Hayat Restaurant / Ivy Studio
Text description provided by the architects. Located on De La Commune Street in Montreal, Hayat offers a luxurious and truly authentic dining experience directly across from the city’s famous Old Port.
This Middle Eastern restaurant’s colour palette was inspired by the earthy tones of the Syrian deserts and their surrounding greenery. The sinuous ceiling lines mimic the smooth landscapes of the area, while guiding guests through the dining space. The entire ceiling and most walls were painted a warm and inviting cream colour, while the existing structure and window frames were coated with a deep charcoal paint. The ancient stone walls at the front and rear façades were, on the other hand, left intact to showcase the building’s history.
The 1500 square foot space holds one main dining room, a bar, a kitchen and private washrooms. The dining area is an open space with wooden floors and scattered tables. Above, a series of curved fabric bannisters come together to make a central light piece, surrounded by several sleek beige pendant fixtures. Enclosing the space, one long banquette follows the peripheral walls and two private booths are set for larger groups. Each seat is upholstered with forest green leather and their back rests with a silky pink velvet. Right behind, the kitchen is separated from the dining room by a walnut and hammered glass partition, revealing only glimpses of the action that occurs during service.
The bar offers a more intimate setting, with only a few bar stools and a chef’s table. This cozy ambiance is enhanced with the dimmed, individual bespoke light fixtures that are placed on the bar between diners. A striking teal, cream and pistachio marble covers the bar structure itself, somewhat replicating the stone walls behind. The overall intention of the palette was to bring together the worlds of Middle Eastern nature and Old Montreal construction.
All of the millwork is built with natural dark walnut. Aside from the bar, 2 other marbles cover the tables and service stations, each contributing their own touch of colour into the space. Besides the central fixture and scattered pendant globes, the general lighting in the room comes from a multitude of indirect lighting sources. Whether it be on the ceiling, behind the walls or under the millwork, multiple dimmed linear lights come together to create an invitingly warm glow throughout the restaurant.
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