Frank Gehry-designed restaurant coming to the PMA

A Frank Gehry-designed restaurant is coming to Philly, and officials say it will be one of a kind as the only Gehry-designed restaurant on the east coast to offer fine dining.

The restaurant, Stir, opens in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) on October 9. The 76-seat place will offer several unique, Gehry-esq design elements, like an undulating ceiling, Douglas fir walls, and red oak floors.

“The ebullient Gehry touch will be seen in a palette of materials that includes frosted glass, felt, steel, leather, bronze, and onyx,” the museum said in a statement this week.

In addition to the fine dining restaurant, there will be a 160-seat cafe next door with views over the museum’s east terrace, and the river.

The restaurant will be one of the first, major spaces to herald in the new museum. Gehry is currently redesigning the entire 1928-built museum in a major renovation named “The Core Project,” which broke ground last year and which will be completed by 2020. The $196 million project will see—among other things—the North Entrance of the museum redone and reopened, renovations to a long-closed vaulted walkway, and a space called “The Forum” in the place of the now-demolished Van Pelt Auditorium.

“Combining infrastructure improvements with a reorganization of circulation at the heart of the building, the Core Project will greatly improve the experience of the Museum for its visitors, dramatically enhance access for the community, and provide more room for the display of its renowned collection,” the statement said.

As for the restaurant itself, visitors can expect to see locally-sourced food by Starr Catering, which they can enjoy for lunch from Tuesday through Saturday, and for brunch on Sunday.

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