By Grand Central Terminal in New York City, lies the Nordic, Michelin-starred restaurant Agern. The name Agern is the Danish translation of ‘Acorn’ which ties to the fact that the owner of Agern is the renowned Danish chef, Claus Meyer.
Restaurant — New York
Richard H. Lewis Architect, Christina Meyer Bengtson & Ulrik Nordentoft Studio — Photo: Evan Sung and Charlie Bennet
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HeartOak
Thickness 30 mm. Width 300-350-400-450-500 mm. Length 2-5 m
Finish Light Oil
Through the past 30 years, Claus Meyer has been a central figure on the global food scene, unlocking the potential of Danish food culture. In 2016, he launched several culinary ventures in New York City as part of Meyers USA.
The space that was once a hair salon and a waiting room in Grand Central Terminal in the early 20th century is now the setting of restaurant Agern. The design of the restaurant is Nordic-inspired and warm, with a natural colour scheme and black contrasts that combine well with the wooden elements.
The use of oak throughout the restaurant for both flooring and wall cladding is not a coincidence as there is a lot of symbolism around the acorn. Grand Central Terminal was built by the Vanderbilt family, whose family symbol is the acorn. Acorns decorate Grand Central Terminal and are considered a symbol of life and perseverance. Moreover, the acorn is the fruit of the Danish national tree, the oak.
The flooring of Agern is a mix of matte grey tiles by the bar and Dinesen HeartOak planks in the seating area. With Dinesen HeartOak, as much as possible has been utilized from the large oak trees resulting in planks of extraordinary dimensions. The natural cracks are preserved and locked with butterfly joints of oak, which gives the oak floorboards a powerful expression.
Dinesen Oak is also used for wall cladding in combination with cream coloured tiles.
