For the eye-catching debut of New York’s first Neiman Marcus department store, local firm AvroKO transformed the retail icon’s signature all-day dining and bar concept, the Zodiac Room, into a dramatic yet welcome respite from the bustling mega-development Hudson Yards where it resides.

Taking inspiration from the New Formalism architecture style and the brand’s Fortnight events—celebrations of international culture and fashion that started in 1957 at the flagship Dallas store—midcentury influences appear in abundant arches, a cool palette of slate blue and gray, and perforated brass detailing. To further evoke the time period, a chandelier (custom by AvroKO’s furniture and lighting design arm Goodshop) features pleated lampshades arranged in a lantern-inspired form. “To create a restaurant within a space that already exudes hospitality was not a stretch, but rather an extension of the already guest-centered Neiman Marcus brand,” says Kristina O’Neal, one of the firm’s four partners, including Greg Bradshaw, Adam Farmerie, and William Harris. “That said, we made sure there was a cohesive feel in conjunction with the retail space, but also gave it its own personality as an independent restaurant destination.”