New York-based nemaworkshop is the firm behind the recent design of innovative fast-casual eateries—including several locations of the city’s grilled cheese Mecca, Melt Shop. Here, principal Anurag Nema talks his early inspirations, his firm’s experimental process, and the trinity of good design.
Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?
It wasn’t planned, but a series of events and experiences throughout my life pulled me into the design and architecture fields. As a kid growing up in India, visiting the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, going to a lot of theater in Bhopal, and being fascinated by stage sets helped me develop an interest in art and sculpture.
What are some of your first memories of design?
When I was a teenager, my parents decided to build a house in India. I always had to tag along when they were going to meetings at the architect’s office (he was also a family friend). I also spent a lot of time onsite during construction and found the whole process of putting things together very fascinating.
Did where you grew up influence your career path?
Definitely. But at the time, architecture and design were just interests. There was no planned roadmap for me to become an architect.
Give us a bit of your background: college, first jobs, early lessons learned?
I completed my undergrad in India and then received my master’s degree at Clemson University. Afterwards, I spent five years in Dallas where I discovered the importance of learning something new everyday. Today, I am still learning about things that work and things that don’t. The nature of our designs and processes at nemaworkshop requires a lot of research and experimental work. I think the trick is to learn from your mistakes and develop new ideas when something doesn’t go as planned.
Why and how did you start your own firm?
A friend of a friend asked me to design his apartment and it all just spiraled. From there, one project led to another. I’ve worked at “typical” architectural firms, doing standard details and whatnot, but I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about contemporary architectural and design theory, something I was interested in since school days. I wanted an office/practice/design studio that would be different. I wanted a studio that would ask questions, apply new ideas and theories, not only during a project’s conception, but in its execution, and really push the envelope on the function and experience of a space.
Can you discuss some of your recent projects?
The collaboration with W Hotels is always interesting because they really push us to explore and research the locations of their properties. There’s no specific style to aim for: Each project and each location is completely different than another, and in the end we really gain a unique insight about the location that you would not find in most travel books. There’s an intellectual method in our process, but the results are fun and clever.
Is there a challenging project that you are especially proud of?
Every project we work on has a moment we are proud of. For example, at Delicatessen, it is the connection to the streets while at D’espresso [both locations in New York], it is the definition of a brand with a single bold architectural move. We get very excited when an idea suddenly forms and takes shape after a tremendous amount of reading and research.
What are you looking forward to at your office?
I would like to create a happy and collaborative environment in the office. Having the right people who share the same curiosity and questioning is great. It can be tough, but we persevere and do our best to focus on the strength of the ideas. The process and the ideas should be fun and exciting. Our team is very young and they do bring fresh perspectives to the table. We really push each other and challenge ideas because ultimately, we all seek something fresh, clever, and strong that we can get excited about. The process is long, but fun as we experiment and explore using physical models, computer renderings, drawings, lighting models, and whatever we find inspirational at the moment. It’s pretty incredible when you have a dynamic, talented, and creative team because the result is more than the sum of its parts.
What is the most important thing to remember when designing a restaurant—both in terms of branding and interiors?
It is all about the experience. While the food and service are integral parts of this experience, our role as the interior designer focuses us on the space, the constraints, and the possibilities. It’s important to listen, and we’ve been fortunate to have some really smart clients with strong ideas and opinions grounded in practical experience and firsthand knowledge. Authenticity and relevance and storytelling—this is the trinity of good design.
Is there an architect or designer you most admire? Why?
I am constantly reading about architecture and design so there are many amazing architects and designers that constantly inspire me. I admire the cool designs of Concrete, conceptual aspects of Nendo and the Bouroullec brothers, warmth in AvroKO restaurants, the simplicity of Joseph Dirand’s spaces, and the ideas in Bruce Mau’s work, to name a few. Then there are many artists and architects like Olafur Eliasson, Robert Wilson, Robert Lepage, Toyo Ito—and the list can keep on going.
What would be your dream project and why?
Airports, installations, and event spaces. We do lots of hotels and restaurants, and I’m fascinated about “the traveler.” It’s a seductive thing because the traveler is inherently vulnerable and curious. A question we ask is how can the design make someone feel comfortable and welcoming in a foreign environment while also encouraging exploration and discovery?
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Borges, Fellini, and Kurt Vonnegut
Where would you eat and what would you be having?
Perhaps home, and we’d have a homemade meal. But a nice barbeque and red wine in the Italian countryside is also very sexy.
If you weren’t a designer, what would you be?
I would love to make movies, be a sculptor or even a photographer. Professions that are free and open to interpretation. Things which do not come in prescribed forms.
