Local residents enjoy the Beaux-Arts atmosphere of the mahogany paneling, velvet booths, brass trims and stained glass — and the food and drink.
It was papered on one wall with a design from Disney's "101 Dalmatians" and decorated on another with plastic dog dishes, which unexpectedly created a late-60's Pop Art atmosphere.
"What I want to get out of Le Meridien is I want to make it a destination in the destination," says Ziegler. "I want to make it a social gathering place really targeted toward creative minds and providing this kind of coffeehouse atmosphere as well as an art atmosphere that inspires curiosity.
Is it me, the art, the atmosphere?
These last three works, expanding on ideas generally at large in the art-world atmosphere, are by artists who just happen to be Israeli.
With suspended aluminium sheets, collages of magazine images and stretched wire grids, Gego's art conjures atmosphere out of thin air.
Just across the street, the new Callas Café (Andrassy 20, 36-1-354-0954; www.callascafe.hu), brings a high-ceilinged Art-Deco atoosphere thethe plaza in front of the Hungarian State Opera.
As far as the space, Mr. Notar said he still planned to keep to the nostalgic, Art Deco atmosphere: "I like those little love seats for two," he said, remembering the Lenox Lounge of old.
Her compositions picture bizarre scenarios that incorporate symbolic references to sexuality, technology, pop culture, and the typical art gallery atmosphere.
