Tuesday night the Guggenheim opened it’s new restaurant, The Wright, for a press preview.  Andre Kikoski’s design takes its form from the mother structure, draping the 1,600-sq-foot room in clean layered curves.  Enlivening this is a sculpture of mod-colored aluminum bars by Liam Gillick, which gives a vivid, linear counterpoint to the swerving walls.  Gillick’s work is designed to expand and contract to fit new spaces, which is just as well since the Guggenheim intends to replace the installation regularly.  Overall the vibe is that of a super-hip airport lounge in a movie from the ‘60s.  It’s worth taking a peak at.

The food, created by David Bouley’s student Rodolfo Contreras (who was a friendly guy at the party) was delicious, but will probably be familiar to people who dine out expensively.  There was a tasty pork belly which came with a pomme dauphin disguised as a melon ball, a fine Tuna sashimi (with pickled shallot) and a rich pumpkin and chocolate cake sitting in mustard cream (and a superfluous green foam).  Contreras was clearly at pains to meet the visual expectations of serving food in such a setting, and each dish was brightly arranged, especially a tiered row of miniature cones containing salmon, creme and caviar.  The press release states that the sit-down area will serve this kind of fare, while the bar will have panini, salads, etc. From what I can tell, The Wright will at least be a fun place to get a drink after taking in some Kandinski. If Contreras can maintain the quality he established opening night, the place may become a destination even after the museum closes.

The Wright is located on the 88th street side of the Guggenheim NY.  It will open December 11th.