A look at BondSt Hudson Yards after the passing of architect Jeffrey Beers

Last year’s expansion of beloved NoHo sushi bar and lounge BondSt was bittersweet for the architects Jeffrey Beers International. On 18 March, just months after BondSt Hudson Yards opened in its vast, elegant space on Level 5 of The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards, the practice announced the death of founder Jeffrey Beers from cancer at the age of 67.

Beers and his eponymous firm became hugely successful in designing sophisticated, celebratory spaces that shimmer from strategic lighting against stellar natural materials and rich colour. The new incarnation of BondSt is no exception. Launching 25 years after the original townhouse first devised its Japanese-inspired menu, it represents a homage and a refresh.

Tim Rooney, a newly appointed partner at JBI along with Nora Liu-Kanter and Michael Pandolfi, told The Spaces, ‘Collaborating with Jonathan Morr of BondSt, our mission was to encapsulate the quintessential essence while introducing a fresh and innovative aesthetic to propel the brand forward into its next evolution. From custom-designed decorative light fixtures reminiscent of Japanese lanterns to playful textiles adorning the upholstered furnishings, every detail helps create a contemporary and warm environment.’

From its elevated height (a hand’s reach to Thomas Heatherwick’s controversial Vessel installation), the Manhattan restaurant showcases spectacular views of the Hudson River from its main dining room and patio. The 560-square-metre interior also includes a 14-seat bar, a 10-seat open omakase kitchen bar and two private dining rooms, all in a subtle Japanese style executed with natural materials from Canada. Lantern lighting and textural upholstered furnishings were custom-designed by JBI.

Nodding back to the 1998 launch in collaboration with Donatella Versace, Bondst Hudson Yards launched during New York Fashion Week last September with Versace as the guest of honour. Since then, its kitchen, headed by Brett Singer and Daniel Su, has reintroduced classics from the NoHo menu developed by Marc Spitzer and Shige Mikami, such as a Wagyu beef carpaccio and soba nomi risotto with shrimp and king crab.

BondSt owner Jonathan Morr said, ‘With a new assembly of new and old team members, we are committed to uphold the same level of standards and consistency we’ve been providing our guests for the past 25 years.’

The team at JBI is currently working on several projects in the pipeline, including a hotel and casino in Athens, a condo tower in Miami and a Ritz-Carlton residential building in Boston.