noma

Since opening, noma has been at the forefront of gastronomy and creativity. The restaurant, recognized four-times as best in the world by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, in 2017 closed the doors to its 16th century harborside warehouse that had been its home for fourteen years. After over three years of planning, noma’s new home reopened last February in a space developed and built in partnership with the architecture firm. Situated between two lakes and within the community of Christiania, the new noma is built on the site of a protected ex-military warehouse once used to store mines for the Royal Danish Navy. Imagined as an intimate culinary garden village, guests are welcomed to experience a new menu and philosophy that will redefine noma for years to come. “When we found the location for the new noma, we knew we had to come up with an architectural solution, which made sense for our guests, the team and also the surroundings,” said Peter Kreiner, Chief Executive Officer, noma. “I believe that what [the architecture firm] came up with is the ideal non-pretentious solution that we will enjoy calling our home for years to come. To say that we are thrilled with the end-result would be an understatement.” Central to the design was the idea of dissolving the restaurant’s individual functions and organizing them into a collection of separate yet connected buildings. A total of 11 spaces – each tailored to their specific needs and built of the finest materials best suited for their functions – are densely clustered around restaurant’s heart: the kitchen. Every part of the restaurant experience, from the arrival, the lounge, the barbeque, the wine selection and the private company, are all clustered around the chefs. The noma kitchen is designed like a panopticon with an oversized hood hovering over the chefs. From here, the chefs can oversee the entire kitchen and guest areas, including the dining room and adjacent private dining room, while allowing every single guest to follow what would traditionally happen behind-the-scenes. The 40-cover dining room and adjacent private dining room are made of stacked timber planks that resemble neatly piled wood at a lumber yard. A large skylight and an expansive set of windows that slide to reveal the outdoor permagarden allow guests to truly sense all of the seasons and the restaurant’s natural surrounds. Outside, the restaurant’s three greenhouses are used as a garden, test kitchen and bakery. Each ‘building within the building’ is connected by glass covered paths for chefs and guests to follow the changes in weather, daylight and seasons – making the natural environment an integral part of the culinary experience. Guests have the opportunity to walk through each of the surrounding buildings and to experience a variety of Nordic materials and building techniques: the barbecue is a giant walk-in hut, and the lounge looks and feels like a giant, cozy fireplace made entirely of brick inside and out. Meanwhile, the historic 100m long single-story warehouse completes the circle of buildings surrounding the kitchen. The warehouse’s raw concrete shell was preserved and a massive wooden shelf inserted for storage and display. All of the back-of-house functions are located here, including the prep kitchen, fermentation labs, fish tanks, terrarium, ant farm and break-out areas for staff. From outside, guests walking alongside the building can get occasional glimpses of the restaurant’s behind-the-scenes activities and experimentations. With this new culinary village, noma continues to pioneer a cuisine built upon shared values for creativity and sustainability.