Finding home within a historical brick edifice within DUMBO, Slade Architecture chisels the iconic French chocolatier Valrhona’s US base in Brooklyn, NYC…
Blending the nice aroma and delicate flavours associated with gourmet Valrhona with the full-of-life essence of bustling Brooklyn, the architects have created out a simple space from a shoe factory which doubles up as the École du Grand Chocolat, a college for professional chefs having a focus on chocolate-based dishes as well as pastries; as well as a sales workplace for the brand.
Ensuring that the actual aged building with its organic patina was first rendered food-safe, the architects have reinstated its historical character together with the heritage of cooking excellence and the forward-thinking viewpoint of the chocolatier.
Located centrally, immediately off the entry orée, the chocolaterie room -- incidentally, the main activity part of the brand - is contacted through the framed view regarding glass doors, with crystal clear sight lines from the whole space. Simple, mobile work stations double up for class room and also entertaining or marketing features; whilst the floor plate is actually rendered clean with the energy structures elevated into the roof. A starkly simple materials palette is used to bring in new elements into the situation viz. black plaster, stainless-steel, white paint, blackboard color highlights etc . Such persistance judiciously emphasizes the extremely functional nature of the area, impacting and tying the rand name into its environs seamlessly without having overwhelming the existing.
The modest ambience and feel from the space celebrates the candor and quality of one in the world’s finest gourmet chocolate and its preparation that is the correct hero.
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