27/07/2026
OMA’s Oberon Restaurant, located within the New Museum’s new extension in Manhattan, redefines the relationship between architecture, materiality and hospitality. Conceived as a freestanding "jewel box" embedded within the museum, the restaurant is enveloped almost entirely in Sofalca’s Expanded Black Cork, creating an immersive environment that offers a warm, tactile counterpoint to the surrounding white gallery spaces.
The continuous application of cork across the ceiling and seating creates a cohesive atmosphere, where the material’s natural warmth, tactile softness and outstanding acoustic performance transform the dining experience into one of comfort, intimacy and calm. Its deep black texture subtly absorbs light and sound, reinforcing the sensation of entering a sheltered, contemplative space within the museum.
As Jake Forster, Associate and Project Architect at OMA, explains: “Composed entirely from black expanded cork, the restaurant uses a novel sustainable material which gives a rich softness counter to the museum’s white box galleries…" Oberon demonstrates how cork can become far more than a finishing material, it becomes the architectural language itself, shaping space through exceptional technical performance, sensory richness and timeless aesthetic.
https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/restaurants/new-museum-restaurant-tktktk
https://www.dezeen.com/2026/07/18/oma-oberon-restaurant-new-museum-new-york-city/
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Client : Oberon Group
Lead design architect: OMA New York
Photography: Alex Fradkin
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