January 12, 2016
ICRAVE Enjoys Historic 2015: Le District, Imprimatur, Ocean Prime
ICRAVE, founded by Lionel Ohayon, is one of the hottest innovation and design studios in the world. From hospitals to airport terminals, ICRAVE has drawn raves from the media and the hospitality world alike.
Looking back, ICRAVE Managing Director Leah Blackman, shared with us that “2015 was a marquee year for ICRAVE. With projects in new sectors including healthcare and higher education, the studio continues to push the boundaries of innovation. We’ve also loved experiencing the growth and changes of the neighborhood. With new hospitality spaces, art installations, and top-tier companies joining the neighborhood, we are honored to be a part one of New York City’s most creative neighborhoods.”
See a few of our favorite ICRAVE projects from 2015 below:
Le District
With a goal of creating a market that would “transform Lower Manhattan,” ICRAVE was asked to conceive and develop an Eataly-type market that would highlight French cuisine.
A huge success since launching, Le District garnered a feature in the New York Times which remarked that the concept would have been “unimaginable a decade ago” and proclaimed that the space was “reminiscent of halls in department stores like Bon Marché in Paris and KaDeWe in Berlin.”
See a behind the scenes of the Le District opening party here.
Imprimatur
We were lucky enough to capture on video the first-ever Imprimatur event back in 2013. Since launching, these events served as a salon, fostering creative dialogue and highlighting innovative artists across all disciplines.
ICRAVE’s 2015 Imprimatur event, Learning Places, looked at the vital role schools have played as the cultural core of the community and examined how schools could adapt as our ways of learning change. The salon asked the question: How can fundamental place-making strategies shape new school prototypes, and guard against the evaporation of the school as a social hub?, It proved another provocative Imprimatur evening and we’re hoping ICRAVE will continue the series.
See our behind the scenes photos of the first Imprimatur event here and learn more here.
Ocean Prime
After opening 10 locations nationwide, Ocean Prime challenged ICRAVE with the launch of its NYC flagship. Commenting on the opening, Hospitality Design, described ICrave’s design this way: “the modern American supper club features a timeless aesthetic rooted in warm woods, raw materials, and polished details. The soaring, 275-seat dining space spans 7,400 square feet and features a 2,500-square-foot mezzanine, multiple private dining rooms, and a 50-seat al fresco terrace.
One of the tasks ICRAVE undertook was to create a lively and vibrant atmosphere, while keeping volume at a tolerable level. To solve this ubiquitous NYC restaurant problem, CBS reported that ICRAVE “stretched vinyl in the ceiling to absorb sound. A glass wall allows the kitchen to be seen and not heard, carpet on the floors and padding on the walls also keep conversation quiet.”
We can’t wait to see what ICRAVE has in store for us in 2016!