Few restaurants have been able to capture the attention and imaginations of eaters like Noma. It opened in 2003 and became a sensation serving food locally foraged and sourced from the Nordic region. Quite a feat given that the restaurant is in Copenhagen where there are real seasons. It led founder and head chef René Redzepito to create a truly seasonal menu that featured a range of foods not commonly found on restaurant menus. (Fried lichen, anybody?)
After winning just about every possible award, Redzepito shocked the food world by announcing that he was closing the restaurant and leaving its signature 1700s-era warehouse. Noma decamped for an extended pop up in Tulum, Mexico. A new version of the restaurant is set to open in a few months and, in fact, will start taking reservations on November 16th at precisely 4:00 PM local Copenhagen time.
The new restaurant promises to be more than just a new location but actually a new concept. In that spirit, Noma is auctioning off much of its original furniture, art, taxidermy, plates and glasses. So even if you never got to eat at the restaurant you can own a piece of it. The auction begins tomorrow and will be held in Chicago by Wright. You, of course, don’t have to be there to bid. There are almost 500 lots and given the popularity of Scandinavian design and the reputation of Noma, I’d expect the bidding to be quite fierce. Here are a few of the items that caught my attention.
There are several sets of these sleek lounge chairs from Space Copenhagen that were used in Noma’s bar area. Each pair is estimated to fetch between $5,000 and $7,000.
This stoneware was made exclusively for the restaurant by Aage and his father Kasper Würtz and was key to Noma’s unique aesthetic. The auction includes many different lots of it that range in price starting at a few hundred dollars. No doubt these serving items will be popular with collectors.
One of the most expensive items in the sale is this sculpture by Danish artist Lone Høyer Hansen. It was inspired by Nordic crystal formations and is estimated to bring between $20,00 and $30,000.