Sequoia Restaurant, a gourmet American eatery on the Potomac River, chose rand* to complete an art-focused renovation for their iconic waterfront venue at the Washington Harbour in Georgetown.

Sequoia’s ownership group, Ark Restaurants, chose design firm Jeffrey Beers to spearhead the project and commissioned several high-profile international artists to create custom artwork, putting extra demands on the project team as far as scheduling and coordination. Japanese artist Hitoshi Kuriyama created the colossal and elaborate light installation made of clusters of fluorescent lights, making an ethereal, floating web of light that illuminates the dining space. Graphite wall finishes by artist David Higginbotham add bold pops of color to an overall clean, white palette. Belgian conceptual artist Arne Quinze developed a large sculptural piece for the outdoor patio area on the waterfront. Because Sequoia is in the federally protected Georgetown Historic District, all exterior work on the project had to be reviewed and approved by the Old Georgetown Board.

Our team demolished the entire two-story space and installed all new finishes, updating the previous nautical theme to a more modern aesthetic conceived by GTM Architects. In addition to replacing drywall, carpet and terrazzo, we installed all new mechanical, electrical and plumbing fixtures. The renovation also included moving the main bar to the ground floor and adding a new mezzanine-level private dining space.