David Rockwell and street artist Hush bring urban art indoors for New York restaurant VANDAL
David Rockwell has collaborated with seven famous street artists to create VANDAL; a new street food restaurant in New York.
Located on Bowery Street in Manhattan, the bi-level, 350-seat restaurant is a labyrinthine web of private rooms, secret catacombs, hidden gardens and surprising art installations.
Rockell’s design team planned VANDAL’s interiors and British street artist Hush curated the wallscape. He created seven huge murals for the space and commissioned six other artists to provide artwork for each room, reflecting “the gritty and lush moments” found in outdoor urban locales.
“The experience of VANDAL unfolds through a series of unique dining rooms each supporting site specific art installations,” said Rockwell. “It's almost like the street turned inside out."
Hush added: “I wanted to represent street aesthetics and show how artists take over spaces. Each artist has a signature style, which also establishes the different techniques defining street art. Together, we created a cohesive space to complement the eclectic street food-inspired menu.”
Guests enter the restaurant through a minimalist flower shop and botanical gallery designed by floral studio Ovando. They then pass through a vaulted brick tunnel where they are greeted by an 11ft tall breakdancing pink bunny rabbit sculpture created by Rockwell.
The interiors combine plush design features and urban touches, with leather sofas, delicate glass globe lights and a blue granite and lacquered wooden bar set against concrete and exposed brick walls.
The restaurant has been developed by Marc Packer and Rich Wolf – founders of hospitality-focused TAO Group – along with chef Chris Santos.
"The idea of bringing street food and street art together under one roof struck me like a bolt of lightning," said Wolf. "The experience of VANDAL will not be just of great food, drinks, and warm hospitality, but also of a love affair with world-class artists."
The seven “vandals” of the restaurant’s name are Hush, Apexer, Tristan Eaton, Eelus, Vhils, Will Barra and Shepard Fairey – designer of the iconic Barack Obama Hope campaign poster.
Graffiti and gastronomy are increasingly popular bedfellows. Recently the W Montreal Hotel in Canada opened seafood restaurant Être Avec Toi, with windows, tables, chairs and booths all turned into works of art by local street artists.
David Rockwell Hush New York street art restaurant design VANDAL






Artists and designers turn security gates into street art for colourful New York project
Graffiti and gastronomy combine for restaurant and art gallery hybrid in Montreal


James Corner Field Operations creates Highline for London

Esbjerg’s landmark maritime center, designed by WERK Arkitekter and Snøhetta, opens to the public

SEVEN to open world’s first indoor Discovery Adventures centres in Saudi Arabia

Fun and fear drive new Universal attraction concepts for Texas and Las Vegas

Voelker Gray Design creates 10-acre hot springs wellness haven for Atlanta

AIDarchitecten create healing spa for Antwerp's Botanic Sanctuary

Hollaway Studio's Seahive would bring blue health to South-East England

SEVEN to invest US$13bn in developing entertainment destinations across Saudi Arabia

World Spa’s expansive 50,000sq ft urban bathhouse and wellness club opens in Brooklyn

Floating Salmon Eye visitor attraction by Kvorning Design highlights sustainable aquaculture

White Arkitekter's Wood Hotel in Skellefteå Swedish Lapland is climate positive and made from local timber

Nohlab's 'Everything' installation among Noor Riyadh festival highlights

Bob Iger's return to Disney sparks major restructuring focused on creativity and storytelling

Therme Group plans US$200m urban wellbeing resort in South Korea

Digital art installation in Nanjing helps the public keep an eye on exoplanets

First glimpses revealed of flagship Blue Zones Centre in Miami

Warner Bros. and Infinite Reality launch metaverse experiences for live sports fans

Storyland Studios' Nigeria's film city project will break ground in Q1 2023

Canyon Ranch preps for major expansion with new destinations in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston

WilkinsonEyre-designed Battersea Power Station development opens as leisure district following £9bn redevelopment

Healthy cities conference to discuss diversity and inclusivity in urban planning and design

Foster and Partners reveal design for sustainable marine life centre on the Red Sea

Anaheim's US$4bn ocV!BE project approved by planners

Construction marches ahead for Saudi giga-projects Amaala and The Red Sea

HBG Design behind Michigan’s six-storey Aquadome inspired by the sun’s path across the sky

Seventh International Museum Construction Congress to be held in Norway this year

The 'world's most anticipated museum' to finally open this year

Nike's Serena Williams Building, designed by Skylab, follows the concept of flow

Saudi Arabia's Neom mega-development to include 100-mile long 'horizontal skyscraper city'

David Adjaye and Ralph Appelbaum selected for £57m International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum project
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates