The sale of the existing urban facility provided ample funds to purchase new land in a remote London suburb and to hire Kieran Timberlake to design a striking new embassy. Its expansive, light-filled cafeteria was designed to host important embassy events formerly held off-site at great expense. To add to the benefits, a new cafe offers a perfect venue for staff happy hours.
The National Museum of African American History & Culture, the latest addition to the Smithsonian Institution. Philip Freelon and David Adjaye, winners of the international competition to design this new museum on the National Mall, have ensured that first-rate dining can be part of the visitor’s experience within their eye-catching edifice.
This Design Excellence project, won as a joint venture by The Kling Lindquist Partnership and RTKL in 1993, lasted for well over a decade. As the number of employees transferred into the facility grew to more than 6,000, so did the need for multiple food outlets, which today range in size from grab-n-goes to full-service cafeterias. The availability of five points of service keeps employees from traveling to local strip centers for lunch. The kitchen’s large catering area supports a full FDA event schedule.
The Academies sold its historic building to move into the World Trade Center 7, the first building to replace the fallen towers. The finishing kitchen was to support New York Academies events and be used by outside organizations as well, with the idea that the space could be rented as an income generator for the organization. The Academies asked HOPKINS to perform a City-wide RFP search for the ideal caterer. The two-month process involved multiple site visits, tastings and interviews and resulted in finding a fulltime operator, rather than a part time caterer. The chosen operator brought the advantage of being able to market the venue to outside groups as well.