Stella 34 Trattoria
Macy’s 151 West 34th Street
New York
Tel: 212.967.9251
Architect: STUDIO V Architecture

Vacant space can be difficult to come by in Manhattan. Tucked away on the upper level of Macy’s Herald Square building, STUDIO V Architecture discovered a space that had been left untouched for half a century and transformed it into an Italian restaurant, Stella 34 Trattoria. “Our challenge was to turn this dark space into a cool, high-end restaurant as a highlight in our overall design strategy to completely remake Macy’s Herald Square and bring it into the 21st century,” explained principal-in-charge Jay Valgora. The architects began by uncovering the space’s large bay windows, allowing sunlight to lavishly fill the room and revealing views of Herald Square and the New York City skyline. The restaurant’s most alluring design element, however, is the 240-foot long bar composed of stainless steel and white Carrara marble woven together by a third-generation Florentine stone mason. The bar features dramatic curves sculpted to respond to each of the stations positioned around it: a prosecco bar, a pizza making station, a cibi ronda antipasti display, and a Vivoli gelateria. The bar’s undulating profile also echoes the curves in the veering course of Broadway as it works its way through the Manhattan street grid.