Mariam Issoufou Architects’s first U.S. project is a beacon for Black culture

Gourmega restaurant in New York. Image by Seth Caplan.

Architect Newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Jack Murphy, recently visited Gourmega and described it as “one of New York’s most stylish new dining destinations.”

He said: “The room’s centerpiece is its communal table for fourteen people designed by Issoufou, shaped as three travertine circles in plan lined by two alabaster connectors, where groupings of three to six people encourage meal sharing and conversation. In reality, the TW2M-fabricated surface breaks apart into seven pieces, which can be set up cafe-style during the day. Issofou also designed the chairs, structured in walnut and finished in black vegan leather.

Gourmega’s visual focal point is at the back of the space: An oversized circular window-door pivots at its center to reveal the back-of-house kitchen. It is a portal: The chefs at work are glimpsed through a yellow translucent haze, their motion felt like shadows on the wall. The move makes the restaurant feel like a theater production, with warm lighting in the kitchen supporting this sensation.”

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