Roister

Product Description

In designing Michelin-starred Roister in Chicago’s Fulton Market District, we were tasked with creating a completely custom restaurant concept based on the expectations of top restaurateurs and dining influencers Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, who’s vision for the overall experience was a literal interpretation of the word Roister, defined by Merriam-Webster as “to engage in noisy revelry.”

The design required a casual take on fine dining – at once boisterous, yet sophisticated; elegant, yet approachable. Layered into this challenge was a wish to create a unique dining experience built upon the question of, “What it would be like for guests to dine in the kitchen with the chefs?”, showcasing center stage the process of raw to refined.

To inspire “noisy revelry”, we concepted an open environment that featured the chefs at the heart of the space. The result is a design informed by the process of making the food from scratch to finish, seeing the hands at work, and feeling the heat of an open wood fire grill giving way to hip and creative food and drink. To visually embody the culinary evolution from raw to refined, we designed two dining areas: a more organic main level and an elegant lower level. Throughout, varied textures, finishes, and custom wall and ceiling elements speak to this relationship.

On the main level, a large hearth anchors the center of the room, which highlights the chefs center stage as a focal point for guests. Here, custom blackened metal chandeliers, inspired by medieval armor skirting, hang over the large butcher block pass. Walking downstairs, a warm glow bathes the intimate dining space. Custom fabricated ceiling panels create a continuous wave design that leads through the space, changing in appearance as viewed from varied settings.

Custom wood ceiling beams with inlaid copper extend down the perimeter walls with integrated lighting in lieu of traditional scones. The inlaid copper detail is seen again through the lower level space layered ceiling panels to highlight custom routed patterning that moves the eye along this complete second kitchen line and into the intimate dining space. The excitement and action of the working kitchen and engagement with the chefs creates an energy and visual reality for the guest, getting closer than ever to the chefs, the provisions, and the process of how it all comes together.