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Heavy Metal: Rockwell Group forges Park City’s mining past and its indie film capital present into the brilliant restaurant Silver.
By Mary Scoviak
In a world in which Burberry can make a trench coat a 20-something hipster’s object of desire, it’s no surprise there’s a restaurant like Park City, Utah’s Silver. Designed by the New York-based Rockwell Group, Lisa Barlow and Mary Lisenbee’s newest dining venue shows why unexpected accents and scintillating materials are making classic spaces so cool. The 1926 building had all the right fundamentals thanks to its two-story brick construction and a generous supply of original wood. It also had a great pedigree, a legacy from its first tenant, the Marsac Silver Mining Company. Silver’s owners could have stopped the design brief right there and had a ruggedly handsome vintage concept for the ski and Sundance Film Festival sets. Instead, they tasked the design team with finding features that would preserve this Main Street landmark’s heritage but dress it up with a modern, urban vibe. In a word, their goal was: “Dazzle.”
Layering gets the balance right. Rockwell Group brought the past front and center with veins of silver interpreted in various materials. “We tell the building’s story by the use of silver as the underlying color in the materials, textures and patterns throughout the restaurant,” says Rockwell Group principal David Mexico. “It’s unique because it offers a design solution and an experience that’s more modern than rustic.”
Rivulets of what looks like molten metal spill over the walkways and down the walls. Exposed brick walls get a futuristic edge with an overlay of rose-gold, custom chain link curtains lit dramatically from the front and the back. Strategic swaths of wood are stained to match the theme, as in the silver leaf ceiling. The elevator bank that links the restaurant’s three levels is clad in etched glass with a pattern in liquid silver vines. Even the maitre d’s stand shines like a precious nugget with its silvery envelope of custom Maya Romanoff wall covering and sparkling set of Andy Warhol-inspired lips. “We liked that piece because it represents an attitude that supports the personality of the space,” adds Mexico.
Since Park City is busiest during the chilliest months, the restaurant couldn’t be perceived as a steely or cold. The design team introduced contrasting colors such as deep blues and gold to warm up the silver elements. “These colors added a beautiful distinction against the brick walls, wood floor and oversized windows,” Mexico says.
The furnishings also add a note of intimacy. A signature banquette upholstered in richly textured, cobalt blue mohair with button-tufted silver accents rises from the entry floor into the second level of the restaurant. “We felt that dramatic banquette seating would help convey a sophistication and warmth through its character, fabric and line,” says Mexico. “Trends aside, there are certain colors and shapes that are timeless. Clean, modern lines work well when they’re offset by organic or earthy- feeling objects and palettes.” That’s why he integrated ribbons of silver in the main dining room’s communal walnut table. “The design references silver mining and the way that veins of silver are found naturally in the earth. We embodied that spirit in the design of the table using cast aluminum,” says Mexico. A gentlemanly walnut wood bar provides continuity as guests move into the mezzanine lounge. Low cocktail tables make it easy to mingle. There’s also a cozy fire in the suspended fireplace.
On the lower level, the mood turns more sensual, more New York. Glass-covered brick walls, backlit and etched with graphics, transition away from the 1920s feel. However, the cobalt blue mohair banquette motif continues, along with silver alligator bolsters also used for the mezzanine bar.
For Silver, as for most projects, lighting is one of the most important accessories. Three chandeliers, reminiscent of jewel-toned Venetian glass, anchor key spaces over the reception desk and in the main dining area. They’re complemented by a complex lighting program that flows around form and function. “Light levels were very important,” says Mexico. “The lighting needed to enable the guest to see the food the way the chef envisions it, to emphasize the room and to add just the right amount of sparkle. The designers used cross-lighting and other techniques that took advantage of the mixed materials.”
Mexico likes the “unexpected collisions and visual intrigues” that lift this solid building out of the realm of the predictable. “We wanted Silver to be a fresh, modern, glamorous destination in Park City; it’s a new type of restaurant on Main Street for Park City residents and visitors,” he says. “One restaurant trend is more intimate dining experiences. We’re moving away from large, anonymous restaurants. Although Silver is a three-level restaurant, it represents this trend. Each floor only has 30-40 seats, and design elements were selected so that each floor provides a small, comfortable dining experience.”
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