Industry Insider: SOMA Wins James Beard Award For Workshop Kitchen And Bar In Palm Springs
Author:Michelle KonstantinovskyIf the mouth-watering menu isn’t enough to inspire a pilgrimage to Workshop Kitchen and Bar (though it should be), then you should definitely trek to the Palm Springs restaurant for its award-winning design. SOMA Architects, the international firm responsible for Workshop’s innovative aesthetic, was just awarded the prestigious James Beard Award for best Restaurant Design or Renovation in North America.
SOMA principal and founder Michael Abboud accepted the honor at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on May 4, saying the firm’s goal was to “create a fresh, new architectural identity” for Workshop. The Palm Springs landmark is situated in a historic building that the SOMA masterminds respectfully altered by incorporating Brutalist elements with an ecclesiastic design approach.
The space houses a 35-foot long communal table in the center aisle surrounded by large monolithic, concrete booths for more intimate meals. A private dining area in the back of the restaurant is also decked out with a monolithic altarpiece, and the lighting fixtures throughout the restaurant were created in collaboration with PS Lab to compliment the Brutalist interior.
SOMA principal and founder Michel Abboud.
To watch Abboud’s acceptance speech, check out the clip on SOMA’s YouTube page, and visit www.soma.us for more information about the firm.
