55 Water Street Cafe

New York, New York

When Hurricane Sandy tore through Manhattan in 2012, it damaged quite a lot of the downtown facilities of our clients, many of whom came calling for us when it came time to restore—or rethink—their spaces. Such was the case for the New Water Street Corporation, whose food court at 55 Water Street, built-out by us eight years earlier, emerged from the storm flooded with five feet of water.

Once demolished, we started with a clean slate, and designed a 15,000-sf dining space to accommodate a wide variety of new food options (hot buffet, sushi, made-to-order entrées, smoothies) and dining styles (casual and more formal). The space is also fronted with a unique, stand-alone coffee shop—designed to resemble an Italian café—that services building tenants off-hours while the main café prepares for breakfast and lunch.