Looking to infuse architectural interior design into a Lebanese restaurant in New York, architect Michel Abboud seemed the obvious choice. But on what was probably the most challenging space in New York City, he was unsure if he could rise to the challenge.

At just 3 metres wide and 35 metres in length, it was the worst possible space for a restaurant. Crooked walls and a complete lack of windows added further constraints. After much deliberation, Abboud employed a simple solution. "When I am faced with constraints that limit my results, I reinforce those constraints. It is a solution I apply to all challenging projects."

Abboud's answer was to create an even longer and even narrower space than was already in place. The result was like an illusion. It appeared to lengthen the space beyond the perimeters of the original structure. Dining seats and tables hugged the crooked walls on both sides of the restaurant, yet remained perfectly aligned along the central and only corridor. The walls were clad with a double skin, consisting of an internal layer of backlit polycarbonate, and an outer layer of powder coated white aluminum sheets, which were perforated using a custom pattern designed specifically for the project and using the basic cuneiform letter of the Phoenician alphabet. "Culturally speaking," explains Abboud, "the design honored its Lebanese origins.