tariku, whose Nyala chairs and Mukecha stools can be seen in the film. Says Tariku: “I grew up in Ethiopia, and it’s not like we had access to the comics. But we knew who these characters were, so you can imagine seeing these things growing up and now your stuff is in the movies, it kind of feels great.”
Billionaire James Dolan mulls sale of Tao Group
The Fleur Room cocktail bar and lounge in West Hollywood; photo by AVABLU
Entrepreneur and billionaire James Dolan, who owns the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, might soon offload part of his empire. Dolan is reported to be considering the sale of his majority stake in Tao Group, which owns and operates F&B venues including legendary nightclubs Hakkasan and the new Los Angeles hotspot, Fleur Room. Sources close to Dolan reveal that he might use the influx of cash from the sale to fund another one of his projects, Las Vegas’ forthcoming MSG Sphere at the Venetian. Though the pool of potential buyers is small, Robb Report reveals that fellow billionaire and Golden Nugget casinos owner Tilman Fertitta has expressed interest.
An architect brings unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright designs to life
The Gordon Strong Automobile Objective designed for Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland; rendering courtesy of David Romero via the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Although prolific architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 1,100 structures during his lifetime, more than half never came to fruition for one reason or another, including zoning disputes or client misunderstandings. Though Wright cemented his legacy with the projects that were completed, one wonders what might have been. Now, thanks to Spanish architect David Romero, we can at least visualize them. In partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Romero has generated 3D renderings of some of Wright’s abandoned projects including the Illinois, a skyscraper that would have stood a mile high in Chicago’s skyline, and if built, would be the tallest building in the world, towering over the Burj Khalifa. See more at Architectural Digest.
Submit your projects and products to the HD Awards!
The AB Concept-designed Argo in Hong Kong, winner in the Upscale Restaurant category at the 2022 HD Awards; photo by Chester Ong
It’s that time of year again! Hospitality Design‘s 19th annual HD Awards, which recognizes the best in design from around the world, is now accepting submissions for products and projects. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to be part of the industry’s most prestigious awards show, which will honor all finalists in the May/June 2023 issue of Hospitality Design magazine and culminate in a ceremony on June 6th, 2023 in New York. The deadline to submit is March 6th, 2023. Find out more and enter your latest work here.
