F.M. Kirby Carriage House Restaurant

the opportunity

Paper Mill's investment in its physical campus reflects a bold commitment to ensuring that live theater remains a vital, inclusive, and thriving art form for audiences old and new. The Carriage House marks the first phase of a $48.8 million campus-wide transformation including front and back of the house spaces, and site amenities to support Paper Mill Playhouse's mission to be the premier musical theater destination in the region. The design concept for the Carriage House Restaurant was rooted in a "past, present, and future" framework, honoring the site's origins as a historic paper mill, celebrating Paper Mill Playhouse's legacy as a producer of original theatrical works, and positioning the campus for its next chapter. 

Our Approach

Drawing inspiration from Paper Mill's own production of "The Great Gatsby," the interior extends the theatrical experience into the dining environment through curved architectural beams, integrated lighting, decorative murals, and intimate banquette seating. Developed in close coordination with the local historic committee, the renovation and expansion carefully preserves and reinterprets the historic character of the Paper Mill Playhouse campus while introducing the modern amenities and accessibility today's audiences expect.

Front of the house interiors include a double-height lobby and a gracious monumental stair to establish physical and visual connections between floors, creating a sense of arrival and occasion that matches the energy of the performances within. Generous milling space enhances patron circulation and the overall audience experience, while a new patron lounge, updated box office, and refreshed concessions offerings elevate hospitality throughout the venue. Behind the curtain, new and renovated back of house spaces include a new orchestra green room, musician lounge, practice rooms, expanded dressing rooms, a redesigned costume shop, crew office and lounge, administration offices, catering area, and dedicated AV and storage spaces. These improvements provide the infrastructure necessary to support world-class productions from arrival through curtain call.

Program

Patron lounge, updated box office, orchestra green room, musician lounge, practice rooms, expanded dressing rooms, redesigned costume shop, crew office and lounge, administration offices, catering area, and dedicated AV and storage spaces

Partners

Tate Design Group
Harrison-Hamnett, Structural
CMTA, MEP/FP and Acoustical Engineering
Dynamic Engineering Consultants, Civil
Metinteractive, AV/IT
Corsi Associates, Food Service
Phelps Construction Group, Contractor

Photography

Connie Zhou