Nestled in a 1920s Merchant’s Square office building in Tribeca, the Arcade Bakery finds a quiet beat in the heart of a bustling city life. And while the shop’s baked goods are praiseworthy in and of themselves, what stands out here is the remarkable yet muted design of the space by the studio Workstead. Faced with the challenge of bringing seating to a building that has sloping floors, the designers came up with the elegant solution to replace some of the old display windows with seating nooks, complete with fold down tables of varying sizes. These alcoves are covered in rich mahogany, with brass fixtures for the tables to sit on, and invite customers to get comfortable as they enjoy their meals. The informality of this arrangement encourages one to not just eat but to take a break, to stop counting calories or the minutes of their lunch hour, and to appreciate the artisanal food. Along with these seating alcoves, the bakery itself provides a welcoming display, with large windows open during business hours to show off all the goods made fresh that day. And these baked edibles look their best thanks to the custom lighting fixtures Workstead designed for the bakery, which mesh well with the building’s historic lamps and promote a relaxing, satisfying meal. Like a slow Adagio movement within a lively Allegro symphony, the Arcade Bakery is another appreciated oasis knit into a frantic metropolis.
