Design studio Snøhetta has expanded a Michelin-star restaurant in California's Napa Valley with a glazed annex, and renovated its kitchen and grassy courtyard.

Snøhetta redesigned The French Laundry in collaboration with San Francisco firm Envelope A+D, and chef Thomas Keller ? who has earned three stars for the eatery from the Michelin Guide to the world's best restaurants.
The task was to create more kitchen space and upgraded eating areas at the two-storey stone cottage, where Keller has served his French cuisine since 1994.

"The design is the first major overhaul to the historic site in over two decades and doubles the size of the existing landscape for guests while providing a world-class working environment for Keller and his team to innovate their craft and service," said a statement from Snøhetta.
The new kitchen extension measures 2,450 square feet (228 square metres), and houses the areas for the restaurant's butchery, produce breakdown, and a collection of 15,000 wine bottles.
The addition is clad in contemporary-looking fritted glass and more rustic charred wood, both contrasting the historic stonework of the original building.

"The new architecture is shaped by simple geometries that are both modern and reminiscent of agrarian architectural forms," said Snøhetta, which has offices in Oslo and New York.
The existing kitchen was also redesigned as a light-filled space, with 25 per cent more working space.

White walls, a new wood-bu...