Cafe Boulud & Maison Barnes
The newly reopened Café Boulud and the debut of Maison Barnes at 100 E 63rd Street in New York City now feature an exemplary audio installation by K-array USA. This prestigious project, executed by Architech Designs, a premier integrator of luxury technology, blends high-quality sound solutions into the refined atmosphere of these iconic establishments where sight, sound, and taste intertwine in a delicate dance of culinary artistry and sensory perfection.
Café Boulud, designed by Jeffrey Beers, offers a unique destination that embodies contemporary elegance and artistic detailing. The menu, crafted by world renowned Chef Daniel Boulud, reflects French tradition, seasonal freshness, garden inspirations, and global culinary influences. The café’s interior blends modern sophistication with classic elements, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Maison Barnes also presents a curated menu by Chef Daniel Boulud and is a Manhattan destination that offers a sophisticated salon-like ambiance, with belle époque-inspired design by Stephanie de Ricou and Kevin Ouvré. The bar and lounge area, with hand-painted murals, transports guests to a Parisian gilded age.
Specializing in highly custom end-to-end system integration, Architect Designs, specified K-array speakers for the cornerstone of each venue's immersive sound environment. In Café Boulud's main dining room, eight Tornado speakers pair with four KU26 Rumble series subs, discreetly hidden within the millwork. This arrangement produces vibrantly clear sound even at lower volumes, allowing diners to enjoy the music while engaging in comfortable conversation. The space also includes Le Cellier, a wine cellar equipped with Lyzard speakers and a subwoofer, which doubles as a private dining and event space with full video conferencing capabilities.
The Bar and lounge of Maison Barnes utilize Kobra speakers and Rumble Subs, custom-painted to match the ironwork and canvas wallpaper, making them virtually invisible within the decor. The dining room follows a similar design principle to Café Boulud, but with the added feature of an antique grand piano, wireless mic and mixing board that feeds into the house audio system. This setup allows for live performances and DJ sets, adding another layer to the sensory experience. La Vaisselier, a library like space for dedicated events, features its own Lyzard speakers and Rumble subwoofer, creating an isolated audio environment perfect for intimate dining or small corporate gatherings.
The multi-function spaces Cafe Boulud and Maison Barnes boast custom-curated playlists from Spectre Audio with scheduled moods for different areas and times of day, ensuring that the auditory atmosphere always complements the visual and culinary elements.
This audio installation holds particular importance for Chef Daniel Boulud, a noted music lover. The same speakers featured in Café Boulud and Maison Barnes can be found in his flagship restaurant, Daniel, one of the most exclusive restaurants in the world and recently featured on the award-winning television series, The Bear. Whether in the dining room, bar, lounge, or private dining areas, guests can enjoy impeccable audio quality that has been meticulously curated to create a unique dining experience that engages all the senses.
The audio setup includes:
24x Tornado-KT2W-HV 2" point source 70V compact aluminum speakers
2xTornado-KT2-HV 2" point source 70V compact aluminum speakers
4x Kobra-KK52W I 50cm-long, variable beam stainless steel line array elements
2x Lyzard-KZ14 I Ultra-mini, 10cm-long aluminum line array speakers
1x Azimut-KAMUT2L14 II Professional sound system (comprised of 2 KZ14 I speakers, 1 KTR25, and 1 KA02 I)
10x Rumble-KU26W Ultra-slim, 8/32Ω stainless steel passive subwoofers
1x Rumble-KU26 Ultra-slim, 8/32Ω stainless steel passive subwoofer
1x Rumble-KU44W I Ultra-slim, 8/32Ω stainless steel passive subwoofer
2x Kommander-KA68 Class D, 2U-rack amplifiers
Café Boulud, with its nearly three-decade legacy as a sophisticated Upper East Side destination, and the newly introduced Maison Barnes, offer two distinctive experiences under one roof. Together, they cultivate the French art de vivre with a harmonious blend of sensory elements, enhanced by elegant K-array audio solutions.
This thoughtful integration of sound, sight, and taste, fusing technology and tradition, creates a symbiotic relationship that results in an environment where each aspect of the senses contributes to a memorable and multisensory culinary journey for guests.
Kit list:
Kommander-KA68 amplifiers
Azimut-KAMUT2L14 II system
Rumble-KU44W I subwoofer
Tornado-KT2W-HV point source speakers
Lyzard-KZ14 I line array speakers
Rumble-KU26 subwoofer
Kobra-KK52W I line array elements speakers
