Architect Glen Coben of Glen & Company has unveiled the design of Ursino, a farm-to-table restaurant on the Liberty Hall Campus at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. The venue features double-height ceilings within two floors of soaring open space accentuated by a 20-seat circular bar and plenty of natural light. Coben pays homage to the restaurant’s location within the glass-and-steel STEM Science, Technology and Mathematics Building, implementing hexagonal tiles referencing molecular structures and a spiral staircase in the shape of a DNA strand.
Colorful custom-designed fabrics adorn the banquettes, highlighted by light natural wood floors and furnishings. Coben also channeled the campus’s historical pedigree with a 60-foot wide blue-glass mural of Liberty Hall’s original 18th century blueprint. “The key for us was to utilize each element of the space while presenting an inviting backdrop for extraordinary cuisine,” he says. “It was also important to acknowledge the history of the campus, which dates back to the founding of this country, and at the same time, celebrate the beauty of the new campus. Even the spacious open kitchen, with its clean lines and stainless steel surfaces, is a sight to behold.”
