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chicken paprikash in his drafting room — and we have it on the menu, by the way," Robin says. Their renovation of the restaurant space is split into two parts. The landmarked side — with its sober geometry of concrete walls, domed light system, and stairwell that soars to the lobby above — was preserved and softened with seating and banquettes upholstered in a Pierre Frey wine mohair. Meanwhile, an entirely new section clad in Claro and black figured walnut encompasses an open kitchen and a mirrored bar framed by vintage Bauhaus stools. This seamless expansion nods to Breuer's stair rail while coaxing the whole room into something unexpectedly intimate which they believe is in keeping with Breuer's original intent. "There is a warm side to Brutalism that is easy to overlook," Stephen says. The designers have launched an extensive new product line for RW Guild, the Marcel Collection, with everything from tableware to furniture and lighting drawn from their research into Breuer. For the first time, they gave a design directive to their collection of outside artisans, including several based in Asia, rather than selecting finished work from them. They found a collection of antique Imari porcelain from Arita, Japan, and display it in the private dining room at Marcel alongside works by Pierre-Auguste R e n o i r, w h i l e commissioning n e w h a n d - painted versions of the Arita Ware Collection for the restaurant and the Marcel Collection. The Alesches discovered a term that Breuer used to describe his work: heavy lightness. It's a concept that resonated, a contradictory feeling — the muscularity of concrete and steel mixed with the sensuousness of wood and brass — which melds in a space that is now one of Manhattan's finest. "Sometimes I say to Stephen, I feel like I'm in a scene from the film My Dinner with Andre," Robin says. "It's like we're sitting with Breuer and having a conversation — and a collaboration." Marcel, 945 Madison Ave., romanandwilliams.com. Clockwise from top left: Chef/partner Marie-Aude Rose. Marcel dining room. Six Huitres Ou Douze. Glacier Flottant.