Commissioned by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and designed by Helsinki- and Paris-based designer Linda Bergroth in collaboration with online furniture retailer Finnish Design Shop, a new installation called Zero Waste Bistro opened last week. Part of WantedDesign Manhattan—a series of design events taking place annually in Manhattan and Brooklyn during the NYCxDesign— the installation is open through Tuesday.
On average, a medium-size restaurant produces more than a ton of waste each week, according to the release. In response to this reality, Zero Waste Bistro project was designed to explore themes of waste and sustainability. The motto behind the project is "refuse, reduce, reuse, and only as a last resource, recycle," according to the same release.
The pop-up restaurant offers a zero-waste experience created by a Finnish culinary team. The dining space is constructed from recycled and renewable materials, including eco-friendly solid surfaces from Durat's Palace collection, designed by Most Collective for the Helsinki-based manufacturer, and NakedBoard, a pre-finished interior wallboard made of 100 percent recycled material by Rewall Co.
"I’ve created the dining area as a space within a space, using all sustainable materials," said Bergroth in a press release. "The design is like an installation that functions both as a restaurant space and a platform for talks and debate."
Furniture from Finnish design brand and furniture manufacturers Iittala and Artek are featured at the installation, including Alvar Aalto's pendants and stools and a new edition of Kaj Franck’s Teema tableware series.
This article has been updated to correct designer and manufacturer of the Palace collection.
