Anagram restaurant's street front: a curved storefront in dark aluminium with large display windows, a louvered ventilation system above, and a wrapped canopy soffit in composite panels.
300 East 50th Street (the address of the Anagram restaurant) called for a complete storefront package: a curved storefront frame in brown-tone anodised aluminium, large display lites for the dining area, a combination of single and double-leaf entry doors, integrated louvered ventilation above the windows, and an aluminium composite panel canopy wrap spanning the storefront soffit and sill. The work integrates three distinct systems: storefront (the primary frame and glazing), custom ventilation (embedded louvered panels), and architectural cladding (ACM soffit wrap).
The storefront is a curved bay configuration, approximately 20 feet of frontage spanning two floors in height. The frame is anodised in a dark brown finish to match the stone and fenestration of the surrounding architecture. The primary sightlines are large, unbroken display windows (transom configuration) that open a full view into the dining space — a key requirement for a ground-floor restaurant. The glass is temperate and captured in aluminium glazing beads.
Access is through a combination of swing doors: two single-leaf hinged doors flanking a central glazed panel, and a double-leaf door configuration at one end. This mixed-door arrangement allows the space to manage capacity and traffic flow while keeping the visual openness of the large storefront panes intact.
Integrated into the storefront frame, immediately above the display windows, is a louvered ventilation system. The louvres are fabricated in matching dark anodised aluminium and serve as intake or exhaust for the restaurant's HVAC: heat from the kitchen must be expelled, and fresh air must be drawn in. Rather than place separate mechanical grilles that break up the storefront design, these functional louvres are custom-shaped and integrated into the upper transom area, maintaining aesthetic continuity while performing the ventilation load.
The louvre blade angle and density are calculated to balance air flow with visual privacy from the street — diners inside have a clear sight line down, but the angle prevents easy viewing into the kitchen from street level. The louvres are removable for cleaning and filter replacement.
Spanning the entire storefront at the roofline and sill is a canopy soffit and return, faced in aluminium composite material (ACM) in a dark charcoal finish. The ACM panels are non-structural cladding mounted to a structural steel frame, providing weather protection and a finished appearance. The composite material allows for large unbroken panels, tight joints, and a clean, minimal detail — no fasteners visible, no sag or deflection.
The canopy wrap performs three functions: (1) protects the storefront head and returns from weather and UV, (2) provides a finished surface for the building's upper floor structure, and (3) creates a visual border that frames the storefront as a distinct architectural element at street level.
The three systems — storefront, louvres, and ACM wrap — were engineered and installed as a single coordinated package. The louvred panels were fabricated as part of the storefront frame (bolted directly to the transom rail), and the canopy structure was pre-fabricated in our shop and installed in place of the field frame anchors. This approach compressed the on-site install sequence: the storefront was secured to the structure, the louvres were snapped into place, the ACM soffit was anchored, and glazing was completed in a single multi-day job.
Coordination between the storefront depth, the louvre blade pitch, and the canopy overhang was critical: a 1-inch shift in any dimension would change the sight line from the street, the water shedding angle, and the installed appearance. Each element was shop-drawn and sample-reviewed with the architect before fabrication.
Ground-floor restaurant fronts often struggle with the dual demands of openness (to showcase the dining experience) and function (to manage kitchen ventilation, weather, and internal climate). A common mistake is to treat these as separate problems: a storefront for looks, and an HVAC grille bolted on top that looks industrial. At 300 East 50th, the louvred ventilation and the storefront frame are one thing, and the canopy is a considered architectural element — not an afterthought. The result is a unified, finished appearance that reads as intentional on the block.
Yes. Louvred grilles can be fabricated as part of the upper transom or head of the storefront frame, serving as HVAC intake/exhaust without interrupting the glazed appearance. The louvres are custom-shaped and anodised to match.
Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) is a lightweight, non-structural cladding panel — two thin sheets of aluminium bonded to a polyethylene core. It is used to finish structural elements (soffits, returns, fascias) and is available in many colours, finishes, and sizes. ACM allows large, seamless panels with minimal visible fasteners.
Louvred blades are angled to shed water outward and downward. Any water that enters the louver frame is caught and drained within the storefront head or transom rail, just as it is in a regular window or door head. The louvres do not increase leak risk if properly detailed.
Yes. The louvre frame and blades can be anodised in any colour — bronze, silver, black, champagne — independent of the storefront frame or canopy. In this case, all three elements are matched in the same dark tone for visual unity.
The louvre blade assembly is typically removable from the frame — bolted in from the inside. Once unbolted, the louvre can be taken out, cleaned, filters can be replaced, and it can be re-installed. The install takes 15–20 minutes per grille.
Yes. ACM is weather-tight, UV-stable, and does not corrode. The polyethylene core is not structural, but the two aluminium sheets are rigid enough for a canopy soffit. ACM is not recommended for kick plates or areas subject to impact; storefront and doors should remain in aluminium or steel.
About this page. Written by Alex GC Inc. d/b/a Alex Glass Construction and reviewed before publication by Aleksandr Chernovolenko, Managing Partner, with our design and estimating lead and a field foreman. Our foremen hold the NYC DOB Site Safety Training supervisor card and our crews the 40-hour worker card; we are certified to fabricate, install and service Alutech and Everest aluminum systems. Facts are drawn from our own projects, manufacturer test data and the applicable codes; where we are giving an opinion, we say so. Last reviewed September 2026. Credentials
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